Jacopo Sansovino

Lore & Background

Sansovino was born in Florence as Jacopo Tatti. He apprenticed with Andrea Sansovino, whose name he subsequently adopted. In Rome, while living in the palace of the late Cardinal Domenico della Rovere, Sansovino made a wax model of the Deposition of Christ for Pietro Perugino to use. Around 1510, Sansovino was invited by Bramante, along with three other sculptors, to make wax copies of the Laocoön. Raphael judged Sansovino's copy as the best. Sansovino returned to Florence in 1511, where he received commissions for marble sculpture of St. James for the Duomo and the Bacchus, now in the Bargello. His proposals for sculpture to adorn the façade of the Church of San Lorenzo were rejected by Michelangelo, who was in charge of the scheme, to whom he wrote a bitter letter of protest in 1518. In the period of 1510–17, Sansovino shared a studio with the painter Andrea del Sarto, with whom he shared models. He left for Venice in the year of the Sack of Rome (1527). In 1529, Sansovino became chief architect and superintendent of properties (Protomaestro or Proto) to the Procurators of San Marco, making him one of the most influential artists in Venice. The appointment came with a salary of 80 ducats and an apartment on the south side of Piazza San Marco. Within a year his salary was raised to 180 ducats per year. His main achievements are a group of prominent structures in central Venice near Piazza San Marco: the rusticated Zecca (public mint), the highly decorated Loggetta and its sculptures adjoining the Campanile, and various statues and reliefs for the Basilica of San Marco. He also helped rebuild churches including San Zulian, San Francesco della Vigna, San Martino, San Geminiano (now destroyed), Santo Spirito in Isola, and the church of the Ospedale degli Incurabili. Among palaces and buildings are the Scuola Grande della Misericordia (early plans), Ca' de Dio, Palazzo Dolfin Manin, Palazzo Corner, Palazzo Moro, and the Fabbriche Nuove di Rialto. His masterpiece is the Biblioteca Marciana, which took fifty years to build and cost over 30,000 ducats. He died in Venice and his tomb is in the Baptistery of St. Mark's Basilica.

Reader's Guide

Jacopo Sansovino's significance lies in his role as a leading figure of the Italian Renaissance, bridging Florentine and Venetian artistic traditions. As chief architect to the Procurators of San Marco, he shaped the urban fabric of central Venice, particularly around Piazza San Marco. His Biblioteca Marciana is celebrated for successfully adapting classical architectural language to Venetian tastes for surface decoration, paving the way for Andrea Palladio. His sculptural works, such as the Loggetta sculptures and the Bacchus, demonstrate his skill in marble and wax. Despite conflicts with Michelangelo, Sansovino's career flourished, and his influence extended through followers like Alessandro Vittoria and Danese Cattaneo. His legacy is preserved in the many buildings and sculptures that remain central to Venice's Renaissance heritage.

Did You Know?

• Sansovino was born as Jacopo Tatti and adopted the name of his teacher, Andrea Sansovino.
• Around 1510, Bramante invited Sansovino and three other sculptors to make wax copies of the Laocoön; Raphael judged Sansovino's copy the best.
• His appointment as chief architect to the Procurators of San Marco in 1529 came with a salary of 80 ducats and an apartment on Piazza San Marco; within a year it rose to 180 ducats.
• The Biblioteca Marciana took fifty years to build and cost over 30,000 ducats.