A Short History of the Middle Ages Fourth Edition

Plate 8.4: Filippo Brunelleschi, Florence Cathedral Dome (1418–1436). It was a major engineering feat to
span the 42-meter (46-yard) octagonal space over the cathedral with a dome. Brunelleschi solved the
problem by an ingenious use of ribs. He also designed the scaffolding that was necessary to build the dome
and the hoisting equipment for the building materials. No wonder that Brunelleschi became a “star”—the first
celebrity architect.