Finestra inginocchiata
The Finestra inginocchiata (kneeling window) is a type of window that has been used, particularly in Tuscany, since the 16th century .
The window sill in this window shape, which is mainly used on the ground floor, rests on protruding supports that are reminiscent of the knees of two “legs”, hence the name. It is typical of Mannerism and Tuscan Baroque , usually barred and framed by a tympanum , sometimes with zoomorphic ornamentation. The two supports are often shaped like lion legs, and sometimes the space between them is decorated with a bas-relief.
The first Finestra inginocchiata is traditionally that of the Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence , which is attributed to Michelangelo . It was built to cover the great arch of a portal that once led to a family loggia.
Bartolomeo Ammannati and Bernardo Buontalenti were among the architects who have worked on the design and decoration of kneeling windows .
reference
- ↑ A drawing of him is in the Casa Buonarroti , and the invention is also cited by Vasari . P. Ruschi: Le finestre inginocchiate di Palazzo Medici . In: Michelangelo architetto . Cinisello Balsamo, 2011, p. 55-57 .
literature
- Enciclopedia dell'Architettura . Garzanti, Milan 1996, ISBN 88-11-50465-1 (Italian).
- Pevsner, Fleming, Honor: Dizionario di architettura . Utet, Turin 1978, ISBN 88-06-51961-1 (reprinted in Dizionario dei termini artistici , Utet Tea, 1994).
