Arts & History Museum of St. Peter
Presenting: Exhibit of European Architecture
Step Into the Renaissance Era!
See marvelous works of structural design, experience what it felt like to walk down the streets of Europe, and learn about the amazing history behind the art that was architecture in the Renaissance.
Florence Cathedral
"Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower", the main church in Florence, was begun as an architectural project in 1296. Decades were spent building the grand cathedral, which stands tall at approximately 376 ft., with an enormous length of 502 ft. It was built to the design of an Italian architect & sculptor, Arnolfo di Cambio, in the Gothic style popular at that time. The walls were constructed from green and pink marble and the dome was built atop it all with bricks, standing today as the largest dome built in the world.
Santa Maria dei Miracoli
Also known as the 'marble church', the Santa Maria dei Miracoli was built between 1481 and 1489. Being one of the best examples of Renaissance architecture, the exterior is made and decorated entirely from different colors and kinds of marble. It was built in the Romanesque style, complete with a barrel vault design holding up the interior. The main architect that took charge of the project was a man named Pietro Lombardo. The beautiful church still stands today after two restorations in different decades, and is revered as a wonderful homage to the Virgin Mary.
Church of San Giorgio Maggiore
Built on the island of the same name, the Church of San GIorgio Maggiore was a 16th century Benedictine monastary built for the Roman Catholic Church. Started in 1566 and completed in 1610, it was designed, planned, and constructed all under the supervision of an Italian architect by the name of Andrea Palladio. The church rises over the water surrounding the island and the whole exterior is decorated with brilliant white marble. A bell tower was built with it in 1467, but fell due to earthquakes in 1774. Architects rebuilt it in 1791, and it still stands today next to the church, but with a different style than that of the building, making it a unique structural design and a popular tourist attraction.
Arnolfo di Cambio
Born in Colle Val d'Elsa, Tuscany, Arnolfo was the chief assistant to a famous architect for the first half of his life. After a while, he became bored with his current career status and began to work independently on structures and designs for tombs and other monuments. By his late 30s, he started working in Florence. He had a grand idea for a chapel and he put the idea to work. By 1296, he had built what would become the most popular tourist attraction; the Florence Cathedral. He spent the latter half of his life fulfilling his dreams of architecture until his death in 1310. He is known today as one of the most successful architects of the Renaissance era.
Pietro Lombardo
Pietro Lombardo was born in 1435 in the town of Carona, Switzerland. He knew from the start that he wanted to spend his life working as a sculpter, and so he did. He sculpted many Venetian tombs and monuments with the help of his sons. His sculptures were highly celebrated works of art before and after he died. Later on in his life, he took his skill to the next level by starting designs and becoming an architect. Along with his eye for beauty in art, he began constructing great chapels around Europe, one of the most popular of his designs being the Church of Santa Maria Dei Miracoli. He lived a long and full life, dying of old age in his 80s in Venice. His works of both art and architecture are still standing tall today.
Andrea Palladio
Born in 1508 in Padua, he was given his name in honor of his hometown. Palladio grew up being introduced to architectural building and designing, so naturally he fell into that career path. And he did not disappoint. He was first employed by a Humanist poet and sculptor. After years of being his apprentice, sculptor Gian Giorgio Trissino took interest in Palladio's work. Palladio had his own literature and that was how he gained his popularity at the time, but when Trissino took interest, Palladio's career soared to something higher. He began designing what would become one of the most important monastery's of the Roman Catholic Church. He was titled the chief architect of the Church of San Giorgio Maggoire. After a long life and very influential career, Andrea Palladio died of old age in 1580.