Alberti, Leone Battista
Alberti, Leone Battista
Born 18 February, 1404; died April, 1472, a Florentine ecclesiastic and artist of the fifteenth century. He embraced the ecclesiastical state and became a canon of the Metropolitan Church of Florence, in 1447, and Abbot of San Sovino, or Sant’ Eremita, of Pisa. Although Alberti was a scholar, painter, sculptor, and architect, it is by his works of architecture that he is best known. Among them are the completion of the Pitti Palace at Florence, the chapel of the Rucellai in the church of St. Pancras, the facade of the church of Santa Maria Novella, the choir of the church of the Nunziata, and the churches of St. Sebastian and St. Andrew, at Mantua. His greatest work is generally conceded to be the church of St. Francis at Rimini. His writings on art are his best, and his reputation rests largely on his “De Re Ædificitoriâ”, vol. X, a work on architecture, which was only published after his death. It was brought out in 1485, and the latest edition of it was a folio one at Bologna, in 1782. See ITALY, RENAISSANCE.
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Russell Sturgis, Dict. of Arch. and Building, I, 3-7; Roscoe, Lorenzo de Medici; Vasari, Life.
J.J. A’ BECKET
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume ICopyright © 1907 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightNihil Obstat, March 1, 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., CensorImprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York
Fuente: Catholic Encyclopedia
Alberti, Leone Battista
an Italian ecclesiastic and artist, was born at Florence about 1400. In order to have leisure to pursue his studies, he entered orders; he was canon of the metropolitan Church of Florence in 1447, and abbe of San Savindo or of Sant’ Eremita of Pisa. Alberti, although known as a scholar, a painter, a sculptor, and an architect, it is to his works of architecture’ that he owes his principal fame. Among his works are, the completion of the Pitti Palace, Florence; the chapel of the Ruccellai, in the Church of St. Pancras; the facade of the Church of Santa Maria Novella, and the choir of the Church of Nunziata; the churches of St. Sebastianl and St. Andrew, Mantua. But his principal work is generally acknowledged to be the Church of St. Francis at Rimini. Of his writings, those on the arts are in- the highest estimation, and he derives the most of his reputation from his treatise on architecture, De Re Edificcatoria, published after his death (1485, 10 books; last ed. Bologna, 1782, fol.). See Life prefixed to Leoni’s Architecture; Vasari, Life; Biog. Universelle, s.v.; Roscoe, Lorenzo de’ Medici.