Bonanno Pisano

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Escape into Egypt on the San Ranieri Gate of Pisa Cathedral
The San Ranieri Gate

Bonanno Pisano (* in Pisa ; † ibid) was an Italian architect and sculptor whose works were created between 1170 and 1180. As a sculptor, he combined Byzantine and classical elements. Giorgio Vasari names a Guglielmo next to Bonanno as the architect of the Leaning Tower of Pisa , the cornerstone of which was laid in 1173.

By deciphering the tablets found in Bonanno's grave during excavations in 1838, the paleography expert was able to prove to Giulia Ammannati in 2019 that Bonanno can indeed be named as the builder of a "wonderful work" and that his plan was also when construction work resumed 13th century was still in use.

Life

Pisano was born in Pisa, where he worked for most of his life. In the 1180s he went to Monreale and made the doors for the cathedral there . He returned to Pisa, where he also died and was buried. At the foot of the Leaning Tower, an imprint of a metal plate with his name was found in 1820.

Works

Porta Reale

In March 1179 Pisano began his work on the bronze Porta Reale for the Cathedral of Pisa and finished it in March 1180. The door was completely destroyed by a fire in 1595.

San Ranieri Gate of Pisa

In 1186 he created the San Ranieri Gate on the right transept of Pisa Cathedral. The representations deal with episodes of the life of Christ.

Gate of the cathedral in Monreale

The main portal of Monreale Cathedral

Made between 1185 and 1186, it shows scenes from the Old Testament in the lower area , beginning with Adam and Eve and in the upper area, ending with Christ and Mary in Paradise, five scenes from the New Testament . The gate is signed “Bonannus civis pisanus me fecit”, “Bonanno, Citizen of Pisas, made me”. Bartoloni assumes, because of the dating of the calculus Pisanus , which is uncommon in Sicily , that the wings of the gate were made in Pisa and then brought to Sicily by ship.

literature

  • Isa Belli Barsali:  Bonanno. In: Alberto M. Ghisalberti (Ed.): Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (DBI). Volume 11:  Boccadibue-Bonetti. Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, Rome 1969.
  • Antonio Milone, Bonanno Pisano , in: Artifex bonus , Roma-Bari 2004, pp. 82-89.
  • P. Sanpaolesi, Il Campanile di Pisa , Pisa 1956.
  • Ottavio Banti (Ed.): La porta di Bonanno nel Duomo di Pisa e le porte bronzee medioevali europee. Arte e tecnologia. Atti del convegno internazionale di studi, Pisa 6 - 8 maggio 1993 . Pontedera 1999
  • Franco Bartoloni : La data del portale di Bonanno nel duomo di Monreale . In: Studi medievali in onore di Antonino De Stefano , Palermo 1956, pp. 39–41.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Mystery of the builder of the Leaning Tower of Pisa solved Salzburger Nachrichten VerlagsgesmbH & Co KG, December 18, 2019
personal data
SURNAME Bonanno Pisano
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Italian sculptor
DATE OF BIRTH 12th Century
PLACE OF BIRTH Pisa
DATE OF DEATH 12th century or 13th century
Place of death Pisa