Alberto Leon Battista (Alberti Leon Battista)

(1404-1472)
Born February 14, 1404 in Genoa, studied in Venice, Padua, graduated from the University of Bologna. In 1432, after a trip to France, Belgium and Germany, he became secretary to the pope and held this position until 1464. Most of his life Alberti lived in Rome from 1434 to 1443 he worked in Florence and Ferrara.
From his youth, Alberti showed interest in the humanistic disciplines, the arts, mathematics and natural sciences, of the Greek, wrote treatises in Latin and Italian. His main work on the family, four books on the organization of family life in all its aspects, was conceived in 1433 and completed in 1441. In 1435 during his stay in Florence Alberti wrote his famous treatise on painting with a dedication Florentine architect Filippo Brunelleschi. Between 1428 and 1443, he created many other works, different genres, the variety and novelty of ideas and interpretations. Among them, love lyrics and dialogues, comedy and satirical works, written in imitation of Lucian; fables treatises on ethics, sculpture, horse breeding, agriculture, law, essays on marriage and the duties of the higher clergy. Perhaps he belongs to and the first grammar of Italian. Upon his return to Rome in 1443 Alberti devoted himself mainly studies in mathematics and architecture, he was a description of the city and started building his main work on architecture, which was completed in 1452 and published in 1485. This treatise on the theory of architecture, consisting of 10 books, has brought him fame 'Florentine Vitruvius' and, as the author's own building, had a tremendous influence on the development of Renaissance architecture. Since the early 1450-ies and the end of life Alberti worked as an architect on orders popes, aristocrats and wealthy citizens. Among his architectural works - the church of San Francesco in Rimini (optional Sidzhizmondo Malatesta); Palazzo Rucellai, . Church of San Pancrazio and the facade of the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence (commissioned by Giovanni Rucellai) Church of San Sebastiano and Sant Andrea in Mantua and the apse of the church Santissima Annunziata in Florence (commissioned by Ludovico Gonzaga),
. Pope Nicholas V, Alberti's advice in creating the project of restructuring Rome.

Breadth of interests and high Alberta Education is a typical example of 'universal individual' Renaissance. His theoretical treatises on art and architecture contributed to a new perception of these spheres of human activity as a liberal arts, . and he had written literary works and writings on ethics have given new impetus to the development of the Italian language and literature.,