SANGALLO, Giuliano da - b. 1445 Firenze, d. 1516 Firenze

Italian architect, military engineer, sculptor and carver (real name: Giuliano Giamberti), member of a family of architects (two brothers and their nephew: his brother Antonio da Sangallo the Elder and nephew Antonio da Sangallo the Younger were architects). His son Francesco da Sangallo was a sculptor. His father Francesco Giamberti was a woodworker and builder of fortifications.

Giuliano’s masterpiece, a church of Greek-cross plan, Santa Maria delle Carceri in Prato (1485-91), was strongly influenced by Filippo Brunelleschi. He was the preferred architect of Lorenzo de’ Medici (the Magnificent), so a significant number of his commissions came from the Medici. Following Brunelleschi’s tradition, he participated in many projects: the Sacristy for the church Santo Spirito (Florence, 1489); Palazzo Gondi (Florence, 1490); tomb of Sassetti (Florence, Santa Trinità, 1485-1488); Villa Medici in Poggio a Caiano (1480), a new type of the Renaissance villa. After Bramante’s death he worked on St Peter’s in Rome with Raphael and Fra Giocondo.

As a military specialist, Giuliano worked at the fortifications of Val d’Elsa in Poggio Imperiale of Poggibonsi; as well as in Ostia, Nettuno, Arezzo, Sansepolcro.

He was a late follower of Brunelleschi, interested in clarity and elegance of form.