Filippo Brunelleschi
A True Renaissance Man
About Brunelleschi
- born in beautiful Florence, Italy in 1377
- as a young boy, the Medici family took him in and they became his patrons
- most of his time was spent in his hometown of Florence, but he also travled to areas like Rome
- as a child he was trained as gold smith by Toscanelli, who also taught him about the laws of geometry
- when he was older he studied in Rome accompanied by Donatello
- he was a versatile genius, a sculpter, a painter, even an architect
- he worked on the Cathedral in Florence, Cupola of the Octoganal Baptistry, and the Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore.
Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore
Planning for the Dome
Construction of the Dome
Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore
- completed by Brunelleschi in 1446
- it can be seen in Burnelleschi's hometown of Florence, Italy
- this dome was the largest dome of its time and a fairly ambitious task
- during construction he invented a chainwork system to maintain balance while building
- he also used ox-powered hoists to lift heavy materials
The 'isms'
Humanism
- Brunelleschi was using his own knowledge to restore the dome
- this was also a new interest in trying new things
Scientific Naturalism
- in order to successfully build the dome, Brunelleschi used many things
- geometry to know the amount of supplies needed etc.
- he used perspective to draw detailed plans
- proportions were vital so the dome was structurally sound
My Opinion
I believe that this is an architectural masterpiece, that takes a genius like Brunelleschi to complete. There are so many intricate details that are entirely vital to the successful construction of the dome. Also the fact that Brunelleschi built this so well that it is still standing today astonishes me.