Codussi (or Coducci), Mauro (c. 1440-1504)

Venetian architect. Influenced by the Renaissance architecture of Florence, he imitated the style in his Church of San Michele in Isola (1496-79). His San Giovanni Crisostomo (c. 1500) is the first centrally planned church in Venice.

Although he was born near Bergamo, Codussi was active from 1469 in Venice, where he developed a distinctive style based upon the architecture of Florence and central Italy. The influence of the architectural principles of Alberti are evident in many of his works, notably the Torre dell' Orologio (1496-99) and the Procurazie Vecchie (begun 1496) on the Piazza San Marco (in English, St Mark's Square).

Other major projects include the churches of Santa Maria Formosa (rebuilt 1492-1502) and the Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista (1498), with its famous double staircase. The Palazzo Corner-Spinelli (c. 1490) and Palazzo Vendramin-Calerghi (1501-09) are both Lombardesque in style, but incorporate innovatory features, such as the free-standing classical orders on the facade of the latter palace. The churches of San Zaccaria (1483) and the Scuola Grande di San Marco (1485-95) are notable for their facades.