GASSE, STEFANO AND LUIGI, twin brothers, and both architects, wore born at Naples, August 8, 1778, but were of French origin. When not above seven years of age they were sent to Paris, and there confided to the carp and instruction of their maternal undo the Abbate Minotti. On their education being sufficiently advanced, they made choice of architecture as their profession ; and they not only obtained many premiums at the Institute of France, but were sent to complete their studies at Rome. After remaining five years at Rome, they were in 1802 recalled by their parents to Naples, where they settled and practised together. The strong attachment between the two brothers was interrupted only by the death of Luigi (November 11, 1833); and they appear to have been well stilted to aid each other, no less by the difference of their talents than by the similarity of their dispositions—Luigi possessing greater fertility of ideas and readiness in design, while Stefano had more practical skill and knowledge of construction. Thus, the works executed by Stefano during the lifetime of Luigi, belong to both brothers in common; and Naples owes to them many of its beat modern edifices. Among the
the more important of them are—the Astronomical Observatory ; the additions to the Villa Reale; the Reale Edifizio di San Giacomo, an immense pile of building, erected at the cost of 1,500,000 ducats, and containing the bank, exchange, prefecture, and a great number of other public offices; and the Dogana, or new custom-house. Besides these public works Stefano built not a few mansions for private individuals : the Palazzo Isiontemiletto; that of the Dnea di Terra nova, the Casino Cacace at Sorrento ; the Casino Dupont, and that called di Sofia,' in the Strada Nueva di Posilipo. He also designed the new streets Santa Lucia and Mergellina, and the entrance to the new Campo Santo or public cemetery, but he did not live to complete any of these last-mentioned improvements. After a short illness the Cavaliere Stefano Gasse—for he had been complimented with the cross of the order of Francesco Prima—died at Naples, February 21st, 1810.