La patente di ingegnere. Sapere tecnico e pratica professionale nel Piemonte d’Ancient Régime (1566-1724)

The technical knowledge for building a “capital city”, a locution already published by Argan’s in the Sixties, dialogues since time with the engineer, a professional fi- gure not always et not only busied in military works. During the Ancien Régime, in Piemonte, the engineer usually works in the construction industry, dealing with the Architecture – in the meaning published in the historical sources about Savoia’s buildings - drawing the image of Torino, of the dukedom and then of the kingdom of Savoy. His professional skills and competences are often conferred by the client for or after a works, sometimes before the so-called patente of engineer, a ducal – then royal – measure that certified the title of engineer to qualified individuals, frequently for a specific work. Not many studies underline the role of certified engineer like soprastanti le fabbriche, architect in chief, measurers or appraisers.It is essential to compare the Municipality with the Consiglio delle Fabbriche e Fortificazioni, a board that was established to verify the buildings of Savoy’s family, which later became an authority in civil and military constructions building sites. The local Au- thority, in fact, is often the operative institution that really built the city and the area around it. Between Seventeenth and Eighteenth century, in this context, stand out Rocco Antonio Rubatto and his son Giuseppe, little-known engineers with “paten- te”, that is certified engineers, who worked for the central and the local Authority, for the State and the Municipality. In addition to conferring professional qualifications, they work in many construction sites, drawing the image of an European kingdom, with competences and skills in military works and in hydraulic, construction indu- stry, urban planning, basis for the title of civil engineer. A complex situation, it’s rearranged by a specific regulation around the profession of engineer which was, in 1724, an intermediate act between the Seventeenth-century fragmentation and the Eighteenth century.