- Bernardo Buontalenti
Bernardo Buontalenti, byname of Bernardo Delle Girandole (1536? –
June 25 or 26, 1608) was an Italian stage designer, architect, theatrical designer, military engineer and artist.Biography
Buontalenti was born in
Florence .He entered the service of the
Medici as a youth and remained with them the rest of his life. He is said to have been instructed in painting bySalviati andBronzino , in sculpture byMichelangelo Buonarroti , in architecture byGiorgio Vasari , and to have learned miniature painting underGiulio Clovio . He executed a number of miniatures for Francesco, the son of Cosimo I. More than a painter, he was celebrated as an architect; in this role he was much employed in the design of fortifications, villas, and gardens and is considered one of the most important architects of the Mannerist period. He was also a great mechanic, and an excellent mathematician. In 1562 he travelled toSpain . His first known work is from 1568, the Palazzo diBianca Cappello in Florence.His main achievements include the project for the new city of
Livorno , the decoration ofPalazzo Pitti and theBoboli Gardens with the famous grotto, as well as theParco di Pratolino of which little remains today, except for a giant sculpture by Giambologna, representing the Colossus of the Apennines. Buontalenti's skills as a military engineer are shown by the fortifications of the port ofLivorno , theForte di Belvedere in Florence, the city walls ofPistoia ,Grosseto ,Prato ,Portoferraio (Elba) andNaples ; he also perfected designs for cannons, and devised a new type of incendiary grenade.In the
Uffizi Palace of Florence, he built a great court stage, where, during the winter of 1585–1586, splendid festivities were produced under his direction. He designed costumes for the Medici extravaganzas.Despite his successes, his prodigality led Buontalenti to financial ruin; he survived in his later life thanks to a pension given him by the
Grand Duke of Tuscany .References
*cite book| first=Michael| last=Bryan| year=1886| title="Dictionary of Painters and Engravers, Biographical and Critical" (Volume I: A-K)| editor = Robert Edmund Graves| pages= page | publisher=George Bell and Sons|location=York St. #4, Covent Garden, London; Original from Fogg Library, Digitized May 18, 2007 |id= |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=4GYCAAAAYAAJ&printsec=titlepage&dq=DICTIONARY+AACHEN+AALST&as_brr=1| authorlink=
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