Francisco de Mora

Francisco de Mora (c.1553–1610) was a Spanish Renaissance architect.

Life Mora was born in Cuenca, and baptized in the parish of Santa Cruz on August 15, 1552. He was an uncle of the humanist Baltasar Porreño. His father having died, Francisco was apprenticed at the age of thirteen to Pedro de Villadiego, a carpenter and carver. Villadiego was at that time engaged in carving an altarpiece for Monteagudo de las Salinas.

In 1579 took service with architect Juan de Herrera, along with Herrera's nephew, Pedro Liermo. He worked with Herrera on the construction of the Alcázar of Segovia. In 1587, he completed the main garden and the School of Honor areas of the castle. Mora also worked with Herrera on the Monastery of San Lorenzo in El Escorial. His industriousness and great technical expertise in the royal works where he had collaborated was rewarded by Philip II with the appointment May 11, 1587 to work on the church of the Monastery of Uclés. The west facade was planned by Mora, but not built by him. It contains the front entrance of the church.

Herrera being indisposed, in June 1588, Mora went to Simancas and designed the patio, doorway and the main staircase of the expanded fortress where the king wished to move the royal archives. He then designed the chapter house for the Hieronymites at Lupiana. The charterhouse at Évora has also been attributed to him. On June 7, 1591, the king signed his appointment as master builder fpr the renovations at the Royal Alcázar of Madrid. In 1594, he designed the Church of St. Barnabas in El Escorial, Madrid to replace an older church on the same site.

Francisco de Mora died in Madrid.