DELORME, PHILIBERT, was born in 1518 at Lyon, where his father was a builder or undertaker of public works, in extensive practice. As he himself boasts, he was hardly fifteen when he had upwards of three hundred workmen to receive their directions from him; which probably means that such directions were only transmitted through him. In 1533 he was sent to Rome, where in a short time he secured a protector in the Cardinal Santa Croce, who took him into his household. The devoutness which he now affected far exceeded his application to study, which did not extend to more than making ordinary sketches. Yet if he did not profit much by diligence, he made what was then considered an important discovery, namely, that of the mode practised by the ancients for tracing the Ionic volute, as described on a capital in Santa Maria Trastevere—a discovery eubse quently claimed for Palladio, although Delorme's prior right to it is neither to be disputed tsar suspected, because the other did not visit Home till 1549, nor begin to publish any of his writings till 1570, whereas the first edition of Delorme's works appeared in 1567.
On his return to his native city in 1536, Delorme, who brought back with him a high character for religious strictness, was employed to erect the portal of the church of St. Nizier, which, as far as it was ever finialsed, gives no very favourable idea of his architectural talent. The alterations of the Hotel Billau, in the same city, obtained for him much more credit ; but nearly the whole of it was due to his brother Jean. That work completed, be was soon afterwards summonod to Paris by Catherine de' aledieis, to whom he had been recommended by tho Cardinal du Bellay, who had himself been charged by Santa Croce (raised to the papal see in 1555 by the title of Marcellue IL, but who wore the tiara only three•and-twenty days) to promote the advancement of his protege. Catherine perceived in him other merits than those of a mere artist, and rewarded them accordingly. Although he was not in orders, having only received the tonsure when at Rome, several church benefices were conferred upon him, and he was appointed Aumemier du Roi. No wonder therefore, when rewards of that kind were showered upon him so unscrupulously, that he should have obtained much of the most important and lucrative employment in his own profession, without his qualifications being narrowly inquired into. Delorme was associated with Primsticcio in the erection of the monument of Francis I., and that of the Valois princes at St. Deny. (taken down in 1719), but the designs were made by Primatieclo. Among works of a more strictly architectural nature, he built the Chateau de Metadon for the Cardinal de Lorraine, and completed the Chateau de Madrid in the Bois do Boulogne at Paris ; but his work at the latter building was inferior to that of his prede cessors. To these may be Court (en for de cheval) at
Fontainebleau ; the royal seats of Villers•Cotterets, do la Muette, and St. Germaino.en-Laye; and the celebrated Chateau d'Aoet, built for the Duchess de Valentinois, bettor known as Diane de Poitiers. Of these buildings, such as remain at all have been so altered at different times that their original character is nearly effaced; but of the Chatatan d'Anet the portal, or lofty centre compartment, is pre served by baring been taken down and re-erected as a restoration in the court of the fi cola des Beaux Arts at Paris. The reputation however obtained by that monument for Philibort is, Callet assures us, in reality due to Jean Delorme, his brother. On the death of Henri II. (1559) he not only lost his appointment of Royal AumOnier, but fell into disgrace with the new king Francis II. Nevertheless the queen-mother continued her protection, and ho was accordingly intrusted by her with the works of her new palace of the Tuileries (1564); hut it is far from certain whether Delorme or Bullant, who was also engaged upon the Tuileries, had the greater share in the original structure. According to Callot, it was Bullant who was the auther of the general design of the palace; for Delorme, in the dedi cation of his works to Catherine (1567), takes credit to himself only for the 'Ionic order' and some other minor parts, but carefully avoids mentiouiug the name of the other architect. What Dclorme'e talent and taste really were, may perhaps be pretty well judged of by a specimen which no one will envy him the credit of, namely, the house which he erected for himself in the Rue de in CirissIo, and of which Callet exhibits two elevations and a ground-plan ; for it is of studied inconvenience as a dwelling, and very far from handsome as a design. It was there that Philibert died, May 30,1577, at tho age of fifty-nine. Ho wrote a work entitled ' Nouvelles Inventions pour bien batir it petit frail; Paris, 1551, which contain. much useful practical information in regard to the carpentry of roofs and domes.
Of his brother, JEAN DELORME, no particulars have come down to us—a circumstance that is accounted for by the fact that Philibert took care that he should be considered as a mere subordinate. Tho probability is, that Jean died some time before his brother.
(Callet, Notice If istorique 8111' quelques Architectcs Franrais du Seirielste &We, Paris, 1813.)