The history of engineering and architectural thought is full of famous names, but some characters stand apart and deserve a separate page in the history.
Birth and childhood
In 1415, the great architect Aristotle Fioravanti was born. His life and work began in Bologna. The boy appeared in a respected family of the architect, and his professional path was predetermined. Childhood in those days was short: from the age of 5, the future architect spent a lot of time in workshops and construction sites, listening to his father’s conversations with workers and looking at tools and mechanisms.
Study and mastering the profession
Immersion in the profession began for Fioravanti as an apprentice in the family business. Artel Fioravanti was in good standing in Bologna, fulfilling large and prestigious orders. Even the architect’s grandfather received such significant orders as an extension to the ancient palace of Accursio in Bologna, and his father erected the Palazzo Kommunale, which suffered from a fire. The boy grew up on these construction sites and absorbed numerous skills and knowledge. By the age of 15, he was already a fully qualified engineer and architect. Documents confirm that in 1436 the young Fioravanti participated in the casting of the bell for the Palace del Podest, and this process in those days required many skills.
Becoming a master
By the age of 25, Aristotle mastered all the wisdom of the profession and actively continued to work in the family business. When father Fioravanti died, his brother took matters into his own hands, and the hero of our article became a full member of the artel.
The young engineer needed development, and in search of opportunities to organize an independent business, he went to Rome. In the capital, Aristotle worked in a team transporting and installing columns in the temple of Minerva. He participated in large-scale projects precisely as an engineer. There he learned to move huge objects, and this made his technical thinking activate.
Years of work: Aristotle Fioravanti - Italian engineer
In 1453, the budding architect returned to Bologna to carry out a responsible assignment from the local community - he directed the raising of the bell to the tower. In the course of this work, the engineer seriously thinks about improving engineering technologies. This was the reason for the first glory of the engineer Fioravanti.
In 1455, Aristotle showed the world a miracle of engineering: he was able to move the bell tower of the church of Santa Maria Maggiore 13 meters. To do this, he applied the mechanism of his own invention and was able to accomplish a task that today is not simple.
The tower was surrounded by a special wooden cage, which protected the structure from overturning. The engineer applied the principle of distribution of draft power, which was unique at that time, over several winches.
The fame of Fioravanti spread throughout Italy, and now the engineers were invited to carry out the most complex orders, which, in addition to fame, brought good money. So, he successfully straightened the leaning tower in Cento and the bell tower in Venice. However, the bell tower collapsed 2 days after the manipulation, and this forever taught Fioravanti to carefully examine the ground before taking on the job.
Since 1456, Fioravanti began to actively engage in architectural orders. He works on the reconstruction of old buildings in Bologna, repairs the moat and performs many tasks of the city community. The master’s works do not go unnoticed, his fame only grows, and in 1458 he was invited to Milan to serve at the Duke’s court, where Aristotle worked for about 6 years.
Later, the architect returns to Bologna and performs many orders, including bridges, towers, palaces that he built and restored. Since 1464, he was a city engineer in Bologna and remained in this position until his death, despite the fact that the commune let the craftsmen go for various tasks in the cities of Italy, as well as in Hungary and Russia.
Aristotle Fioravanti built several outstanding structures for his time. His efforts erected an aqueduct in the town of Cento, reconstructed the Palazzo del Podesta, but the glory of the master at that time was mostly made by engineering projects, and fame in the world of architecture was still ahead.
Hard times of Aristotle Fioravanti
Throughout his life, Aristotle Fioravanti was faced with the machinations of envious and competitors. Because of this, he repeatedly had to change his place of residence and work. A notable blow of fate was the accusation of the architect of minting fake money, this happened in 1473. The master almost miraculously managed to avoid severe punishment, but he lost hope of finding orders in Rome. Aristotle Fioravanti again returned to Bologna, where he was expected, but he didn’t receive any previous large orders, and his well-being was somewhat shaken.
Russian smile of good luck
In Russia, Tsar Ivan III at that time started a grandiose construction: in the Kremlin, it was decided to erect a large-scale cathedral, symbolizing the strength and power of the tsarist government. But misfortune happened - the walls collapsed, and an ambassador was sent to Italy with the order to bring a worthy architect.
Semyon Tolbuzin met with Aristotle Fioravanti and was able to convince him to go to a distant unknown country. So in 1475 the golden period in the life of the architect began.
Arriving in Moscow, the architect, following his own rules, carefully examined the soil and materials from which the predecessors were built. So he came to the conclusion that two problems must be solved. First: organize the release of the right strong brick. Second: to create a very deep and reliable foundation, since the soil of Borovitsky hill was excavated many times and could not withstand the mass of a large structure.
And work began, unprecedented in Russia: the creation of deep ditches and the installation of long wooden piles that were not accepted in Russian architecture. The engineer also opened a brick production, which for many years thereafter provided the capital with high-quality building material.
A matter of life: how Aristotle Fioravanti built the Assumption Cathedral
The Assumption Cathedral is an example of high architectural thought; it organically combines tradition and revolutionary innovation. The model for the temple was the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin in Vladimir, but Fioravanti realized many revolutionary ideas for Russia at that time.
The architect made a great trip around the country and well understood the traditions of ancient Russian architecture. The master uses these typical techniques in the exterior design of the temple. At the same time, the architect's innovation allowed him to create a spacious and bright cathedral.
The architect made a number of interesting decisions when creating the internal appearance of the temple. He abolishes the usual choirs and uses atypical pillars as supports, allocates a separate place for royalty. The master sought to create a cathedral that would reflect the whole originality of Russian culture, but also wanted to accommodate the most modern trends in architecture in the construction.
And in the end, he not only created a harmonious - such a Russian and at the same time Renaissance - look of the temple, but also thought out all the space adjacent to it, setting the basis for what is now the pride of Russian people - the Cathedral Square of the Kremlin.
The architect asked Ivan III to invite students from Italy to implement the plan to create an architectural ensemble of the Kremlin. So Russia gained its symbol and model for architectural imitation. The cathedral was built in record time, and already in 1479 the consecration of the temple took place. And the architect was awarded and honored, but he is not allowed to go home, as the king has his own plans for him.
Years of Honor and Glory
Already during the construction of the Assumption Cathedral, Aristotle Fioravanti, an architect, could not forget his engineering habits. He establishes cannon production, trains Russian craftsmen and the military, and is appointed head of the Russian artillery. He is engaged in establishing crossings across Russian rivers, building a pontoon bridge across the Volkhov. The master spends several years in works that the Russian tsar generously pays for.
However, the master dreamed of returning to his homeland and asked the king to go home, but he did not even want to hear about it. The last mention of Fioravanti in the chronicles indicates that he participated in the campaign against Tver, which ended in the victory of Russian weapons.
The influence of Aristotle Fioravanti on Russian architecture
The Assumption Cathedral was received with enthusiasm by Russian architects, and therefore, structures began to appear throughout Russia, one way or another repeating the style of the Italian architect. Fioravanti, without suspecting it, laid the foundations of the Russian national architectural school, which harmoniously combined the old traditions of Russian architecture with the novelty of the Italian Renaissance.
Unknown works of Aristotle Fioravanti
Architecture historians are still trying to find the buildings that Fioravanti erected in Russia. There is a theory that the architect after the construction of the Assumption Cathedral went around the country and took part in the construction of a number of churches. Some researchers attribute to its authorship the St. Nicholas Cathedral of the Anthony of the Krasnokholmsky Monastery and the Cheremenets St. John the Theological Monastery. There is such a point of view, but there is no real evidence for this theory. And officially Aristotle Fioravanti built in Russia one of the most beautiful temples - the Assumption Cathedral in the Kremlin.
End of story
It is not known exactly when Aristotle Fioravanti died, the years of the architect's life are determined only approximately. He spent the last years in Russia, but there is almost no evidence of this time. But nevertheless, the approximate date of death - 1486 - indicates that the architect lived a rather long life for those times (71 years is already a great old age for the 15th century).
The life of the creator was full of trials, discoveries and successes. The Cathedral built by Aristotle Fioravanti is magnificent, the photo shows this in all its glory. The name of the master is forever inscribed in the history of world and especially Russian architecture.
The engineer and architect Aristotle Fioravanti, whose historical portrait has many white spots, is a recognized innovator for the Russian architectural school. Its influence on the face of Russia cannot be overestimated. For our country, this is an architect of special significance, because he formed the ensemble of the main state complex and built the Assumption Cathedral in the Kremlin.
Aristotle Fioravanti, photo of the buildings of which can be found today in the album of every traveler in Moscow, has become a truly Russian heritage. He was a true Renaissance man: creative, educated, striving for perfection and achieving greatness. His life is a model of love for his work, to which he was devoted until the last breath.