Antonio Cornazano

Antonio Cornazano (c. 1430 - c. 1485) was born in Northern Italy, near Milan, the son of a lawyer. He was to write on subjects as diverse as war, biography, religion and dance. Such broad interests are indicative of the ideal of the Renaissance man. His various activities took him to Siena, Rome, Milan, Venice and Ferrara.

Dance Manual

Cornazano's dance treatise, Libro dell'arte del danzare was written around 1455. The surviving manuscript, is currently catalogued in the Biblioteca Aposolica Vaticana as Codex Capponiano, 203. In relation to 15th Century Italian Dance it is usually labelled Rvat. It is the only early Italian dance manual to include tenors for basse danze.

Dances

• Mercanzia
• Giove
• Verçeppe
• Belriguardo (for three)
• Lioncello novo
• La Figlia di Guglielmino for two or four
• Sobria