THE TAJ

Italian Architect Planned Taj Mahal

A few European scholars, especially Italians, have argued from time-to-time advocated that Taj Mahal was the work of an Italian, Geronimo Veroneo. They refer to the records of Father Manrique, who was an Augustinian Friar that states that he visited Agra in 1640. His purpose was to secure the release of Father Antony who had been imprisoned by the Mughals there. In Lahore, he met Father Joseph de Castro who told him about the Venetian by the name Geronimo Veroneo who came in the Portuguese ships and died in the city of Lahore in 1640. But other records state that Veroneo was a goldsmith by profession who came to India in the times of Emperor Jehangir and died on his way to Lahore. Though he had lived and prospered in Agra and was even buried there, there are no actual evidences to prove Veroneo's involvement in laying designs of the Taj.

Father Manrique was just a casual traveler to the place who had heard the rumors of an Italian being the chief architect of the Taj so his chronicles can hardly be considered a solid proof in themselves. Moreover, many Europeans had witnessed the construction of Taj during the 16 years when it was being built but none of them have mentioned the name of Veroneo. There has been no proof showing that Veroneo had any other skills besides that of a goldsmith or that he possessed such knowledge as to construct this grand mausoleum conforming to the typical Indo-Persian architecture.