Domenico da Piacenza (c. 1400 – c. 1470), also known as Domenico da Ferrara, was an Italian

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

dancing master. He became a very popular teacher with his students – most notably

Antonio Cornazzano Antonio Cornazzano (c. 1430 in Piacenza – 1484 in Ferrara) was an Italian poet, writer, biographer, and Choreography, dancing master. Biography In the city of Piacenza, which was then in the Duchy of Milan, Antonio Cornazzano was born probabl ...

and

Guglielmo Ebreo da Pesaro Guglielmo Ebreo da Pesaro (c. 1420 – c. 1484) was a Jewish Italian dancer and dancing master at some of the most influential courts in Renaissance Italy, including Naples, Urbino, Milan, and Ferrara. His byname '' Ebreo'' means simply ‘H ...

– who both later became successful dance masters. At a time between 1452 and 1463 he received the

Order of the Golden Spur The Order of the Golden Spur ( it, Ordine dello Speron d'Oro, french: Ordre de l'Éperon d'or), officially known also as the Order of the Golden Militia ( la, Ordo Militia Aurata, it, Milizia Aurata), is a papal order of knighthood conferre ...

Biography

Piacenza was born in

Piacenza Piacenza (; egl, label= Piacentino, Piaṡëinsa ; ) is a city and in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, and the capital of the eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with over ...

, Northern Italy in around 1400, and was the first known dancing master to have left published dance instructions. He began teaching dance in around 1440 and is believed to have taught elements of dramatic mime and elaborate dance. He taught future dance masters Antonio Cornazzano and Guglielmo Ebreo da Pesaro. He moved from Piacenza to

Ferrara Ferrara (, ; egl, Fràra ) is a city and ''comune'' in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital of the Province of Ferrara. it had 132,009 inhabitants. It is situated northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream ...

during

Leonello d'Este Leonello d'Este (also spelled Lionello; 21 September 1407 – 1 October 1450) was Marquess of Ferrara, Modena, and Reggio Emilia from 1441 to 1450. Despite the presence of legitimate children, Leonello was favoured by his father as his successor ...

's tenure as marquis of the city between 1441 and 1450. Between 1452 and 1463 Piacenza received the

, and is believed to have been knighted by

Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III (German: ''Friedrich III,'' 21 September 1415 – 19 August 1493) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1452 until his death. He was the fourth king and first emperor of the House of Habsburg. He was the penultimate emperor to be crown ...

. In April 1455 he composed a dance for the wedding between Tristano Sforza and

Niccolò III d'Este Niccolò is an Italian male given name, derived from the Greek Nikolaos meaning "Victor of people" or "People's champion". There are several male variations of the name: Nicolò, Niccolò, Nicolas, and Nicola. The female equivalent is Nicole. The f ...

's illegitimate daughter Beatrice. In late 1455 he choreographed dances for the wedding between

Ippolita Maria Sforza Ippolita Maria Sforza (18 April 1445 – 20 August 1488) was an Italian noblewoman, a member of the Sforza family which ruled the Duchy of Milan from 1450 until 1535. She was the first wife of the Duke of Calabria, who later reigned as King Alfo ...

and Alfonso II. In the 1450s or 1460s he published ''De arte saltandi et choreas ducendi'' about dancing and choreography, the oldest surviving European guide on dancing. It gives instructions on various dances and also outlines what is required to be a good dancer. He identified that successful dance consisted of many techniques: an understanding of musical tempos, knowledge of the prescribed steps, manners, agility, the ability to moderate ones movements, overall control of the body, and speed. Piacenza died in around 1470 in Ferrara, Northern Italy.

References

External links

Treatise "De la arte di ballare et danzare"
(digital facsimile) {{DEFAULTSORT:Domenico Da Piacenza

Domenico da Piacenza Domenico da Piacenza (c. 1400 – c. 1470), also known as Domenico da Ferrara, was an Italian Renaissance dancing master. He became a very popular teacher with his students – most notably Antonio Cornazzano and Guglielmo Ebreo da Pesaro – who ...

Renaissance dance

Domenico da Piacenza Italian choreographers 15th-century dancers

Biography

See also

References

External links