The Story of the Cupola del Brunelleschi
Before going into the details of the Cupola, it would be useful to take a brief look into the life in Italy in 1400’s, and the effects of the Renaissance.
Renaissance refers to the period between 1400–1600, a period mostly associated with Italy. It can be determined as a movement related to the arts and intellectual activities but also comprises the scientific studies. The world itself means ‘Rebirth’, meaning the rebirth of the ancient knowledge. The intellectuals of the period turned back to classical texts in order to expand them with their own techniques. When we talk about the great artists of the period, for example Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci, we see that these people can’t be called just artists as in today’s context. Because they were experts on many different areas such as anatomy and science. The term ‘Renaissance Man’ explains the archetype of the period; a person of broad talents and expertise.[1]
In 1400’s Italy was divided in small states, many of them were ‘Signorie’ meaning the territories rule by one Signore, usually the father of the richest and noble family of the city. Florence, at that time was one of the greatest city states of Italy, ruled by the well-known Medici family. Medici’s were also called as patrons for the arts and architecture. Patronage was a way of sponsorship in that time, the patron refers to the person who is paying for the creation of the artwork or the building. Before the Renaissance, artists were seen as craftsman, with the help of the patrons they upgraded to a new social status.
Filippo Brunelleschi, was born in Florence in 1377, into a wealthy family; his father was a notary and civic servant. In order to follow his father’s footsteps, Brunelleschi was given a literary and mathematical education. He was able to become an important figure in politics but he chose to be a craftsmen. At the time there were guilds in Florence which were able to control the arts and trades in the city. The Guilds were divided in three groups; Arti Maggiori, Arti Mediane and Arti Minori. Brunelleschi joined The Arte della Seta (silk merchants guild) guild at the age of 22, which was in the group of Arti Maggiori, the most prestigious guild in the city. At the age of 21, he became a master of goldsmith.[2]
At that time, the controllers and the patrons of the city were organising competitions to choose the artworks and buildings to be a part of the public sphere. In the competition for the design of the Doors of the Florence Baptistery, the jury couldn’t choose between Lorenzo Ghiberti (another young great artist of the time, known as the rival of Brunelleschi) and Filippo Brunelleschi. The jury suggested them to collaborate, Brunelleschi refused to be a part of it and left the award to the Ghiberti. Some historians say that this event was a turning point in the professional life of Brunelleschi.
In 1401, Brunelleschi met Donatello one of the greatest sculptors of arts history. After few years, Donatello and Brunelleschi visited Rome to study ruins. As a living example of Renaissance movement these two artists wanted to learn about the techniques used by their ancestors.
Another turning point for Brunelleschi was the Dome of the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral. The cathedral was and still the symbol of the Florence. The construction had been begun in 1296. Because of the death of the first architect the work was interrupt for fifty years. The main problem in the building process was the dome, it was larger than any other dome in Europe. In 1408 Brunelleschi won the competition with a brick scale model. Other than inventing a new way to build a dome, Brunelleschi designed machines for the constructors too.
From my opinion, the capability of Brunelleschi to solve the biggest challenge of that time can’t be explained just by his genius. We should also consider the effect of Renaissance movement on his life; interest in ancient methodologies and curiosity for different expertise. More than being one of the great architects of the period, I think he was also a great example of Renaissance Man.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filippo_Brunelleschi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guilds_of_Florence
https://www.bolles.org/uploaded/PDFs/academics/AP_AP/APEuro7._Social_Change_and_Continuity.pdf
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/Il-Duomo
https://duomo.firenze.it/en/discover/dome
https://www.learner.org/series/renaissance/
Letteratura Italiana per Stranier — Paolo E.Balboni, Anna Biguzzi
Khan Academy — Sculpture and Architecture in Central Italy
