Bernardo Buontalenti, byname of Bernardo Delle Girandole, was an Italian stage designer, architect, theatrical designer, military engineer, artist, and inventor of Italian ice cream.
12 Facts About Bernardo Buontalenti
2.
Bernardo Buontalenti entered the service of the Medici as a youth and remained with them the rest of his life.
3.
Bernardo Buontalenti is said to have been instructed in painting by Salviati and Bronzino, in sculpture by Michelangelo Buonarroti, in architecture by Giorgio Vasari, and in miniature painting under Giulio Clovio.
4.
Bernardo Buontalenti executed a number of miniatures for Francesco, the son of Cosimo I More than a painter, he was celebrated as an architect; in this role he was much employed in the design of fortifications, villas, and gardens and is considered one of the most important architects of the Mannerist period.
5.
Bernardo Buontalenti was a great mechanic, and an excellent mathematician.
6.
Bernardo Buontalenti's first known work is from 1568, the Palazzo di Bianca Cappello in Florence.
7.
Bernardo Buontalenti was an innovator in ice conservation and is credited with inventing the precursor to modern Florentine gelato.
8.
One of the theaters that Bernardo Buontalenti had built was the Theater of Baldracca.
9.
Bernardo had employed a Mannerist and experimental architectural language for this theater, but in 1589 Bernardo had to modify the decorations to represent the authority of the Grand Duke Ferdinando I The room structure was inspired by theaters of classical antiquity.
10.
Bernardo Buontalenti included a sloped floor that allowed the audience to see better.
11.
Bernardo Buontalenti was involved in other Baroque theaters before his death.
12.
Bernardo Buontalenti helped design stage machinery for specific performances, as well as many allegorical costumes for the Medici Theater.