Andreas Tönnesmann

The essay focuses on the decisive role Filarete had in defining a new relationship between clients and architects, downsizing the cliché that traditionally depicts him as a dull compiler with some foolish literary ambition. In his Book he sets up a confrontation which – going beyond his time’s customs and even social habits – retrieves and enlivens some crucial elements of Greek – and mainly Platonic – tradition, such as the faith in face-to-face dialogue between the cultured man and his interlocutor. On that matter, Filarete constitutes a genuine alternative to Alberti, as he prefigures the outcome of European Mannerism and seemingly reaches the point of political Utopia, although he never pulls back from his time’s status quo: the architect is not just meant to be the actual performer of a sovereign will. Instead, he will have an active role in political life, taking part in the decisions that define the future of society.