Luciano Laurana facts for kids
Luciano Laurana (born around 1420, died 1479) was an important architect and engineer from Italy. He came from a place called Vrana near Zadar in Dalmatia. Today, this area is part of Croatia, but back then, it was part of the Republic of Venice.
Luciano learned a lot from his father, Martin, in Vrana. He mostly worked in Italy during the late 1400s. He was the main designer of the amazing Ducal Palace in Urbino. He became one of the most important people in Italian architecture during the 15th century. His work greatly helped shape Renaissance architecture, which was a new style of building.
Some of his plans even had notes written in the Croatian Glagolitic script. He was also related to the famous sculptor Francesco Laurana.
Luciano Laurana's Life and Work
Luciano Laurana was born in Vrana, a town close to Zadar in Dalmatia. People in Urbino, Italy, sometimes called him Schiavone. We don't know much about his early life. His father, Martin, was a stonecutter in Zadar. Martin even worked with the famous sculptor Giorgio da Sebenico on the Šibenik Cathedral.
Around 1465, Laurana worked with Leon Battista Alberti in a city called Mantua. From 1466 to 1472, he led the building of a new palace. This palace was ordered by Federico III da Montefeltro, the Duke of Urbino. It's still debated exactly which parts Laurana designed. However, the new and exciting front of the building is usually thought to be his work.
Laurana made Italian Renaissance building even better. He used columns, pilasters (flat columns), and arches to create elegant buildings. These buildings had spacious and open rooms. In the palace courtyard, Laurana made the arches feel light and airy. This design was much more advanced than other buildings of his time.
Later, he worked in Naples for King Ferrante II of Naples. From 1472 until he died in 1479, he was in Pesaro. There, he helped build a castle called the Rocca. Some people believe he also created the famous painting La città ideale. This painting shows a perfect city and is now in the Urbino National Gallery.
About Laurana's Nationality
The Encyclopædia Britannica describes Luciano Laurana as a key person in 15th-century Italian architecture. Other books like The Architecture Book and Enciclopedia Italiana also call him an "Italian architect."
He is known around the world as an Italian artist. However, people in Croatia today also see him as one of their own. They often call him "Lucijan Vranjanin."
See also
In Spanish: Luciano Laurana para niños
- Schiavone
- Palazzo Ducale
- Quattrocento
