Sandro Botticelli
Sandro Botticelli, whose original name was Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi, was one of the greatest painters of the the Early Renaissance. Botticelli was the Florentine who created some of the most famous works of art in the world.
He was born in 1445 in Florence in the quarter of Santa Maria Novella near the Arno river, on Via Nuova (now Via del Porcellana, near Piazza Ognissanti).
Early life and career
Alessandro’s father, Mariano Filipepi, was a tanner and was aided in his trade by his proximity to the Arno. In an income tax return dating to 1458, Mariano stated that he had 4 sons: Giovanni, Antonio, Simone and Alessandro (nicknamed Sandro).