This thesis is a study of the fifteenth-century convent of S. Chiara in Urbino, designed by the Sienese architect Francesco di Giorgio Martini, and instigated and financed by the ruling Montefeltro family. It investigates the building's foundation, history, patronage and form. It is divided into five chapters. Chapter One deals with the history of the building's foundation and construction. It considers when construction work began and under whose patronage, and analyses major structural changes undertaken at the convent, presenting new evidence that the construction was planned much earlier than previously thought, under the patronage of Guidantonio da Montefeltro. Chapter Two considers the process by which the building was designed, discussing drawings in the hand of the architect Francesco di Giorgio of relevance to S. Chiara It clarifies the previously disputed purpose of a drawing of key importance to S. Chiara and demonstrates that this is clearly a project drawing by the architect. Chapter Three attempts to reconstruct the original Martinian design for the convent as begun. It suggests that this design may have been far more ambitious than previously thought. Chapter Four examines Clarissan convent design and considers S. Chiara as an example of its type. It demonstrates that despite the fragmented nature of the Clarissan Order and the variety of circumstances in which convents were founded, it is still possible to discern common themes in Clarissan architecture. Chapter Five locates the convent in the oeuvre ofthe architect Francesco di Giorgio assessing the building as an example of his work. It demonstrates that as a convent S. Chiara is remarkable, with features such as a two story garden loggia and a spiral ramp that were novel to both convent design per se and Italian Renaissance architecture as a whole.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:645191 |
| Date | January 2004 |
| Creators | Clough Edwards, Sarah |
| Publisher | University of Reading |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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