Alberti’s deep connection with the city of Mantua
Considered one of the most important Italian humanists, architects and writers of the Renaissance, with Leon Battista Alberti emerged the modern figure of the architect, who designed works for his prestigious patron. His rich and complex personality is not easy to grasp; he remains in his own way an atypical figure of his time, capable of combining research, studies and diverse interests. This is why he is commonly referred to as the ‘universal man’ par excellence of the 15th century.
His deep connection with Mantua lives on in all his work: here he met Ludovico Gonzaga who, in 1460, entrusted him with the design of the Church of San Sebastiano and ten years later that of Sant’Andrea. These works, although not completed before his death, helped define the city’s identity, the identity of a Renaissance style that influenced all architecture to come. That is why the Church of San Sebastiano can be called the Tempio Leon Battista Alberti.
