Giovanni Maria Fontana

Giovanni Maria Fontana (c1670 – after 1712) was an Italian-Swiss architect, born in Lugano, who worked in Russia, on the invitation of Peter the Great, who assembled a team of European architects and artisans for the construction of St Petersburg during his grand tour in 1697 and 1698. Among his most prominent commissions were those from Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov, to build his various palaces, including the Oranienbaum, often working in tandem with Johann Gottfried Schädel.