Aloisio the New

Aloisio the New, known in Russian as Aleviz Novyi or Aleviz Fryazin, was an Italian Renaissance architect invited by Ivan III to work in Moscow. Some Italian scholars have attempted to identify him with the Venetian sculptor Alevisio Lamberti da Montagnano, but the point is still widely disputed. On his way to Russia, Aloisio was apprehended by Meñli I Giray, the khan of Crimea. At his court, Aloisio built some sections of the famous palace in Bakhchisaray. The Italianate carved portal of the palace is particularly noteworthy. In 1504 he finally arrived to Moscow, with a letter of recommendation from the khan. He became known to Russians as Aleviz the New, to distinguish him from his namesake, who had been working at the Kremlin since...