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Santa Maria Del Fiore: a Philosophical Context for Understanding Dome Construction During the Italian Renaissance

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Santa Maria Del Fiore: a Philosophical Context for Understanding Dome Construction During the Italian Renaissance The Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore by Brunelleschi, c. 1420-1436, Florence Photos courtesy Adrielle Kent (web sources) Santa Maria del Fiore: A Philosophical Context for Understanding Dome Construction During the Italian Renaissance Adrielle Kent In the early 1420‘s, Filippo Brunelleschi Brunelleschi (1377-1446) began one of the most ambitious Brunelleschi‘s father, a notary and architectural feats ever attempted. His task counselor for the city of Florence, was on the was to construct a dome to crown Santa Maria committee of 1367 charged with planning the del Fiore, the primary cathedral in Florence. dome, so Brunelleschi grew up with the Brunelleschi was able to provide a unfinished cathedral, which may have comprehensive solution to the complex inspired him. Little is known about his early engineering problems involved in building a life, but it is documented that he became a round dome of that magnitude. His goldsmith after his father‘s unsuccessful ingenuous design made it possible for him to attempt to make him a notary (Jackson, p.27). build the highest dome up to that time and the He became a member of the Goldsmith‘s largest since Hadrian‘s Pantheon in Rome. Guild in 1401 (Hughes and Lynton, p. 16). A Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) stated about the crucial moment in his career came when he architect, ―[Brunelleschi is] like Giotto, participated in a contest to create a set of meager in person but of a genius so lofty that metal doors in relief sculpture for the many say he was given to us by Heaven to baptistery of Santa Maria del Fiore. The reform architecture that has been for many Opera of the Baptistery announced a contest centuries deformed…‖ (qtd. in Jackson, p. for the commission for a set of doors for the 27). The dome spurred the trend of structure in 1401. The commission came Renaissance architecture and many other shortly after an outbreak of the Black Death structures in Europe and other areas of the in Florence and may have been considered a Western hemisphere were inspired by it. The public act of piety (King, p. 15-17). vision for this wonder of architecture came not only from Brunelleschi‘s mind, but from Out of the several Florentine artists who the culture in which he lived. It would have participated in the competition, his most been a simple task to build a sturdy covering formidable opponent was another artist by the for the cathedral, but it was imperative that it name of Lorenzo Ghiberti, another goldsmith. be dome-shaped. The reasons for this It has been suggested by some art historians geometrical choice are many and the history that Brunelleschi‘s panel does not posses the of geometry in art and architecture goes back sense of balance and harmony that he thousands of years. The explanation of why achieved later in his architecture. It also the spherical shape is important in western required more metal to build than Ghiberti‘s culture provides an understanding of what is simple and elegant panel. Ghiberti used valuable to the western esthetic. There are classical models to construct a more muted several reasons why domes are so important design may have been more appealing to the in western architecture. The reasons for this judges. structural choice that is present in so much There are two stories that tell who won western architecture is not merely practical; it the contest for the doors. One states that is ideological. These ideologies illuminate Ghiberti and Brunelleschi both won, but numerous characteristics of western society Brunelleschi refused to work with Ghiberti. and thought from antiquity to the present day. Another says that Ghiberti won and the disgruntled Brunelleschi left the city. for building the dome, released the following Regardless of what the precise conditions public statement: ―You must erect a were, it is clear that Ghiberti was granted the monument which human art could not commission for the baptistery doors and conceive more noble or more beautiful. You Brunelleschi left for Rome shortly after the must build it in such a way that it corresponds contest was over. While in Rome, to the heart grown extraordinarily large and Brunelleschi spent years studying ancient containing the souls of all citizens welded Roman ruins, collecting samples, and together into one single will‖ (Guntern). The drawing. Brunelleschi worked as a winning prize consisted of two hundred clockmaker as a means of support while he florins, which would be considered a small stayed there (King, p. 20). Sculptor fortune at the time. After going through a Donatello accompanied him on one of his great deal of effort to convince the Opera del visits to Rome (Hughes and Lynton, p.16-17). Duomo that his design for the cathedral would ―As pioneers in this work, it is remarkable work, Brunelleschi was given the commission how much they were able to assimilate of the to build the dome. He used the architectural character of ancient buildings,‖ state Hughes principles he learned in Rome to complete the and Lynton (p. 17). Although keen observers, massive project. including Brunelleschi, clearly mistook some No dome had been built larger since the early Christian buildings for Roman models, Pantheon, and Brunelleschi‘s was the highest Brunelleschi did study several authentic ever built. The Pantheon‘s rotunda is 140 feet Roman monuments. One such structure was high and the diameter is 142 feet (Anderson the Pantheon, a Roman domed structure and Speirs, p. 221). Brunelleschi‘s dome on attributed to the emperor Hadrian (120-124 Santa Maria del Fiore reaches 157 feet high AD). The architect claimed that he would be and is 143 feet in diameter. He was able to able to build a dome larger than the one on achieve such a large-scale yet incredibly the Roman masterpiece. His later work has stable work using innovative engineering Roman elements, but the structures are methods and construction techniques. reinterpreted according to Renaissance aesthetics. Mathematical knowledge was Historians credit Brunelleschi with the very important for the artist in order to invention of linear perspective, although other replicate Classical building techniques. The artists surely contributed to its development. field fascinated Brunelleschi; one of his Brunelleschi may have developed his version companions during his excavation in Rome of the perspective system from the process of was mathematician Paolo Toscanelli (1397- creating architectural drawings. Brunelleschi 1482) (Hughes and Lynton, p. 17). By 1420, is known as a ―paper architect,‖ meaning that Brunelleschi would use his newly acquired he drew his designs on paper instead of using knowledge of ancient building techniques in models, which were more popular at the time Florence to achieve a major breakthrough in that he worked. In order to create an accurate architecture. drawing, the draftsman must know how to draw using a mathematical system. History and Details of the Dome Brunelleschi developed his system of Architect Arnolfo Lapi built the base of perspective during his time in Rome, while the dome, but did not live long enough to studying ancient architecture. He would have finish the dome itself. The competition to needed drawings to take back to Florence design the dome for Santa Maria del Fiore with him so he could reference the designs. th was announced on August 19 , 1418. The The Dome was begun in 1418, but Opera del Duomo, the committee responsible Brunelleschi had already begun working on 2 the project before then. He served with Brunelleschi decided that the bricks Ghiberti on a committee in 1404 that required should be placed in horizontal rings. Each Giovanni d‘Ambrogio, an architect who was section contains a vertically placed brick at working on the cathedral, to lower the certain intervals. The row on top of it semidomes. They remain at the designated contains another vertical brick that place today. Brunelleschi needed the corresponds to the previous one, creating a semidomes to be lowered so a drum could be whorl pattern that culminates on a keystone. inserted between the central dome and the This system forms a herringbone pattern that semidomes surrounding it. The lowering of provides excellent stability. To reduce the the semidomes reduced the amount of weight weight of the dome, the lower levels of on them so this would be possible. masonry are stone, while the upper layers are The octagonal dome for the base of the brick. cathedral had already been built when Perhaps the most innovative aspect of the Brunelleschi started working on the dome, dome‘s design is Brunelleschi‘s double- which means this aspect of the structure was shelled system. There is an inner and outer not part of his design. The floor plan of the dome that are each connected to the eight ribs. cathedral was by Arnolfo di Cambio (1232- In between the two shells, sixteen smaller ribs 1302), who designed the octagonal crossing. are hidden by the exterior walls of the dome. The decision to make round occuli They are only visible inside the staircase surrounding the dome instead of the pointed between the shells that can be used to reach Gothic style was made in 1367. the summit of the dome. The smaller ribs are The dome has eight ribs that correspond to connected with stone bands to each other and the octagonal base of the structure. There is a also to the primary eight ribs. Close to the buttress for each rib. Each buttress in turn is base of the dome, the interlocking grid gains surmounted by a volute. Every angle contains additional support from oak beams, connected a Corinthian pilaster. The arched windows by iron links.
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