Giorgio da Sebenico

Giorgio da Sebenico also known as Giorgio di Matteo, George the Dalmatian or Giorgio Orsini (* 1410, † November 10, 1475 in Sibenik ) was a Dalmatian sculptor and architect, who worked mainly in Dalmatia and Ancona.

Life

Whether and where Giorgio da Sebenico worked before his appearance in Venice, has not yet been demonstrated. As an architect and sculptor Giorgio was probably trained in the workshop of Giovanni and Bartolomeo Buon in Venice, where he was probably involved as a member of the Buon workshop on the visual design of the Porta della Carta to the Doge's Palace. In Venice, Giorgio married Elisabetta da Monte, who brought him a dowry of money and houses in the marriage. He invested Elizabettas money in a grocery store and a merchant ship that brought both good returns. Giorgio gave his wife a power of attorney that it was entitled to conduct the business in his absence. In July 1455 Giorgio bought a home from the Venetian nobles Simeonich. At the house, he brought the heraldic animal of the Orsini family, the bear ( Orso it. Bear) on.

From 1450 he was active in Ancona, where he signed a contract for the supply of Istrian stone for the construction of the Cathedral of Rimini, but did not fulfill, so he was charged in court. In 1459 he bought a house in Ancona. Giorgio and Elizabettas daughter Flavia married in 1463 the Dalmatian painter Giorgio Culinovich ( Schiavone ). In 1470 he sold his house in Venice.

Giorgio died in 1475, probably in Sebenico (Šibenik ), where he owned a house, at the entrance, he also created a coat of arms with the bear.

Giorgio signed contracts and signed his artworks often named Georgius Dalmaticus.

Work

Giorgio da Sebenico worked alongside his beginnings in Venice, especially in Dalmatia in the former Venetian Stato da Mar, especially in Sebenico and Ragusa and Ancona. His work is characterized by an intermediate position between the traditional art of Gothic, Venetian- Byzantine elements, and the new developments in Renaissance art in Italy.

Venice

Attributed to him is the staff at the Porta della Carta of the Doge's Palace and in the sculptural features of the Scuola di San Marco in Venice.

Sebenico - Šibenik

His main work is considered the Cathedral of St. James in Šibenik, an impressive building in Istria stone, whose architecture is inspired by the contemporary Venetian church architecture. Designed the cathedral had a certain Girolamo da Giacomo, construction activity but had been stopped due to construction defects. Giorgio took in 1451, construction activity again and was busy with the Cathedral to 1460. He expanded Girolamo design by two side aisles, transept and two chapels in the apse. From his hand the statues of Peter and Paul on page portal, the statues of Simeon and David in the baptistry and reliefs date in the vault of the nave. In 1452 he let grow the sacristy.

A special feature of the cathedral is that it was built entirely without lumber and bricks, but only from the Istrian limestone. The church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Ancona

From 1441 to 1460 Giorgio held mainly in Ancona. Commissioned he was there with the construction of the Loggia dei medic anti, which he founded with allegorical figures, adorned with a charity. In 1459 he completed the facade of San Francesco alle Scale Church, in 1490, the portal of San Agostino, where he decorated the bezel of the portal with a figure of the church father Augustine.

Ragusa - Dubrovnik

1464 Giorgio was appointed State Engineer of Ragusa, now Dubrovnik, but the city had to leave because of the plague the following year.

His contracts in Dubrovnik mainly concerned begun by Michelozzo since 1461 fortifications of the city. Two towers of the fortification, the " Minceta Tower " and the " Katarina Tower " were built under his direction. From his hand the elegant Renaissance portico comes at Rector's Palace in Dubrovnik.

Other buildings in Dalmatia

Among his many buildings in Dalmatia include, among others still in Gothic style was built Palazzo Papali and a marble altar in the cathedral of Split, the chapel of San Ranieri in the now largely ruined church of St. Eufemia and the tomb Ranierus in Castel Vitturi.

Family

According to Galvani Giorgio da Sebenico came from the noble family of the Orsini. For economic reasons, Giorgios father was forced to leave his family get through with their own hands.

65 years after his death, his grandson Giacomo, a lawyer, recognized as the legitimate descendant of the house of Orsini.