Fioravanti, Aristotele (c. 1415–c. 1485)

Set in the heart of the Kremlin, the golden domes of the Cathedral of the Assumption (Uspenskii Sobor). The church, the most important of those in the Kremlin, was the venue for the coronation of rulers. Built in 1475–79 by the Italian architect Aristotele Fioravante, it is based on traditional Russian designs.

Italian architect and engineer. He worked in Italy and Hungary, and in 1475 was summoned to Russia to build the Cathedral of the Assumption (Uspenskii Sobor) in the Kremlin in Moscow. His design combined elements of conventional Russian church architecture with features of Renaissance design. He died in Moscow.

Born in Bologna into a family of architects, Fioravanti helped to spread Renaissance styles throughout Europe in the course of his travels. After work in Rome, Bologna, and Milan, and other major Italian artistic centres, Fioravanti was invited to Hungary in 1467, where he worked for a short time for King Matthias Corvinus, before finally moving to Russia.