Editing Leon Battista Alberti (section)

===First major commission===
His first major architectural commission was in 1446 for the façade of the [[Rucellai Palace]] in Florence. This was followed in 1450 by a commission from [[Sigismondo Malatesta]] to transform the [[Gothic church]] of San Francesco in [[Rimini]] into a memorial chapel, the [[Tempio Malatestiano]].<ref name=IL/> In Florence, he designed the upper parts of the façade for the Dominican church of [[Santa Maria Novella]], famously bridging the nave and lower aisles with two ornately inlaid scrolls, solving a visual problem and setting a precedent to be followed by architects of churches for four hundred years.<ref name=AD49>Joseph Rykwert, ed., ''Leon Baptiste Alberti'', Architectul Design, Vol 49 No 5-6, London</ref> In 1452, he completed  {{Lang|la|[[De re aedificatoria]]}}, a treatise on architecture, using as its basis the work of [[Vitruvius]] and influenced by the ancient roman buildings. The work was not published until 1485. It was followed in 1464 by his less influential work, ''De statua'', in which he examines sculpture.<ref name=IL/> Alberti's only known sculpture is a self-portrait medallion, sometimes attributed to [[Pisanello]].
[[File:Via della Vigna Nuova 18, palazzo rucellai, 02,0.jpg|thumb|right|[[Palazzo Rucellai]]]]
Alberti was employed to design two churches in [[Mantua]], [[San Sebastiano (Mantua)|San Sebastiano]], which was never completed and for which Alberti's intention can only be speculated upon, and the [[Basilica of Sant'Andrea, Mantua|Basilica of Sant'Andrea]]. The design for the latter church was completed in 1471, a year before Alberti's death: the construction was completed after his death and is considered as his most significant work.<ref name=AD49/>