Antonio Squarcialupi

(1416 - 1480)

Italian organist and composer. A licensed butcher, he was however cathedral organist in Florence from 1432 until his death and visited Naples and Siena. He was highly esteemed by his contemporaries, including Dufay, with whom he corresponded, as well as Lorenzo il Magnifico. None of his compositions, regarding which he was excessively self-critical, survive, but he left after his death, and may himself have copied, the important MS, beautifully ornamented, containing no fewer than 352 works by the Italian masters of the preceding 14th century, which today is considered the most important and extensive source of music for this period and is known as the Squarcialupi Codex.

IIIA: The Florentine Group