The “di Gieri” of Florence: Documentary Evidence for Two Fifteenth-Century Building Families

Prominent figures in the history of Italian Renaissance architecture relied upon the expertise of professional contractors and master wallers to convert architectural theory into physical actuality. Taking their lead from the major architectural innovators of the day (Brunelleschi, Michelozzo, Bernardo Rossellino, and Alberti), these professional builders made important contributions to the Renaissance approach to architectural design. Within this category of largely ignored building contractors are the two sets of brothers who previously had been assumed to represent two generations of the same family: Antonio and Francesco di Gieri and Andrea and Lorenzo di Antonio di Gieri. Utilizing the resources of the Florentine State Archives, this article demonstrates that Antonio and Francesco were members of the Ferrini family, while Andrea and Lorenzo actually were part of the Luti family. Documentary evidence is also used to connect the Ferrini brothers to such notable fifteenth-century Florentine building programs as the Hospital of the Innocents and the Convent of Saint Apollonia, while the Luti brothers had important roles in constructing the monastic buildings at San Miniato al Monte, San Bartolomeo a Monte Oliveto, and the Badia Fiesolana as well as Medici villas at Fiesole and Careggi.