Abstract

Plato's philosophy as elaborated by the Florentine philosopher Marsilio Ficino in the second half of the Quattrocento had a penetrating influence at the Ducal court of Urbino. Although this fact is widely acknowledged, there is no thorough study on this subject. This thesis establishes the impact of Ficino's thought on both the culture and art of Urbino under the patronage of Federico da Montefeltro and his immediate successors. ;Part I considers Ficino's philosophy within the context of the syncretistic culture of the Montefeltro court. Platonism, Hermeticism and Cabala, as well as astronomy and mathematics, are discussed in connection with such distinguished scholars as Ficino, Guglielmo Raimondo de Moncada and Paul of Middelburg. The relationships of the Montefeltro court with Ficino's Platonic Academy of Florence are also explored. Ficino's works, especially those dedicated to Duke Federico, together with the manuscripts of Platonic philosophy in the Ducal library, are analyzed. ;Part II investigates the iconography of the twin 'Tempietti' in the Ducal Palace, the Cappella del Perdono and Tempietto delle Muse. It argues that Ficino's philosophy provides the keys to their program. The Tempietti are seen as part of an architectural ensemble intended for Federico's private use and endowed with a spiritual significance. This discussion considers the antecedents of Federico's project, such as the Studiolo of Belfiore of Leonello d'Este in Ferrara and the Tempio Malatestiano of Sigismondo Malatesta in Rimini. It also explores the iconographic sources of the Tempietto delle Muse, which was decorated with Minerva, Apollo and the Muses. The discussion concentrates on a number of artists who were present at the court of Urbino during the evolution of this project, including Leon Battista Alberti, Piero della Francesca, Luciano Laurana, Donato Bramante, and Francesco di Giorgio. Special attention is paid to the painter and chronicler Giovanni Santi, Raphael's father, since he was acquainted with the iconographic program of Urbino's twin Tempietti may have prepared him for his later work on the Neoplatonic program in the Stanze della Segnatura