Antelami, Benedetto

(born c. 1150, probably Lombardy—died c. 1230, Parma) Italian sculptor and architect. He probably belonged to the Magistri Antelami, a civic builders' guild in the Lake Como region. An early signed marble relief by him, The Descent from the Cross (1178), is in Parma Cathedral; his extensive cycle of sculpture on the baptistery at Parma was begun in 1196. He is credited with the sculptural decorations of Fidenza Cathedral and Ferrara Cathedral. His last work is believed to have been the decoration and (at least in part) the construction of the church of Sant'Andrea at Vercelli, the architecture of which successfully combined Tuscan Romesque with Gothic characteristics (such as flying buttresses, rose windows, and ribbed vaulting) and won him lasting renown.

Find more information on Antelami, Benedetto. Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on Antelami, Benedetto.