Biography

Italian Renaissance architect (real name: Antonio Giamberti), member of a family of architects (two brothers and their nephew: his brother Giuliano da Sangallo and nephew Antonio da Sangallo the Younger were architects). Antonio's father Francesco Giamberti was a woodworker.

To a great extent Antonio worked in partnership with his brother, but he also executed a number of independent works. As a military engineer he was as skilful as Giuliano, and carried out important works of walling and building fortresses at Arezzo, Montefiascone, Florence and Rome. He moved from reminiscences of Giuliano's manner to a High Renaissance massiveness, seen in the domed Church of the Madonna di San Biagio at Montepulciano, his finest existing work as an architect, in plan a Greek cross with central dome and two towers, much resembling, on a small scale, Bramante's design for St Peter's Basilica. He also built a palace in the same city, various churches and palaces at Monte San Savino, and at Florence a range of monastic buildings for the Servite monks. Antonio retired early from the practice of his profession, and spent his latter years in farming.