Nicola Monachesi (c. 1795-1851)

Born and trained in Italy, this artist executed some of the first fresco paintings in America, beginning in the 1830s. His commissions decorated many grand homes, Catholic churches, and public buildings such as the Merchants' Exchange Building on South 3rd St. The ceiling frescoes at St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church are a rare surviving example of his work. Monachesi became a US citizen and lived in Philadelphia until his death.