Bernardino Zanobi de Gianotis
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Bernardino Zanobi de Gianotis called Romanus (died 1541 in
Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
) – Italian sculptor and architect active in
Kingdom of Poland The Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Królestwo Polskie; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a state in Central Europe. It may refer to: Historical political entities *Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom existing from 1025 to 1031 *Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom exist ...
and
Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Li ...
. He is best known for his sculptural works, primarily tombstones for Polish and Lithuanian rulers and magnates. His most well-known architectural works are the reconstructions after fires of the cathedrals in Płock (1531–34) and
Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
(1534-41).


Biography


Early life and work

Although called "Romanus," he probably came from Florence, as he is occasionally referred to as "Florentinus," and his brother is called John of Florence. The nickname was probably due to his long stay in Rome and receiving his education there. He arrived in Poland in 1517.


Kraków (c. 1524 to 1537)

He was working first as a member of
Bartolomeo Berrecci Bartolomeo Berrecci (1480 Pontassieve, Italy - 1537 Kraków, Poland) was an Italian Renaissance architect who spent most of his career in Poland. Studies and career in Poland He learned architecture in Florence, first through apprenticeship w ...
's group erecting the
Sigismund Chapel Sigismund's Chapel ( pl, kaplica Zygmuntowska) is a royal chapel of the Wawel Cathedral in Kraków, Poland. Built as a funerary chapel for the last members of the Jagiellonian Dynasty, it has been hailed by many art historians as "the most beautifu ...
in
Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
's
Wawel Castle The Wawel Royal Castle (; ''Zamek Królewski na Wawelu'') and the Wawel Hill on which it sits constitute the most historically and culturally significant site in Poland. A fortified residency on the Vistula River in Kraków, it was established on ...
since 1524. It's possible that he previously since 1519 worked together with Giovanni Cini of Siena on the construction of the canopy of the tomb of King
Władysław Jagiełło Władysław is a Polish given male name, cognate with Vladislav. The feminine form is Władysława, archaic forms are Włodzisław (male) and Włodzisława (female), and Wladislaw is a variation. These names may refer to: Famous people Mononym * W ...
. Cini and de Gianotis are also credited with the construction of the so-called Zator altar in the Chapel of Queen Sophia in the
Wawel Cathedral The Wawel Cathedral ( pl, Katedra Wawelska), formally titled the Royal Archcathedral Basilica of Saints Stanislaus and Wenceslaus, is a Roman Catholic cathedral situated on Wawel Hill in Kraków, Poland. Nearly 1000 years old, it is part of the ...
. On commission from Duchess Anna of Mazovia he made the tombstone of the Mazovian Dukes brothers Stanisław and
Janusz Janusz () is a masculine Polish given name. It is also the shortened form of January and Januarius. People * Janusz Akermann (born 1957), Polish painter *Janusz Bardach, Polish gulag survivor and physician * Janusz Bielański, Roman Catholic pr ...
at St. John's Collegiate Church in Warsaw in the years 1526–28. He left Berrecci's workshop in mid-1529, upon completion of the work on
Sigismund Chapel Sigismund's Chapel ( pl, kaplica Zygmuntowska) is a royal chapel of the Wawel Cathedral in Kraków, Poland. Built as a funerary chapel for the last members of the Jagiellonian Dynasty, it has been hailed by many art historians as "the most beautifu ...
, and remained in Poland, possibly taking up work on the tomb chapel of Bishop
Piotr Tomicki Piotr Tomicki (1464 – 19 October 1535) was a Roman Catholic Bishop of Przemyśl and Poznań, Archbishop of Kraków, Vice-Chancellor of the Crown, and Royal Secretary. Celebrated as one of the most important representatives of the Polish Renaiss ...
at Wawel Castle. Later he worked together with Giovanni Cini and Filippo da Fiesole, with whom he established a workshop in Kraków. In December 1531 he signed a contract with Bishop
Andrzej Krzycki Andrzej Krzycki of the Kotwicz heraldic clan (also Andreas Cricius) (Krzycko Małe, 7 July 1482 – † Skierniewice, 10 May, 1537) was a Renaissance Polish writer and archbishop. Krzycki wrote in Latin prose, but wrote poetry in Polish. He is oft ...
for the reconstruction of
Płock Cathedral Płock Cathedral ( pl, Katedra Płocka), or the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Masovia, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city of Płock, in central Poland. It is an example of 12th-century Romanesque architecture and is the oldest and ...
, which lasted in years 1532–1534. After its construction, it was the first church building of the Renaissance style. In 1534 the three partners erected a brickyard in
Przegorzały Przegorzały is a town in the Zwierzyniec (Kraków), Zwierzyniec district of Kraków (Poland), located west of the city centre. Przegorzały is at the edge of the Wolski Woods, east of Bielany, Kraków, Bielany and west of the Kościuszko Mound, ...
near Kraków in 1534. On July 22, 1534, de Gianotis concluded an agreement with Bishop
John of the Lithuanian Dukes John of the Lithuanian Dukes (''Jan Ochstat de Thelnicz'', lt, Jonas iš Lietuvos kunigaikščių, pl, Jan z Książąt Litewskich; 8 January 1499 – 18 March 1538) was Bishop of Vilnius (1519–36) and of Bishop of Poznań (1536–38). He was t ...
in which he pledged to rebuild
Vilnius Cathedral The Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Ladislaus of Vilnius ( lt, Vilniaus Šv. Stanislovo ir Šv. Vladislovo arkikatedra bazilika; pl, Bazylika archikatedralna św. Stanisława Biskupa i św. Władysława, historical: ''Kościół Kated ...
in years 1536–1540. The old cathedral was burned down in July 1530. At the beginning of 1535, the company undertook the reconstruction of the tenement house of canon
Andrzej Zebrzydowski Andrzej Zebrzydowski, (1496 in Więcbork – 23 May 1560 in Września), Radwan coat of arms, was a Polish Roman Catholic bishop of Kamieniec Podolski (from 1543), Chełm (from 1545), Włocławek (from 1546) and Kraków (from 25 February 1551); ch ...
, later bishop of Kraków. Work continues until the middle of the year. On July 30, 1535, de Gianotis signed a contract with Rev. Maciej of Jeżów for the erection of two tombstones for chamberlain Stanisław Lasocki and "eius parentis" and a baptistery in the parish church in
Brzeziny Brzeziny (; yi, ברעזין, ''Brezin'') is a town in Poland, in Łódź Voivodeship, about 20 km east of Łódź. It is the capital of Brzeziny County and has a population of 12,326 as of December 2021. It once was a thriving Jewish sht ...
. At the same time, de Gianotis made a new tombstone commissioned by Queen
Bona Sforza Bona Sforza d'Aragona (2 February 1494 – 19 November 1557) was Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania as the second wife of Sigismund I the Old, and Duchess of Bari and Rossano by her own right. She was a surviving member of ...
for Grand Duke Alexander Vytautas (died in 1430), which was to be placed in the new cathedral. Unfortunately, the tombstone has not survived to our time. It was probably in a similar style to de Gianotis' other works, most notably the tombstone of
Albertas Goštautas Albertas Goštautas ( la, Albertus Gastold, links=no, pl, Olbracht Gasztołd, links=no, Belarusian/Ukrainian: ''Альберт Гаштольд'') ( – 1539) was a Lithuanian noble of the Goštautai family from ethnic Lithuanian lands of the Gr ...
. The tombstone was made in Kraków and arrived in Vilnius in 1535. It was probably not set up until 1573 by the Bishop
Walerian Protasewicz Walerian Protasewicz (also: Protaszewicz-Szuszkowski, lt, Valerijonas Protasevičius; – 31 December 1579 in Vilnius) was bishop of Lutsk (1549–1555) and Vilnius (1555–1579). Born to a family of petty Ruthenian nobles (''szlachta''), Prota ...
. Bernardino de Gianotis is also credited with the tombstones of
Krzysztof Szydłowiecki Krzysztof Szydłowiecki (1467–1532) was a Polish noble (szlachcic The ''szlachta'' (Polish: endonym, Lithuanian: šlėkta) were the noble estate of the realm in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Polish ...
and his daughter Anna from the
collegiate church In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons: a non-monastic or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a ...
in
Opatów Opatów (; yi, אַפּטאַ, אַפּט) is a town in southeastern Poland, within Opatów County in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (Holy Cross Province). Historically, it was part of a greater region called Lesser Poland. In 2012 the populatio ...
. He was also the probable author of the tombstone of Bishop Jan Konarski from the Wawel Cathedral from 1521, and the tombstone of Bishop
Jan Lubrański Jan Lubrański (1456 – 22 May 1520) was a Polish bishop, politician and diplomat. His coat of arms was Godziemba. Information Lubrański was bishop of Płock between 1497 and 1498 and bishop of Poznań since 1498, founder of many churches in ...
from the
Poznań Cathedral The Archcathedral Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul in Poznań is one of the oldest churches in Poland and the oldest Polish cathedral, dating from the 10th century. It stands on the island of Ostrów Tumski north-east of the city centre. His ...
from the years 1522–25.


Vilnius (1537 to 1541)

It is likely that he has been residing permanently in Vilnius since 1537, and his interests in Kraków are represented by associates. At that time, de Gianotis is working on the construction of the royal palace in the lower castle in Vilnius. In 1540, Filippo da Fiesole died. The following year, Bernardino de Gianotis himself died, which led to the dissolution of the architecture and sculpture company. Bernardino left behind two minor children, Jan and Anna.


References


Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gianotis, Bernardino de 1541 deaths 16th-century Italian architects Architects from Kraków Renaissance architects Italian emigrants to Poland 16th-century Italian sculptors Italian male sculptors