Leonne Battista Alberti

Maina Emanuel Mwangi.
B02/34766/2013
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Born February 18, 1404, Genoa, Italy.
He was an Italian author, artist, architect, poet, Catholic
priest, linguist, philosopher, cryptographer and general
Renaissance humanist polymath.
He was a theorist and thus is best known for his writings
other than his building.
He wrote “De re aedificatoria”. On the art of building.
Died: April 20, 1472, Rome, Italy
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His works include:
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S. Francesco, Tempio Malatestiano, Rimini (1447, 1453–60)
Façade of Palazzo Rucellai (1446–51)
Completion of the facade of Santa Maria Novella, Florence
(1448–70).
San Sebastiano, Mantua (begun 1458)
Sepolcro Rucellai in San Pancrazio (1467)
Tribune for Santissima Annunziata, Florence (1470, completed
with alterations, 1477).
Sant'Andrea, Mantua (begun 1471)
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Italian for temple of Malatesta.
Considered Alberti’s best
architectural piece.
Building was completed in
1468.
It was originally a 13th century
gothic church.
Malatesta, a prince, asked
Alberti to make him and his wife
a mausoleum.
It wasn’t completed due to lack
of funds.
Interior
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Palazzo Rucellai is a
landmark Renaissance
palace in Florence, Italy,
whose façade was designed
by the renowned humanist
and architect Leon Battista
Alberti and erected
between 1446 and 1451.
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Rucellai sephulcture.
Giovanni di Paolo Rucellai
commissioned Leon
Battista Alberti to build him
a tomb in the family chapel
in the church.
Inside are tombs of
Giovanni and his family.
1467
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Before Alberti the façade
was bare but he came up
with a solution using a rigid
Gothic structure.
It was influenced by the then
recently rediscovered
geometric and mathematical
studies applied to nature and
art.
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Built according to Alberti’s
designs, it is an Early
Renaissance church.
Begun in 1460 it was left
partially completed in the
mid 1470s as Alberti was no
longer in charge of its
construction.
The façade is precisely as
wide as its height from the
entrance level to the apex of
the pediment; it may be fitted
with the perfect geometry of
the square.
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In 1252 a painting of the
annunciation was begun by a
monk but he couldn’t finish
because he didn’t think it was
good enough.
In his sleep an angel finished
it.
It was highly venerated.
In 1444 The Gonzaga family
financed a tribune and Alberti
was commissioned to build it.
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the church was begun in 1462
according to designs by Leon
Battista Alberti.
The building, however, was
finished only 328 years later.
Though later changes and
expansions altered Alberti's
design, the church is still
considered to be one of
Alberti's most complete
works.
It is in the shape of a cross.
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www.wikipedia.com
www.GreatBuildings.com
www.thecatholicencyclopedia.com
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