The article explores the career of Giovanni di Bertino, a Florentine sculptor from Settignano who was active around the middle of the 15th century and known to be the author of the main portal of the Dominican basilica of Santa Maria Novella in Florence.
On the basis of what is already known about the sculptor, the present research reconstructs his career, focusing on the difficulties encountered by previous studies and reappraising Giovanni's role in the artistic milieu of the time. In particular, thanks to an entry recorded in the
Zibaldone by Giovanni Rucellai, the article reviews his collaboration with Desiderio da Settignano in Florentine works such as the Tomb of Carlo Marsuppini in Santa Croce and the Altar of the Sacrament in San Lorenzo.
Furthermore, the article proposes a first biographical study of the sculptor corroborated by documentary evidence, from his family background and birth in Settignano to his activity in the Santa Trinita neighbourhood in Florence where he carried out work together with Desiderio.