Career
Admitted to the Roman Academy of Arcadia in 1717, Salvi became an architect only after studies in mathematics and philosophy. His mentor in architecture was Antonio Canevari, who served also as consulting architect of the king of Portugal. In 1728, Canevari left for Lisbon, and Salvi continued his commissions in Rome.
Among these were ephemeral decorations and small decorative projects.
In Rome, the patronage for building of large structures had declined relative to the past century. In 1732, competitions were held by Clement XII, for two large projects.
One was to create a new façade for the church of Street John the Lateran and another was for a public fountain at Trevi. Salvi"s other remaining works are few: he rebuilt the church of Santa Maria in Gradi (1738) in Viterbo, but it was since destroyed by bombs in World World War II and is being restored.