Francesco Benaglio: A Verona Renaissance Innovator Francesco Benaglio (Benalius), Italian painter, originally Pietro dalla Biada, was born around 1430 in Verona – the son of Pietro dalla Biava, a grain merchant from Bergamo. His artistic lineage suggests an upbringing steeped in mercantile traditions alongside exposure to humanist ideals prevalent during the Renaissance. Moving with his family to Verona by 1456, Benaglio established himself as a prominent artist within the city’s burgeoning cultural landscape. This period coincided with a significant shift in Veronese art following the death…