Page - 331 - in Jacopo Strada and Cultural Patronage at the Imperial Court - The Antique as Innovation, Volume 1

331Imperial Architect: Background 140 Cf. above, Ch. 4.1–4.2. Strada himself referred in guarded terms to the advantage of his wealth and collection when pressing Ferdinand’s first chamberlain, Martin de Guzmán, for an answer: ‘sempre sarò efitionatissimo a la Casa d’Austria, et spenderò la robba et l’honore per Lei dove potrò’ (Doc. 1558-02-21); a passage in his letter to Ferdinand himself might be stretched to include a similar intention: ‘Hora se la Maestà Vostra li piace di acetarmi nel numero de li suoi servitor, del canto mio farò ogni debito di farmi honore’ (Doc. 1558-02-12). 141 Cf. above, Chs. 2.3 and 3.4. included, in particular his collection of measured drawings of both ancient Ro- man architectural remains, and up-to-date architectural projects in Rome and elsewhere in Italy. He must have realised that Strada’s presence at court would make all this material available at no or very little cost to himself: doubtless this consideration heavily influenced his eventual decision.140 By the time of his visit to Strada’s studio, Ferdinand would have heard infor- mal reports on Strada’s competence from Hans Jakob Fugger and from some of his other patrons and associates (such as Antonio Agustín, at the time present at court as Papal Nuncio, and Cardinal Otto Truchsess von Waldburg, Prince- Bishop of Augsburg, who accompanied Ferdinand on his visit). These appear to have been positive, if Ferdinand decided to accept Strada’s formal offer of his services. As we have seen, the few documented assignments he was given in his first years in Vienna were all in the field of architecture, and when Strada was finally formally appointed, it was as an architect, rather than as an anti- quary. So it was his competence as such, that motivated Ferdinand’s decision. 5.6 Strada’s Competence as an Architect 5.6.1 Practical Experience To understand Jacopo Strada’s role in the architectural establishment at court, it is necessary to consider for what reasons he was held capable for that func- tion, even though he himself had taken pains to present himself as a learned antiquary and had applied for an appointment as such, rather than as an architect. The little we know or can infer about Strada’s earlier career suggests that he probably had some practical experience as an architect, though we do not know exactly what this may have entailed. The hypothesis that he was in some way involved in the construction of the Italienische Bau of the Stadtres- idenz in Landshut remains speculation; that he made the designs for decora- tive elements of the Fuggerhaus at Donauwörth remains an attribution.141 On the other hand we do know that Strada was capable of preparing archi- tectural designs, since he had made measured drawings of the remnants of antique monuments in Rome: it is likely that he had been taught at least the