Bernardo Buontalenti (1536, Florence - 1608), one of the largest artists of the Tuscan , at the same time architect, sculptor and painter. Painting with Vasari learns which notices it.

It is raised by the care of Like Médicis, it enjoys under this prince and his son, Francois, of which he is the tutor at 15 years, of their greater favors. It builds for this last, of 1569 to 1584, the Villa Pratolino in the Apennin, decorated gardens, statues, factories, fountains with famous water jets in all Europe during two centuries.

Military engineer, it is named superintendent of the civil and military buildings
et acts as much as civil architect in all Tuscany by decorating Florence of a crowd of monuments:

• Palate: Caves with the Garden of Boboli (1583) and continuation of work of the gardens started with Tribolo and Ammannati;
• Churches: enlargings of the hospital Santa Maria Nuova (1574) and of the convent of Santa Trinità (1584); projects for the frontages of the cathedral (1587) and Santa Trinità (1593);
• Galleries, urban developments (plan of the ghetto of Florence), rehandlings, after Vasari, around the Palazzo Vecchio (1581-1588);
• Villas: of Artiminio (1580), restoration of that of Petraia (1575);
• Port of Leghorn (1577)
• Fortezza di Santa Maria in San Giorgio LED View-point , fortress of the View-point with Florence (1590-1595).

Also work, as architect, with Pisa, Prato, His.

It organizes with as much taste and of imagination, the festivals and the public ceremonies, of the masquerades, introduced the changes of scenery at sight with the theater, creates decorations with metamorphoses, automats, hydraulic plays, excels in the fireworks with such a degree that it is called Bernardo beyond girandole (thus the marriage of Ferdinand Ier and Christine of Lorraine, in 1589).

It is also distinguished as military engineer, gives the plans of fortification of Leghorn, of Pistoia, Portoferraio, improves the pieces of ordnance and invents grenades flamers.

Ruined by its prodigalities, he would have died in misery without the pension which was ensured to him by the large-duke.

Moreover, it is, according to several sources, the inventor of the modern ice, the Sorbet been used for the table of Médicis.