MICHELOZZI, MICIIELOZZO (1391-1172). A Florentine architect and seulp tor. Information about Michelozzi is meagre, but is sufficient to indicate that he was one of the principal figures of the forumtive period of the Italian Berm issance. Ile was the preferred artistic adviser of Cosmo de' Medici. Michelozzi was born at Florence, the on of Birtipourini.o, a Burgundian tailor, who was made a citizen of Florence in 1376. Ilis name is a variation of Michele. Ile was brought up as a die-cutter and goldsmith, and assisted Chilherti on the doors of the Baptistery. At an early period he appears to have come under the influence of Brimelleschi, and in 1492 he entered into an association with Dmmtello which lasted until about 1435. (For their joint work, see DON ATELLO. ) .\s he worked in association with the principal Florentine sculptors of his time, it is rarely possible to sepa rate his productions from theirs.
The little independent sculpture which can be definitely ascribed to Michelozzi is inferior, and is a resultant of the influences of Donatello and Luca della Robbia. The bas-reliefs of the Ara gazzi Monument, in the Cathedral of )Iontepul ciano, are the best of this work; another well known example is the silver figure, of John the Baptist in the Opera del Dnomo, Florence.
After 1435 his work became increasingly archi tectural. In 1446 he succeeded Brunelleschi as architect of the Florentine Cathedra]. but ap pears to have done very little on that building. He built or rebuilt the churches of Mugello, of the Frati Zoccolanti near Call'aginolo, of San Girolamo near Volterra, of San Girolamo near Fiesole, and the Chapel of the Medici in Santa Croce, Florence. Between 1437 and 1452 Mi
chelozzi superintended the construction of the Monastery of San Marco in Florence'. The library and the two courts, where the Ionic order appears for the first time in the Renaissance, are espe cially interesting. From 1.144 to 1455 he was chief architect of the Monastery of the Annun ziata in Florence. In 1457 he went to Milan to rebuild the fine palace presented by Francesco Sforza to Cosmo de' Medici. Of his work in this city only the chapel of the Portinari, on the exterior of San Enstorgio, survives. lie was associated with Luca. della liohhia in the con struction of the Capella del Crocifisso in San Miniato, Florence.
His most famous work, however, is the Ric cardi Palace in Florence, built for the Medici, and finished about 1440. Models were made by both Michelozzi and Brunelleschi, the former receiving the, preference on account of its sim plicity. The Riccardi Palace, which is perhaps the finest city house in existence, is really only a development of the typical Florentine palace of the Middle Ages under the refining influence of classical ideals. The last of Michelozzi's larger undertakings, his work upon the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, was begun in 1454. The charming forecourt is after his designs. except the defacing stucco ornament. His last recorded work is the Palazzo liettorale at Ragusa in Dalmatia, (1464). Consult: Schmarsow, in .Irchirio storiro arte, vol. vi.; Geyinfiller, Jahr/int-it der koniglich preussisehen Sammlun gen, vol. xv.