Early Life and Artistic Beginnings Donatello, a name synonymous with the dawn of the Italian Renaissance, was born in Florence around 1386 – though the precise date remains shrouded in some uncertainty. He emerged from a family rooted in commerce; his father, Niccolò di Betto Bardi, was a wool carder, a profession that provided a modest but respectable place within Florentine society. This background, while not of aristocratic lineage, undoubtedly exposed young Donatello to the vibrant artistic and intellectual currents flowing through the city’s workshops and studios. His early training li…