Giuseppe ZANOIA. — Priest, architect, poet, b. in Genoa on 11 Jan. 1752, d. at Omegna (Novara) on 18 Oct. 1817.
After completing his ecclesiastical studies, he devoted himself to architecture, designing altars and chapels for the churches of Omegna, Catagno, the Borromeo house on Isola Bella, and S. Ambrogio in Milan. He was at the centre of Milanese artistic life as secretary of the Brera Academy (Discorsi, Milan 1811) and architect of the Duomo. His oratory also had a certain effectiveness: he preached in the presence of the archduke and the court in 1793, 1794, and 1800, and delivered the funeral oration in Milan for the death of Empress Maria Theresa.
As a poet (Sermoni, 2nd ed., Milan 1823), he wrote four Horatian-style satires: stylistically Parinian to the point that the sermon Sulle pie disposizioni testamentarie was published by Reina among the works of Parini. In his comedies (Il ravvedimento, I matrimoni ragionevoli, La capricciosa pentita, Rosalinda) he pursued moralistic aims within Goldonian frameworks.