Returning to the built environment, this lecture profiles Michelozzo di Bartolommeo, the favoured architect of Cosimo de' Medici and the quiet genius who translated political ambition into stone. Unlike the theoretical radicalism of Brunelleschi, Michelozzo championed a pragmatic, adaptable classicism, a distinction most visible in his masterpiece, the Palazzo Medici. We will analyse how this fortress-like residence, with its graded rustication and grand cornice, established the enduring typology for the Florentine Renaissance palace, balancing civic modesty with private magnificence. The session will also cover his elegant renovation of the Convent of San Marco, particularly the light-filled library , demonstrating how Michelozzo’s refined, understated style perfectly served the needs of both the humanist scholar and the devout monk.