Giocondo, Fra Giovanni

Giocondo, Fra Giovanni frä jōvänˈnē jōkônˈdō [key], c.1435–1515, Italian architect, engineer, and antiquary. A Franciscan friar, he was accomplished in philosophy, archaeology, and classical literature but is best known for his architectural and engineering works. He designed a drainage system for the lagoons of Venice, built the fortifications of Treviso, and is universally credited with the design of the Palazzo del Consiglio (1476) at Verona, an elegant, arcaded monument of the early Renaissance. He accompanied Charles VIII to France in 1495 as court architect.

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