Filippo Brunelleschi, or “Pippo” as he was known to his friends, embodied the very essence of true Renaissance idealism. His unequaled genius in designing and engineering the improbable Florence Duomo would find him admired and envied by some of the greatest minds and talents of the Renaissance period.
Michelangelo, Il Divino himself, was said to have idolized Brunelleschi in such a way, when asked where he wanted to be interred, his last wish was to be buried near the Florence Cathedral, so when his soul rose upward to Heaven his last earthly vision would be that of Brunelleschi’s Dome.
Imagine being held to the highest measure of genius and beauty earthly possible only to have your own genius honored and aspired to!
The Dome
By 1418, Brunelleschi’s nemesis had sat undefined for 122 years and become the greatest architectural challenge of its time. Due to the The Florence Cathedral’s 180’ high walls and 140’ wide expanse, the project’s own architects didn’t have the least notion of how to complete the dome. Its incredible size and a multitude of other structural issues made it a mystery only an act of pure genius could solve.
The Genius
The very act of genius required would come in the form of Brunelleschi, an unassuming small-statured man who stood no more than 5’4” and whose first trade was not that of an engineer nor architect but that of a goldsmith. Could this man really solve the puzzle which had bewildered great men for more than a century?
The Challenge
Brunelleschi’s inspiration for taking on the monumental task of completing the dome was found in a contest to discover an architect/engineer brilliant enough to finish it. Brunelleschi competed and won the commission. He was said to have thrived on the most difficult of challenges, taking on the dome with vigor and determination.
The Victory
The dome proved to be a constant challenge for much of his life, but his superior mathematical and technical prowess would prevail. He came away victorious, seeing the completion of Florence’s Duomo and finally accomplishing what other men had failed miserably to do.
Michael J. Gelb, author of How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci, says Brunelleschi not only masterminded the engineering and construction feat presented by the elusive dome, “he created a space that celebrates the individual’s participation in heavenly glory,” and stands for “the supreme embodiment of the literal and figurative expansion of the Renaissance perspective.”
In 1568, Giorgio Vasari wrote in Lives of the Artists, “Brunelleschi’s genius was so commanding that we can surely say that he was sent by heaven to renew the art of architecture.” Vasari himself designed and started painting the sacred fresco in the interior of the Florence dome in 1592, Federico Zuccaro completed it.
To this day Brunelleschi’s brave and brilliant success still towers above the streets of Florence and continues to inspire awe in all who witness it. Divino Ingenio!
Drawing of Brunelleschi’s double shell design of the Florence Duomo by Cigoli (Credit)
Brunelleschi’s Florence Duomo at Santa Maria del Fiore (Credit)
Fresco of the Florence Duomo started by Vasari completed by Federico Zuccaro (Credit)
PBS has an amazing documentary series we highly recommend about the Medici Dynasty called “The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance” and in the series “Birth of a Dynasty” a good portion of it covers the building of Brunelleschi’s dome. Here is the video: (fyi: the story of the dome enters about 10 minutes into the film)
Watch a video about Brunelleschi’s Dome on YouTube
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I was gonna write an article like this relative to this topic, you were faster. You did a great job!
Brunelleschi is fascinating isn’t he? Thanks for reading!