Nicola Zabaglia

Nicola Zabaglia or Zaballi (January 1667 – 27 January 1750) was an Italian builder and engineer associated with the Fabric of Saint Peter. Despite having no formal education, he became known for developing machinery and efficient scaffolding systems for the maintenance and decoration of St. Peter's Basilica and St. Peter's Square in Rome. He is regarded as an important figure in the formation of the , the specialized workforce responsible for the maintenance of the basilica.

Early life and career Zabaglia was born in Buda of the Cascia comune, probably in January 1667, the son of Alessandro, a (master builder) at St. Peter's, and Geltrude Baldini. His obituary instead gave his year of birth as 1664.

In 1686, Zabaglia began working for the St. Peter's Fabbrica, the institution responsible for the construction and maintenance of St. Peter's Basilica, as a day labourer. He entered its permanent workforce in 1691.

Zabaglia specialized in devising machines and temporary structures for the unusually complex maintenance and decorative work undertaken within the basilica. His systems used ropes, hoists, winches, pulleys and relatively simple wooden components, permitting work at great heights and the movement of heavy objects while reducing the time and expense of erecting conventional scaffolding. His technical experiments and working methods contributed to the emergence of a more permanent and specialized maintenance workforce within the Fabric. The number of workers under his direction increased from 10 in 1703 to 42 in 1735.

The work recorded Zabaglia's scaffolds, lifting apparatus and other devices and helped disseminate his construction methods beyond St. Peter's. Via Nicola Zabaglia in the Testaccio district of Rome also bears his name.