Biography

Italian sculptor, born in Florence but particularly active in the Kingdom of Naples. He supposedly was a pupil of Giambologna in Florence, but due to disagreements moved to the Kingdom of Naples in 1573. From 1575-77, he was active in Palermo, where he worked alongside Camillo Camilliani (active 1574-1603) in the relocation of the Fontana Pretoria.

Neapolitan sculpture at the turn of the century was essentially Florentine Mannerist in character. Two artists, above all, were responsible for this trend: Pietro Bernini and Michelangelo Naccherino, a pupil of Giambologna, who was the strongest power in Naples for almost fifty years, from his arrival to Naples till his death. He never abandoned his intimate ties with Florentine Mannerism, but owed more to the older generation of Bandinelli, Vincenzo Danti, Vincenzo de' Rossi, and even to Donatello than to his teacher, whom he accused of irreligiosity. In the pietistic climate of the Spanish dominion, his figures are often imbued with a wholly un-Florentine religious mood and a mystic sensibility, eloquent testimonies of the spirit of Counter-Reformation. Characteristic examples are his tombs of Fabrizio Pignatelli (1590-1609, Santa Maria dei Pellegrini), Vincenzo Carafa (1611, Santi Severino e Sosio), and Annibale Cesareo (1613, Santa Maria della Pazienza).

In the early 1600s, he participated in a variety of projects, including two monument fountains, the Fontana di Santa Lucia and the Fontana del Gigante (along with Pietro Bernini). In 1607, he submitted a design for the Cappella del Tesoro di San Gennaro, but Francesco Grimaldi won the competition.

In 1616, he returned to Florence to sculpt an Adam and Eve for the Boboli Gardens.