Guiniforte Solari
Boniforte (or Guiniforte ) Solari or of Solario , born about 1429 with Carona and died about 1481 with Milan, is a sculptor, a Architecte and an engineer Italy N.
Biography
He is the son of Giovanni Solari and the brother of Francesco Solari, the chief engineer of the cathedral of Milan. He is one of the representatives of the prolific Solari family of Carona, in the Canton of Tessin, and was chief engineer of the Duché of Milan at the 15th century.One owes him primarily the construction, with Milan, starting from 1463, of the convent completed in 1469 and of his church Santa Maria delle Grazie completed in 1482, under the crook of the duke François Sforza.
As an architect, the experts recently allotted the project and the construction of the to him Cappella Portinari of the Basilica di Sant' Eustorgio in Milan, traditionally initially charged to Michelozzo and then with Filarète.
With the Chartreuse of Pavia, he is surely the author of the imposing apse, which, with its articulated play of the masses, announces an either Gothic language, but resolutely Renaissance which he acquired, according to any probability, by attending key figures, like Masolino da Panicale, Castiglione Olona and Vincenzo Foppa in Milan.
Famous are its dissensions with Filarète, which is called by François Sforza to modernize architecture lombarde according to the innovations of Florentin humanism. Solari represents the local Gothic tradition and the constructive skill of the engineers lombards, able however to adapt to the new taste Tuscan required by the silent partners who appreciate much the artistic heritage of the traditional age. In this direction, the court of Sforza is a point of meeting for much the humanistic ones which contributes, with their major knowledge of the texts and the treaties relating to the most varied artistic disciplines, to give a new face to the ducal capital.
The construction of the Ospedale Maggiore (Ca' Granda) is due to the project of Filarète, but it is carried out under the direction of Guiniforte. He is the author of several projects, that for the church of San Pietro in Gessate and those for the dome and the turn-lantern of the Duomo of Milan, which will be produced by Giovanni Antonio Amadeo, his pupil and son-in-law.
October 2nd, 1469, occurs the death of his/her Francesco brother, ducal engineer; it will be replaced by Guiniforte, whose candidature for the renewal of the station had been retained, with a recommendation of the duke.
The same year, jointly with his/her brother Francesco and Martino Benzoni, a project for the Cappella Colleoni of Bergamo is conceived; however, after the premature disappearance of Francesco, it decides to assign this task with Giovanni Antonio Amadeo.
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