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Leon AlbertiOne of the first among the great cultural creators of the Italian Renaissance
Date of Birth: 18.02.1404
Country:  Italy |
Content:
- Biography of Leon Battista Alberti
- Early Life and Education
- Work in the Papal Chancellery
- Architectural Achievements
Biography of Leon Battista Alberti
Leon Battista Alberti, born on February 18, 1404, in Genoa, is considered one of the first great creators of the Italian Renaissance. His diverse interests amazed his contemporaries, with one of them noting in the margins of an Alberti manuscript, "Tell me, what did this man not know?" Even Poliziano, when mentioning Alberti, preferred "to remain silent rather than say too little about him." Alberti's name rightfully stands among the first great creators of the Italian Renaissance. His theoretical writings, artistic practice, ideas, and his identity as a humanist played an exceptionally important role in the emergence and development of early Renaissance art.
Early Life and Education
Alberti was born to Leonardo Alberti on February 18, 1404, in Genoa. His father, Leonardo Alberti, an illegitimate son, belonged to one of the influential merchant families of Florence, which had been expelled from their hometown by political opponents. Alberti received his initial education in Padua, studying under the renowned humanist-educator Gasparino da Barzizza. After his father's death in 1421, he moved to Bologna, where he studied canonical law at the university and attended lectures by Francesco Filelfo on Greek language and literature. He earned his doctorate in canonical law in 1428. Although Alberti became part of the brilliant circle of writers who gathered at the home of Cardinal Albergati in Bologna, his university years were difficult and unsuccessful. The death of his father greatly affected his financial well-being, and conflicts with relatives over inheritance, which they had illegitimately taken from him, added to his unrest. His excessive workload took a toll on his health.
During his student years, Alberti developed an interest in mathematics and philosophy. In his early works, such as "Philodoxus," "On the Advantages and Disadvantages of Science," and "Banquet Conversations," written during his time in Bologna, one can sense his anxiety and apprehension about the inevitable blind fate. His encounter with Florentine culture, after being allowed to return to his homeland, helped him overcome these moods. During his trip to France, the Netherlands, and Germany in 1431, as part of Cardinal Albergati's entourage, Alberti gained numerous architectural impressions. His subsequent years in Rome (1432-1434) marked the beginning of his long study of ancient architectural monuments. It was during this time that Alberti also began studying cartography and the theory of painting, while simultaneously working on his treatise "On the Family," dedicated to moral problems.
Work in the Papal Chancellery
In 1432, thanks to the patronage of influential supporters from the higher clergy, Alberti obtained a position in the papal chancellery, where he served for over thirty years. Alberti's industriousness knew no bounds. He believed that a person, like a seafaring vessel, should traverse vast spaces and "endeavor through hard work to earn praise and the fruits of glory." As a writer, he was equally interested in social norms, family life, issues of human personality, and ethical questions. He engaged not only in literature but also in science, painting, sculpture, and music.
His "Mathematical Games," as well as his treatises "On Painting" and "On Statuary," testify to his profound knowledge of mathematics, optics, and mechanics. He conducted observations on air humidity, which led to the invention of the hygrometer. He contemplated the creation of a geodetic instrument for measuring the height of buildings and the depth of rivers, aiming to facilitate city leveling. Alberti designed lifting mechanisms for extracting sunken Roman ships from the bottom of a lake. He also paid attention to seemingly trivial matters, such as breeding valuable horse breeds, secrets of women's grooming, the code for encrypted papers, and the form of letter writing.
The diversity of his interests astonished his contemporaries, with one of them noting in the margins of an Alberti manuscript, "Tell me, what did this man not know?" Even Poliziano, when mentioning Alberti, preferred "to remain silent rather than say too little about him."
Architectural Achievements
If we attempt to give a general characteristic of Alberti's entire body of work, the most obvious feature is his striving for innovation, which smoothly combined with a thoughtful understanding of classical thought. From 1434 to 1445, Alberti visited Florence, Ferrara, and Bologna as part of Pope Eugene IV's entourage. During his extended stay in Florence, he established friendly relationships with the founders of the Renaissance art movement, such as Brunelleschi, Donatello, and Ghiberti. It was during this time that Alberti wrote his treatises on sculpture and painting, as well as his best humanistic works in the Italian language, such as "On the Family" and "On Spiritual Tranquility," which established him as a renowned theorist and leading figure of the new artistic movement.
His multiple trips to cities in Northern Italy also contributed greatly to his keen interest in diverse artistic activities. Returning to Rome, Alberti enthusiastically resumed his studies of ancient architectural monuments and began working on his treatise "Ten Books on Architecture" in 1444. By 1450, the treatise was completed and was presented to Pope Nicholas V in a revised version, which is known today. Alberti, engrossed in his subsequent projects and constructions, left his treatise somewhat unfinished and did not return to it.
Alberti's first architectural experiments are usually associated with his two visits to Ferrara in 1438 and 1443. While maintaining friendly relations with Leonello d'Este, who became the Marquis of Ferrara in 1441, Alberti provided advice on the construction of an equestrian monument to Leonello's father, Niccolò III.
After Brunelleschi's death in 1446, Florence no longer had any architects of equal significance. Thus, at the turn of the century, Alberti found himself in the role of a leading architect of the era. It was only now that he had the real opportunities to implement his architectural theories in practice.
All of Alberti's constructions in Florence are marked by one noteworthy feature. The principles of the classical order, drawn by the master from Roman antiquity, were applied by him with great tact to the traditions of Tuscan architecture. The fusion of the new and the old, forming a vivid unity, gave these buildings a distinct "Florentine" style, quite different from his constructions in Northern Italy.
Alberti's first work in his hometown was the design for the Rucellai Palace, construction of which was carried out between 1446 and 1451 by Bernardo Rossellino. The Rucellai Palace stands out significantly from all other buildings in the city. Alberti's design seemingly "imposes" a grid of classical orders on the traditional scheme of a three-story facade.
Instead of a massive wall formed by rusticated masonry blocks, the relief of which gradually smooths out as it moves upward, there is a smooth surface rhythmically segmented by pilasters and entablature bands, clearly outlined in their proportions and culminating in an emphasized cornice.
The small square windows on the first floor, raised high above the ground, the columns dividing the windows of the upper two floors, and the detailed modillions of the cornice greatly enrich the overall rhythm of the facade. In the architecture of urban houses, the signs of former seclusion and the "fortress-like" character, typical of all other palaces in Florence at that time, disappeared. It is no coincidence that Filarete, mentioning Alberti's construction, noted that in it, "the entire facade... is made in the ancient manner."
Alberti's second important construction in Florence was also associated with the commission from the Rucellai family. One of the wealthiest men in the city, Giovanni Rucellai, desired to make the Santa Maria Novella Church his family mausoleum. He commissioned Alberti to design the facade of the church, which had remained unfinished since the 14th century. By 1456 to 1470, the facade was constructed under the supervision of Giovanni da Berthino, but it remained partially incomplete, and what was done did not entirely correspond to the initial project.
Simultaneously with the construction of the "Malatesta Temple" in Rimini, Alberti designed a church in Mantua. The Marquis of Mantua, Ludovico Gonzaga, was a patron of humanists and artists. When Alberti arrived in Mantua in 1459 as part of Pope Pius II's entourage, he received a warm reception from Gonzaga and maintained friendly relations with him until the end of his life.
It was during this time that Gonzaga entrusted Alberti with the design of the San Sebastiano Church. Remaining in Mantua after the departure of the Pope, Alberti completed the model of the new church in 1460. The construction was then carried out by the Florentine architect Luca Fancelli, who was in the service of the Mantuan court. At least two more times, in 1463 and 1470, Alberti visited Mantua to oversee the progress of the work and corresponded with the Marquis and Fancelli on this matter.
Alberti's new church was a centrally planned structure, in the shape of a cross, with a large dome covering it. Three short projecting tribunes concluded in semicircular apses. Adjacent to the fourth side of the church, there was a wide two-story narthex-vestibule, forming a facade facing the street.
Where the narthex connected to the narrower entrance tribune, on either side, filling the empty space, were supposed to be two bell towers. The building was elevated above ground level and built on a basement floor, which comprised a vast crypt beneath the entire church with a separate entrance.
The facade of San Sebastiano was conceived by Alberti as an exact replica of the main porch of an ancient Roman peripteral temple. A tall staircase led to the five entrances of the vestibule, with steps extending across the entire width of the facade, completely concealing the entrances to the crypt.
His idea of adorning the wall with pilasters of a large order reconciles the doctrine of classical architecture, for which he advocated in his treatise, with the practical needs of the architecture of his time.
This constructive and decorative solution for the interior of the church was unknown in Italian Renaissance architecture. In this regard, Bramante became Alberti's true heir and successor. Moreover, Alberti's construction became a model for all subsequent church architecture of the late Renaissance and Baroque periods. By its type, the Venetian churches by Palladio, Vignola's "Il Gesù," and numerous other churches of Roman Baroque were built. However, the most significant contribution of Alberti to High Renaissance and Baroque architecture was his innovation - the use of a large order in the decoration of facades and interiors.
In 1464, Alberti left his position in the papal curia but continued to live in Rome. His last project was realized in Mantua after his death, between 1478 and 1480. It was the Cappella del Incoronata in the Mantuan Cathedral. The architectural clarity of the spatial structure, the beautiful proportions of the arches easily supporting the dome and vaults, the rectangular door portals - all reveal the classicizing style of late Alberti.
Alberti stood at the center of Italy's cultural life. He had friends among the greatest humanists and artists, including Brunelleschi, Donatello, and Luca della Robbia, as well as scholars like Toscanelli. He was acquainted with influential figures such as Pope Nicholas V, Piero and Lorenzo de' Medici, Giovanni Francesco and Ludovico Gonzaga, Sigismondo Malatesta, Leonello d'Este, and Federigo da Montefeltro. At the same time, he was not a stranger to the barber Burkcello, with whom he exchanged sonnets, and he gladly spent late evenings in the workshops of blacksmiths, architects, shipbuilders, and shoemakers to learn the secrets of their crafts.
Alberti far surpassed his contemporaries in both talent and curiosity. He left an indelible mark on the cultural and artistic development of the Italian Renaissance, and his contributions continue to influence architectural practices to this day.
Alberti passed away on April 25, 1472, in Rome. His last project, the Chapel of the Incoronata in the Mantuan Cathedral, was carried out after his death, from 1478 to 1480. The chapel's architectural clarity, the exquisite proportions of the arches that gracefully carried the dome and vaults, and the rectangular door portals all reflect Alberti's late classicizing style.
Alberti stood at the forefront of Italy's cultural life, counted among his friends the greatest humanists and artists of his time – Brunelleschi, Donatello, and Luca della Robbia – as well as scholars like Toscanelli and influential figures such as Pope Nicholas V, Piero and Lorenzo de' Medici, Giovanni Francesco and Ludovico Gonzaga, Sigismondo Malatesta, Leonello d'Este, and Federigo da Montefeltro. Yet, he was not a stranger to the barber Burkcello, with whom he exchanged sonnets, and he gladly spent late evenings in the workshops of blacksmiths, architects, shipbuilders, and shoemakers in order to learn the secrets of their crafts.
Alberti far surpassed his contemporaries in both talent and curiosity. He left an indelible mark on the cultural and artistic development of the Italian Renaissance, and his contributions continue to influence architectural practices to this day.
Alberti passed away on April 25, 1472, in Rome. His last project, the Chapel of the Incoronata in the Mantuan Cathedral, was carried out after his death, from 1478 to 1480. The chapel's architectural clarity, the exquisite proportions of the arches that gracefully carried the dome and vaults, and the rectangular door portals all reflect Alberti's late classicizing style.
