Italian Renaissance painter, architect, and historian (1511–1574), best known for writing ‘Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects,’ a foundational text of art history. Artistically he worked in a Mannerist style, and as an architect he designed major projects in Florence, including parts of the Uffizi and the Vasari Corridor. His writings helped define the idea of the Renaissance and promoted the artistic prestige of Florence.