he was born in pellio superiore in the val d'intelvi, near como. at the age of 23, as an already an accomplished plasterer, he moved to prague. he would build several different jesuit churches and cloisters there, including some at the clementinum, in the early baroque style. his first commission was the stucco decoration on the gothic st. saviour church in prague. he also worked on the saint eligius chapel there in 1654, before his work was redone by domenico orsi.