Filippo Brunelleschi

Filippo Brunelleschi (1377 – April 15, 1446) was a great Florentine architect of the Italian Renaissance.

Early life

Building the Dome

In 1418, a competition was announced for proposals on how to bridge the central crossing of the cathedral in Florence (Santa Maria del Fiore). Brunelleschi's bid was backed by the then less important family, the Medici, who stood to benefit hugely from the completion of the dome. His design, which offered to build the cupola in circular cone-shaped courses of brickwork forming two shells - one light outer shell - and the main shell (the scaffold) so thick that it all the way up contains a closed circle, without a framework of scaffolding, won the competition, and in 1423 he was put in complete charge of the Duomo's building works. Its completion took most of his life. The main structure was finished by 1434. Four half-domed tribunes in the apse were constructed in 1438. The dome was only completed with a lantern in 1461 by Michelozzo. Andrea del Verrocchio added the gilt copper ball in 1496. The church's dedication took place on 25 March 1436, accompanied by a grand ceremony; music for the occasion, the motet Nuper rosarum flores, was written by Guillaume Dufay.

While construction was proceeding, Brunelleschi designed and built the Pazzi Chapel in the cloister of the church of Santa Croce, which was actually begun in 1442 after long negotiations. The chapel, where members of the Pazzi family were to be entombed, was meant to function as a chapter house for the Franciscans of Santa Croce. Brunelleschi's ribbed hemispherical dome is expressed on the exterior as a low tiled flattened conical roof on a low plain drum with small oculus windows. Inside, under the dome, the chapel is almost a cube, extended by barrel-vaulted bays on two sides. Pilasters and hemicyclic arches articulate the walls. The sedate materials are white stucco and the gray stone Florentines call pietra serena.

Other Architectural Works

The Duomo was not Brunelleschi's sole achievement in architecure; he also designed other famous buildings. The Ospedale degli Innocenti (The foundling children's hospital or orphanage) started 1419 is considered as the first real renaissance building. The hospital, which features a loggia that people could take refuge from the weather under, was built and managed by the silk guild of Florence. Brunelleschi's design, which was based on Classical styles with simple rhythm, held simple ratios in the columns and Roman arches. If a horizontal line is drawn from the top of each column, a square is created out of the height and width of the column and the distance from one column to the next. The diameter of each arch is also the same distance as the height of each square. Above each column is a tondo style, terra cotta sculpture, which were added after Brunelleschi's initial design.

Other Inventions

Brunelleschi designed a vessel to carry loads by river more efficiently, for which he was granted what many view as the first modern patent.Florence gave him the exclusive right to produce any new ways to transport goods by water for three years.

Other major works

Basilica di San Lorenzo di Firenze, started 1419
Santo Spirito, 1434

Reference

King, Ross (2001). Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture. Penguin USA. ISBN 0142000159

External Links

Free audio guide of Brunelleschi's Dome