A Renaissance Architecture of Power: Princely Palaces in the Italian Quattrocento(104 The Medieval Mediterranean)

The growth of princely states in early Renaissance Italy brought a thorough renewal to the old seats of power. One of the most conspicuous outcomes of this process was the building or rebuilding of new court palaces, erected as prestigious residences in accord with the new ‘classical’ principles of Renaissance architecture. The novelties, however, went far beyond architectural forms: they involved the reorganisation of courtly interiors and their functions, new uses for the buildings, and the relationship between the palaces and their surroundings. The whole urban setting was affected by these processes, and therefore the social, residential and political customs of its inhabitants. This is the focus of A Renaissance Architecture of Power, which aims to analyse from a comparative perspective the evolution of Italian court palaces in the Renaissance in their entirety. Contributors are Silvia Beltramo, Flavia Cantatore, Bianca de Divitiis, Emanuela Ferretti, Marco Folin, Giulio Girondi, Andrea Longhi, Marco Rosario Nobile, Aurora Scotti, Elena Svalduz, and Stefano Zaggia.

Table of Contents:
Contents Foreword vii List of Figures x PART 1 Comparative Issues 1 Princes, Towns, Palaces: A Renaissance “Architecture of Power” 3 Marco Folin 2 Medieval Vestiges in the Princely Architecture of the 15th Century 28 Silvia Beltramo 3 The Princely Palace in 15th-Century Italian Architectural Theory 53 Flavia Cantatore 4 Palaces and Palatine Chapels in 15th-Century Italian Dukedoms: Ideas and Experiences 82 Andrea Longhi PART 2 Case Studies 5 “Combining the Old and the New”: The Princely Residences of the Marquises of Saluzzo in the 15th Century 107 Silvia Beltramo 6 The Sforza Castle of Milan (1450–1499) 134 Aurora Scotti 7 Patrician Residences and the Palaces of the Marquis of Mantua (1459–1524) 163 Giulio Girondi 8 The Renewal of Ferrara’s Court Palace under Ercole i d’Este (1471–1505) 187 Marco Folin 9 Architecture of Power: Imola during the Signoria of Girolamo Riario (1473–1488) 216 Stefano Zaggia 10 “Small Mice, Large Palaces”: From Urbino to Carpi 235 Elena Svalduz 11 The Medici Palace, Cosimo the Elder, and Michelozzo: A Historiographical Survey 263 Emanuela Ferretti 12 The Palace of Nicholas v: Continuity and Innovation in the Vatican Palaces 290 Flavia Cantatore 13 Alfonso i of Naples and the Art of Building: Castel Nuovo in a European Context 320 Bianca de Divitiis 14 The Residences of the Kings of Sicily, from Martin of Aragon to Ferdinand the Catholic 354 Marco Rosario Nobile Bibliography 379 Index of Manuscripts 440 Index of Names 442 Index of Places 461

About the Author :
Silvia Beltramo, Ph.D. (2004), Politecnico di Torino, is research fellow in History of Architecture at that university. She has published studies on the history of Italian architecture and urban culture in medieval and early modern times. Flavia Cantatore, Ph.D. (1996), Sapienza–Università di Roma, is Professor of History of Architecture at that university. She has published studies on Italian architectural history, patronage and urban culture in the Renaissance. Marco Folin, Ph.D. (2001), Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa, is Professor of History of Architecture at the University of Genoa. He has published studies on Italian urban culture and the relationship between art and politics in the Renaissance.