Lecture 12: Early Renaissance Architecture in Florence
Brunelleschi intended that a matching arcaded building should one day
balance his structure on the opposite side, and in the 16th century, one was
built. His perfectly proportioned arcade dictated the use of the same forms in
the adjacent building. This arcade is the most striking aspect of the façade,
but the whole building is based on two geometric modules, the cube and the
hemisphere. The generous span of the arches, carried on Corinthian columns,
is emphasized by the broad horizontal of the cornice. The second-story
windows are above the apex of each arch, providing a rhythmic counterpoint.
We see the roundels of infants by Andrea della Robbia (1460s or 1480s). The
10 glazed terracotta roundels in the pendentives of the arches—each with an
orphan in swaddling clothes—are an integral part of the building. However,
they were added decades later by Luca della Robbia’s nephew, Andrea.Brunelleschi’s most famous project was the completion of the Cathedral of
Florence, Santa Maria del Fiore, commonly called the Duomo (aerial view
shown in the photo). Duomo is the Italian word for any cathedral, but it is
often used synonymously with this Florentine cathedral. The word derives
from domus, Latin for “house,” here, the “house of God.” The cathedral had
been underway for more than a century when Brunelleschi assumed the post
of architect. Arnolfo di Cambio, the ¿ rst architect of the cathedral, drew
up his plans around 1300; further plans were developed around 1360. The
nave was complete and the foundations for the east end were in place when
Brunelleschi solved the problem of constructing a dome that could span the
great space above the high altar, about 140 feet in diameter.Our example shows the cathedral’s interior with a view into the dome.
This was the highest and widest dome ever attempted, and builders had
puzzled over how to construct the dome for more than 50 years. In 1418,
a competition was held, offering a hefty reward to solve the problem. One
of the fanciful solutions proposed was to ¿ ll the cathedral below the dome
area with a mountain of dirt in which silver and gold coins would have been
scattered. The dirt mountain would have acted as scaffolding for the dome
work, and when its purpose was served, the Florentine public could be
invited to remove the dirt to reap the rewards.Let’s examine the Duomo’s exterior, the apse and the dome, from the east.
Brunelleschi’s solution to building the dome involved new methods of laying