Bernardo Rucellai
Encyclopedia
Also known as Bernardus Oricellarius was born in 1448 or 1449 and died on October 7, 1514. An oligarch, banker, ambassador and man-of-letters, his influence was far-reaching. The Palazzo Rucellai
, his home, remains a landmark in Florence
to this day.
, he was a member of the political elite of late fifteenth- and early sixteenth-century Florence
.
In 1466, Bernardo married Nannina de' Medici
, the elder sister of Lorenzo de' Medici
to whom Bernardo was very close and strongly supported. He and Nannina had four children: Cosimo, Pietro, Palla and Giovanni.
's "rule" of Florence.
In 1484, he served as ambassador to Genoa
.
From 1497-8, he served as Gonfaloniere di Giustizia under the period of the Savonarolan republic.
Other ambassadorial appointments include Naples
and France.
, he opened his gardens, the Orti Oricellari, to the Academia Platonica
in order that they might continue their discussions about literature, classical heritage, rhetoric and Latin grammar. Other famous Florentines in attendance include Niccolò Machiavelli
and Francesco Guicciardini
.
Bernardo Rucellai was a student of epigraphy, mainly of the city of Rome, and conducted extensive correspondence about historiographic
theory with Pontano after his ambassadorial charge at Naples
.
His teacher was the famed neo-Platonist, Marsilio Ficino
and his pupil Giovanni Rucellai
.
and Pontano, he wrote five treatises which have yet to be translated (into any other language):
De urbe Roma liber, De magistratibus Romanis, De bello italico commentarius, De bello Pisano, De bello Mediolansi and Oratio de auxilio Tifernatibus adferendo. All but the last are histories.
Palazzo Rucellai
Palazzo Rucellai is a palatial 15th century townhouse on the Via della Vigna Nuova in Florence, Italy. The Rucellai Palace is believed by most scholars to have been designed by Leon Battista Alberti between 1446 and 1451 and executed, at least in part, by Bernardo Rossellino...
, his home, remains a landmark in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
to this day.
Family
The son of Giovanni RucellaiGiovanni Rucellai
Giovanni Rucellai is the name of a father and grandson of the Rucellai family wool-dyers turned bankers.The former, Giovanni di Paolo, or Giovanni I, as the effective head of the Rucellai family commissioned the building of the Palazzo Rucellai, designed by Leon Battista Alberti and the father of...
, he was a member of the political elite of late fifteenth- and early sixteenth-century Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
.
In 1466, Bernardo married Nannina de' Medici
Nannina de' Medici
Nannina de' Medici, was born under the name Lucrezia , and was the third daughter of Piero di Cosimo de' Medici and Lucrezia Tornabuoni. She is also known as Lucrezia di Piero de' Medici. She was the older sister of Lorenzo de' Medici...
, the elder sister of Lorenzo de' Medici
Lorenzo de' Medici
Lorenzo de' Medici was an Italian statesman and de facto ruler of the Florentine Republic during the Italian Renaissance. Known as Lorenzo the Magnificent by contemporary Florentines, he was a diplomat, politician and patron of scholars, artists and poets...
to whom Bernardo was very close and strongly supported. He and Nannina had four children: Cosimo, Pietro, Palla and Giovanni.
Political career
In 1478, he served as one of the Officiales Studii under the period of Lorenzo de' MediciLorenzo de' Medici
Lorenzo de' Medici was an Italian statesman and de facto ruler of the Florentine Republic during the Italian Renaissance. Known as Lorenzo the Magnificent by contemporary Florentines, he was a diplomat, politician and patron of scholars, artists and poets...
's "rule" of Florence.
In 1484, he served as ambassador to Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
.
From 1497-8, he served as Gonfaloniere di Giustizia under the period of the Savonarolan republic.
Other ambassadorial appointments include Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
and France.
Intellectual Accomplishments
After the death of Lorenzo de' MediciLorenzo de' Medici
Lorenzo de' Medici was an Italian statesman and de facto ruler of the Florentine Republic during the Italian Renaissance. Known as Lorenzo the Magnificent by contemporary Florentines, he was a diplomat, politician and patron of scholars, artists and poets...
, he opened his gardens, the Orti Oricellari, to the Academia Platonica
Platonic Academy (Florence)
The Platonic Academy was a 15th century discussion group in Florence. It was founded after Gemistus Pletho reintroduced Plato's thoughts to Western Europe during the 1438 - 1439 Council of Florence. It was sponsored by Cosimo de' Medici and led by Marsilio Ficino...
in order that they might continue their discussions about literature, classical heritage, rhetoric and Latin grammar. Other famous Florentines in attendance include Niccolò Machiavelli
Niccolò Machiavelli
Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was an Italian historian, philosopher, humanist, and writer based in Florence during the Renaissance. He is one of the main founders of modern political science. He was a diplomat, political philosopher, playwright, and a civil servant of the Florentine Republic...
and Francesco Guicciardini
Francesco Guicciardini
Francesco Guicciardini was an Italian historian and statesman. A friend and critic of Niccolò Machiavelli, he is considered one of the major political writers of the Italian Renaissance...
.
Bernardo Rucellai was a student of epigraphy, mainly of the city of Rome, and conducted extensive correspondence about historiographic
Historiography
Historiography refers either to the study of the history and methodology of history as a discipline, or to a body of historical work on a specialized topic...
theory with Pontano after his ambassadorial charge at Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
.
His teacher was the famed neo-Platonist, Marsilio Ficino
Marsilio Ficino
Marsilio Ficino was one of the most influential humanist philosophers of the early Italian Renaissance, an astrologer, a reviver of Neoplatonism who was in touch with every major academic thinker and writer of his day, and the first translator of Plato's complete extant works into Latin...
and his pupil Giovanni Rucellai
Giovanni Rucellai
Giovanni Rucellai is the name of a father and grandson of the Rucellai family wool-dyers turned bankers.The former, Giovanni di Paolo, or Giovanni I, as the effective head of the Rucellai family commissioned the building of the Palazzo Rucellai, designed by Leon Battista Alberti and the father of...
.
Writings
Bernardo Rucellai wrote mainly in Latin. Although there is considerable correspondence between himself and Lorenzo de'Medici, Marsilio FicinoMarsilio Ficino
Marsilio Ficino was one of the most influential humanist philosophers of the early Italian Renaissance, an astrologer, a reviver of Neoplatonism who was in touch with every major academic thinker and writer of his day, and the first translator of Plato's complete extant works into Latin...
and Pontano, he wrote five treatises which have yet to be translated (into any other language):
De urbe Roma liber, De magistratibus Romanis, De bello italico commentarius, De bello Pisano, De bello Mediolansi and Oratio de auxilio Tifernatibus adferendo. All but the last are histories.