Family

Santini Aichel - Father

He was a Czech stonemason of Italian origin (23 October 1652 in Prague – 27 September 1702 in Prague), written also Eichel, Aychel, Aeuchl. He was born to Antonin Aichel and Kristyna Ostova in the Old Town, christened in the St Jacob Church with the witnesses – a significant Italian architect Carlo Lurago, Santini de Bossi, Giovanni Battista Ceresol and Matej Valkoun, the associate highest burgrave in the Prague Castle. He grew up in the Old Town where he was trained in stone masonry. It meant a professional and social advancement compared to his father's masonry craft. During his apprenticeship, he most probably got acquainted with his lifetime friend Adam Kulich, a latter stonemason master. They worked together on number of significant monuments. Santini Aichel obtained work at Hradcany and moved there for the work, too – he lived in one of the small houses behind the Deer Moat (Jelení příkop). He married Alzbeta Thimova (20 January 1701) on 27 October 1675 and had the oldest son Jan Blazej, the dauthgter Alzbeta (christened on 25 September 1678) and Frantisek Jakub with her. He became a Lesser Town burgher in 1680 and bought the house At the Three Stars (U tri hvezd) in Pohorelec. He died untimely in 1702. More informations.

Frantisek Santini-Aichel - Brather

He was a Czech stonemason of Italian origin, christened on 28 April 1680 in St Vitus Cathedral in Prague (died in 1709). He was born as the youngest child to the reputable family of the Prague stonemason Santin. He was also trained in stone-masonry in order to be able to take over his father's workshop instead of the oldest Jan Blazej who had not physical predispositions for stone masonry work. He worked in the New Town Jesuit dormitory together with his father in 1702. After his father's death, he added his name to his own last name in the same year. His brother committed him his share of money from their father's heritage, thus enabling him to profess the stone mason craft. Nevertheless, Jan left the joint partnership in 1704 due to Frantisek's inconsideration. More informations.

Antonin Aichel - Grandfather

Antonin came from the little town Roveredo (today in Italy) on the bank of the Lake Lugano. Roveredo is situated in South Tyrol that had belonged to Austria by the end of the World War I and was named Aichel during Antonín's life. That is why he attached it to his first name when he came to the Czech lands. He came to Prague in the 30th of the 17th century in order to occupy himself with masonry. He married Kristyna Ostova from Pilsen in Lesser Town Parish Church of St Wenceslas on 6 November of 1635, with wedding witnesses Santini de Bossi, Melchior Meer, the architect Carlo Lurago and Matej Valkoun, the associate highest burgrave in the Prague Castle. More informations.

Kristian Schröder - Father-in-Law

Kristian Schröder (1655 Goslar Germany - 1702 Prague) was an imperial and king's painter, administrator and inspector of the Prague Castle picture gallery. Schröder did not excel in creative talent but he went down in history as a teacher of two giants – he trained Petr Brandl as well as Jan Santini Aichel in painting. During Brandl's apprenticeship, Schröder had not been member of the painters' guild yet and had not been in authority as a regular trainer. Brandl was the eighth pupil who did not finish his apprenticeship by him. Schröder entered the guild as late as in 1694. No own painting can be attributed to Schröder for certainity today. After Schröder's death, Santini-Aichel married his daughter Veronika Alžbeta in 1707. More informations.