Brunelleschi
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Filippo di ser Brunellesco di Lippo Lapi (1377 – 15 April 1446), commonly known as Filippo Brunelleschi ( ; ) and also nicknamed Pippo by
Leon Battista Alberti Leon Battista Alberti (; 14 February 1404 – 25 April 1472) was an Italian Renaissance humanist author, artist, architect, poet, Catholic priest, priest, linguistics, linguist, philosopher, and cryptography, cryptographer; he epitomised the natu ...
, was an Italian architect, designer, goldsmith and sculptor. He is considered to be a founding father of
Renaissance architecture Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of Ancient Greece, ancient Greek and ...
. He is recognized as the first modern engineer, planner, and sole construction supervisor. In 1421, Brunelleschi became the first person to receive a patent in the Western world. He is most famous for designing the
dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...
of the
Florence Cathedral Florence Cathedral (), formally the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower ( ), is the cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Florence in Florence, Italy. Commenced in 1296 in the Gothic style to a design of Arnolfo di Cambio and completed b ...
, and for the mathematical technique of linear perspective in art which governed pictorial depictions of space until the late 19th century and influenced the rise of modern science. His accomplishments also include other architectural works, sculpture, mathematics, engineering, and ship design. Most surviving works can be found in
Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...
.


Biography


Early life

Brunelleschi was born in Florence, Italy, in 1377. His father was Brunellesco di Lippo (born ), a notary and civil servant. His mother was Giuliana Spini; he had two brothers. The family was well-off; the palace of the Spini family still exists, across from the Church of Santa Trinità in Florence. The young Filippo was given a literary and mathematical education to enable him to follow the father's career. Being artistically inclined, however, Filippo, at the age of fifteen, was apprenticed as a
goldsmith A goldsmith is a Metalworking, metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Modern goldsmiths mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, they have also made cutlery, silverware, platter (dishware), plat ...
and a sculptor working with cast bronze. In December 1398 he became a master and joined the '' Arte della Seta,'' the wool merchants'
guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular territory. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradespeople belonging to a professional association. They so ...
, the wealthiest and most prestigious guild in the city, which also included jewellers and metal craftsmen.


Sculpture – Competition for the Florence Baptistry doors

Brunelleschi's earliest surviving sculptures are two (or three) small silver sculptures of saints (1399–1400) made for the altar of Saint James in the Crucifix Chapel of Pistoia Cathedral San Zeno. He paused this work for four months in 1400, when he was chosen to simultaneously serve two representative councils of the Florentine government. Around the end of 1400, the city of Florence decided to create a second pair of new sculpted and gilded bronze doors for the
Florence Baptistery The Florence Baptistery, also known as the Baptistery of Saint John (), is a religious building in Florence, Italy. Dedicated to the patron saint of the city, John the Baptist, it has been a focus of religious, civic, and artistic life since its ...
. A competition was held in 1401 for the design, which drew seven competitors, including Brunelleschi and another young sculptor,
Lorenzo Ghiberti Lorenzo Ghiberti (, , ; 1378 – 1 December 1455), born Lorenzo di Bartolo, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor from Florence, a key figure in the Early Renaissance, best known as the creator of two sets of bronze doors of the Florence Baptister ...
. Each sculptor had to produce a single bronze panel, depicting the
Sacrifice of Isaac The Binding of Isaac (), or simply "The Binding" (), is a story from Book of Genesis#Patriarchal age (chapters 12–50), chapter 22 of the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. In the biblical narrative, God in Abrahamic religions, God orders A ...
within a Gothic four-leaf frame. The panels each had to contain Abraham, Isaac, the angel, two other figures as well as a donkey and a sheep imagined by the artists, and had to harmonize in style with the existing doors, created in 1330 by Andrea Pisano. The head of the jury was
Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici ( – February 1429) was an Italian banker and founder of the Medici Bank. While other members of the Medici family, such as Chiarissimo di Giambuono de' Medici, who served in the Signoria of Florence in 1401, and ...
, the founder of the heavily influential Medici dynasty, who became an important
patron Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...
of Brunelleschi. The jury initially praised Ghiberti's panel. When they saw Brunelleschi's work, they were unable to choose between the two and suggested that the two artists collaborate on the project. Brunelleschi refused to forfeit total control of the project, preferring it to be awarded to Ghiberti. This divided public opinion. Brunelleschi would eventually abandon sculpture and devote his attention entirely to architecture and optics, but continued to receive sculpture commissions until at least 1416. File:Filippo Brunelleschi (attr.), san giovanni evangelista, 1400-01 ca. 03-156.jpg, ''St. John the Evangelist,'' Silver Altar of Saint James,
Pistoia Cathedral Pistoia Cathedral, or Cathedral of Saint Zeno ( or ''Cattedrale di San Zeno'') is the main religious building of Pistoia, Tuscany, central Italy, located in the ''Piazza del Duomo'' in the centre of the city. It is the seat of the Bishop of Pist ...
(1399–1400) File:Filippo brunelleschi, Geremia e Isaia, 1400-1401, 00.jpg, ''Jeremiah and Isaiah,'' altarpiece of St. James File:Filippo Brunelleschi, The Sacrifice of Isaac, 1401-2, Bargello, Florence.jpg, ''The Sacrifice of Isaac'', Brunelleschi's competition panel for the Baptistry door in Florence (1401),
Bargello The Bargello, also known as the or ("Palace of the People"), is a former public building and police headquarters, later a prison, in Florence, Italy. Mostly built in the 13th century, since 1865 it has housed the , a national art museum. It ...


Rediscovery of antiquity (1402–1404)

During the Early Renaissance, there was a growing interest in
Ancient Greece Ancient Greece () was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically r ...
and
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
as cultural roots that were to be revived to overcome medieval times, whose art was largely dominated by Byzantine models and foreign
Gothic art Gothic art was a style of medieval art that developed in Northern France out of Romanesque art in the 12th century, led by the concurrent development of Gothic architecture. It spread to all of Western Europe, and much of Northern Europe, Norther ...
from the North. Initially this cultural interest was borne by a few scholars, writers, and philosophers. It later became more influential across the visual arts. In this period (1402–1404), Brunelleschi visited Rome, almost certainly accompanied by his younger friend, the sculptor
Donatello Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi ( – 13 December 1466), known mononymously as Donatello (; ), was an Italian Renaissance sculpture, Italian sculptor of the Renaissance period. Born in Republic of Florence, Florence, he studied classical sc ...
, to study its ancient ruins. Donatello may have been trained as a goldsmith, like Brunelleschi, and is later accounted for working in the studio of Ghiberti. Although the glories of Ancient Rome were a matter of popular discourse at the time, it was a foremost literary interest, and only few people had studied the physical conditions of its architectural ruins in any detail until Brunelleschi and Donatello did so. Brunelleschi's study of classical Roman architecture influenced his building designs including even lighting, the minimization of distinct architectural elements within a building, and the balancing of those elements to homogenize the space. It has been speculated that Brunelleschi developed his system of linear perspective after observing the Roman ruins. However, some historians dispute that he visited Rome then, given the number of projects Brunelleschi had in Florence at the time, the poverty and lack of security in Rome during that period, and the missing evidence of the visit. His first definitively documented stay in Rome was in 1432.


The Foundling Hospital (1419–1445)

Brunelleschi's first architectural commission was the
Ospedale degli Innocenti The (; 'Hospital of the Innocents'), also known in old Tuscan dialect as the , is a historic building in Florence, Italy. It was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, who received the commission in 1419 from the Arte della Seta. It was originally a ...
(1419–c. 1445), or Foundling Hospital, designed as a home for orphans. The Guild of the Silk Merchants owned, funded and managed the hospital. As with many of Brunelleschi's architectural projects, the building was completed after a significant time lapse and with considerable modifications by other architects. He was the official architect until 1427, but he was rarely on site after 1423. The hospital was finished by the Florentine architect in 1445. The major portion created by Brunelleschi was the exterior arcade or
loggia In architecture, a loggia ( , usually , ) is a covered exterior Long gallery, gallery or corridor, often on an upper level, sometimes on the ground level of a building. The corridor is open to the elements because its outer wall is only parti ...
some steps elevated above the pavement of the piazza. Nine semicircular arches on ten slender round columns with composite capitals are flanked by angular fluted
pilasters In architecture, a pilaster is both a load-bearing section of thickened wall or column integrated into a wall, and a purely decorative element in classical architecture which gives the appearance of a supporting column and articulates an ext ...
on the facade. The vaults show no rips. On both ends feigned door frames with typanums decorate the walls. Three doors equally apart from one another open to the interior. This first arcade, with its clear reference to
classical antiquity Classical antiquity, also known as the classical era, classical period, classical age, or simply antiquity, is the period of cultural History of Europe, European history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD comprising the inter ...
in its simple form and decoration, became an established model for numerous Renaissance buildings across Europe. The building's style was dignified and sober, with no displays of fine
marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...
or decorative inlays (The glazed terracotta reliefs in the tondos by Andrea della Robbia were put up not until 1490). Florence, Piazza SS Annunziata with Ospedale degli Innocenti (1419-39) and part of SS Annunziata (1601).jpg, Arcade of the Foundling Hospital (1419–1445) on the Piazza of Santissima Annunziata with its corresponding
portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cu ...
by Giovanni Battista Caccini (1601) File:Spedale degli innocenti, chiostro degli uomini 01 con scultura di tony cragg, stack, 2019-157.jpg, Cloister of Men of the Foundling Hospital (1419–1445) File:Spedale degli innocenti, chiostro degli innocenti, capitello brunelleschiano.jpg, Corinthian column in the cloister
Thereafter Brunelleschi was awarded additional commissions, like the Ridolfi Chapel in the church of San Jacopo sopr'Arno (not surviving), and the Barbadori Chapel in Santa Felicita (since modified). In both projects Brunelleschi devised elements already used in the Ospedale degli Innocenti, and which would also be used in the Pazzi Chapel and the Sagrestia Vecchia. In these first projects he piloted ideas which he would later employ in his most famous work, the dome of the Cathedral of Florence.


Basilica of San Lorenzo (1421–1442)

Brunelleschi undertook the major project of the Basilica of San Lorenzo soon after he had begun the Foundling Hospital. The former cathedral of Florence became again the largest church of the city, through the sponsorship of the Medici family, as their parish church and
mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type o ...
. Numerous architects worked at the church, including
Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6March 147518February 1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was inspir ...
. Brunelleschi designed the central nave, with the two collateral naves on either side (later lined by small chapels), and the Old Sacristy. The first stage of the project was the '' Sagrestia Vecchia,'' the "Old Sacristy", built between 1419 and 1429 southwest of the existing church on the initial rebuildable ground. It houses the tomb of
Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici ( – February 1429) was an Italian banker and founder of the Medici Bank. While other members of the Medici family, such as Chiarissimo di Giambuono de' Medici, who served in the Signoria of Florence in 1401, and ...
and his wife, Piccarda Bueri. The chapel is a cube with a lateral length of about , covered with a hemispheric dome, that is without any decoration beside its twelve ribs that converge in an oculus, and the oculi of the arched tambour, which serve as light source. A level of ornamental
entablature An entablature (; nativization of Italian , from "in" and "table") is the superstructure of moldings and bands which lies horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and ...
s divides the vertical space into two parts, and fluted
pilaster In architecture, a pilaster is both a load-bearing section of thickened wall or column integrated into a wall, and a purely decorative element in classical architecture which gives the appearance of a supporting column and articulates an ext ...
s at the edges structure the walls. By using classical elements in an innovative way, the interior established itself as a standard in
Renaissance architecture Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of Ancient Greece, ancient Greek and ...
. In the church itself, slender columns with
Corinthian capital The Corinthian order (, ''Korinthiakós rythmós''; ) is the last developed and most ornate of the three principal classical orders of Ancient Greek architecture and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric order, which was the earliest, ...
s along the nave replace the former massive pillars. Instead of traditional vaults a
coffered ceiling A coffer (or coffering) in architecture is a series of sunken panels in the shape of a square, rectangle, or octagon in a ceiling, soffit or vault. A series of these sunken panels was often used as decoration for a ceiling or a vault, also ...
of square compartments with delicately gilded trim covers the central nave. Its height is realized by a second story pierced by upright arched windows. Oculi above each chapel bridge the difference in height to the side aisles. The new interior projected an impression of harmony and balance. Brunelleschi used white walls in the Old Sacristy, which became a common element of Renaissance architecture.
Leon Battista Alberti Leon Battista Alberti (; 14 February 1404 – 25 April 1472) was an Italian Renaissance humanist author, artist, architect, poet, Catholic priest, priest, linguistics, linguist, philosopher, and cryptography, cryptographer; he epitomised the natu ...
, who wrote the standard text on architecture of the time (1452), argued that, according to prominent classical authors like
Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, orator, writer and Academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises tha ...
and
Plato Plato ( ; Greek language, Greek: , ; born  BC, died 348/347 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical Greece, Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the writte ...
, white was the only color suitable for a temple or church and praised "the purity and simplicity of the color, like that of life." File:Basilica di San Lorenzo, looking toward the altar.jpg, Nave of the Basilica of San Lorenzo (1425–1442) File:Firenze, san lorenzo, interno, navata centrale, capitello brunelleschiano con pulvino.jpg, San Lorenzo,
capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...
and elaborated impost of a column in the nave File:Sagrestia vecchia, veduta 00.jpg, View of the Old Sacristy (''Sagrestia vecchia'') File:Sagrestia vecchia, volta 02.JPG, Vault of the Old Sacristy


Florence Cathedral dome (1420–1461)

Santa Maria del Fiore was the cathedral and symbol of Florence, which had been begun in 1296. After the death of the first architect,
Arnolfo di Cambio Arnolfo di Cambio ( – 1300/1310) was an Italian architect and sculptor of the Duecento, who began as a lead assistant to Nicola Pisano. He is documented as being ''capomaestro'' or Head of Works for Florence Cathedral in 1300, and designed th ...
, work was interrupted for fifty years. The ''
campanile A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell to ...
'', or bell tower, was begun by
Giotto Giotto di Bondone (; – January 8, 1337), known mononymously as Giotto, was an List of Italian painters, Italian painter and architect from Florence during the Late Middle Ages. He worked during the International Gothic, Gothic and Italian Ren ...
soon after 1330. Between 1334 and 1366 a committee of architects and painters made a plan of a proposed ', and the constructors were sworn to follow the plan. The proposed dome from the base to the lantern on top was more than high, and the octagonal base was almost in diameter. It was larger than the dome of the ancient Pantheon, or any other dome in Europe, and no dome of that size had been built since antiquity. A competition was held in 1418 to select the builder, and other competitors included his old rival Ghiberti. It was won by Brunelleschi, with the help of a brick scale model of the dome made for him by his friend the sculptor
Donatello Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi ( – 13 December 1466), known mononymously as Donatello (; ), was an Italian Renaissance sculpture, Italian sculptor of the Renaissance period. Born in Republic of Florence, Florence, he studied classical sc ...
. Since
buttresses A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall. Buttresses are fairly common on more ancient (typically Gothic) buildings, as a means of providing support to act a ...
were forbidden by the city fathers, and because obtaining rafters for
scaffolding Scaffolding, also called scaffold or staging, is a temporary structure used to support a work crew and materials to aid in the construction, maintenance and repair of buildings, bridges and all other human-made structures. Scaffolds are widely u ...
long and strong enough (and in sufficient quantity) for the task was impossible, how a dome of that size could be constructed without its collapsing under its own weight was unclear. Furthermore, the stresses of compression were not clearly understood, and the
mortars Mortar may refer to: * Mortar (weapon), an indirect-fire infantry weapon * Mortar (masonry), a material used to fill the gaps between blocks and bind them together * Mortar and pestle, a tool pair used to crush or grind * Mortar, Bihar, a village i ...
used in the period would set only after several days, keeping the strain on the scaffolding for a long time. The work on the dome (built 1420–1436), the lantern (built 1446–c. 1461) and the
exedra An exedra (: exedras or exedrae) is a semicircular architecture, architectural recess or platform, sometimes crowned by a semi-dome, and either set into a building's façade or free-standing. The original Greek word ''ἐξέδρα'' ('a seat ou ...
(built 1439–1445) occupied most of the remainder of Brunelleschi's life. Brunelleschi's success can be attributed to his technical and mathematical genius. More than four million bricks were used in the construction of the octagonal dome. Notably, Brunelleschi left behind no building plans or diagrams detailing the dome's structure; scholars surmise that he constructed the dome as though it were hemispherical, which would have allowed the dome to support itself. Brunelleschi constructed two domes, one within the other, a practice that would later be followed by all the successive major domes, including those of
Les Invalides The Hôtel des Invalides (; ), commonly called (; ), is a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and an old soldi ...
in Paris and the
United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called the Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the Seat of government, seat of the United States Congress, the United States Congress, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, federal g ...
in Washington. The outer dome protected the inner shell from the rain and allowed a higher and more majestic form. The frame of the dome is composed of twenty-eight horizontal and vertical marble ribs, or ', eight of which are visible on the outside. The visible ones are largely decorative, since the outer dome is supported by the structure of the inner dome. A narrow stairway runs upward between the two shells to the lantern at the top. Older examples of double-shelled domes include the 50 meter tall
Dome of Soltaniyeh The Dome of Soltaniyeh (; ) — variously called the mausoleum of Oljaytu, Tomb of Uljaytu, or Soltaniya complex, among other designations — is an historic mausoleum and monument complex, located in Soltaniyeh city, in the province of Zanjan p ...
and the
Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi The Mausoleum of Khawaja Ahmed Yasawi () is a mausoleum in the city of Turkistan (city), Turkestan, in southern Kazakhstan. The structure was commissioned in 1389 by Timur, who ruled the area as part of the expansive Timurid Empire, to replace a ...
. Brunelleschi invented a new hoisting machine for raising the masonry needed for the dome, a task no doubt inspired by republication of
Vitruvius Vitruvius ( ; ; –70 BC – after ) was a Roman architect and engineer during the 1st century BC, known for his multi-volume work titled . As the only treatise on architecture to survive from antiquity, it has been regarded since the Renaissan ...
' ''
De architectura (''On architecture'', published as ''Ten Books on Architecture'') is a treatise on architecture written by the Ancient Rome, Roman architect and military engineer Vitruvius, Marcus Vitruvius Pollio and dedicated to his patron, the emperor Caesa ...
'', which describes Roman machines used in the first century AD to build large structures such as the Pantheon and the
Baths of Diocletian The Baths of Diocletian (Latin: ''Thermae Diocletiani'', Italian: ''Terme di Diocleziano'') were public baths in ancient Rome. Named after emperor Diocletian and built from AD 298 to 306, they were the largest of the imperial baths. The project w ...
, structures still standing, which he could have seen for himself. This hoisting machine would be admired by Leonardo da Vinci years later. The strength of the dome was improved by the wooden and sandstone chains invented by Brunelleschi, which acted like tensioning rings around the base of the dome and reduced the need for flying buttresses, so popular in Gothic architecture. The herringbone brick-laying pattern (''
Opus spicatum ''Opus spicatum'', literally "spiked work," is a type of masonry construction used in Roman architecture, Roman and medieval architecture, medieval times. It consists of bricks, tiles or cut Rock (geology), stone laid in a brickwork#Herringbone b ...
''), which Brunelleschi may have seen in Rome, was also seemingly forgotten in Europe before the construction of the dome. Brunelleschi kept his workers up in the building during their breaks and brought food and diluted wine, similar to that given to pregnant women at the time, up to them. He felt the trip up and down the hundreds of stairs would exhaust them and reduce their productivity. Once the dome was completed, a new competition was held in 1436 for the decorative lantern on top of the dome, once again, among others, against his old rival Ghiberti. Brunelleschi won the competition and designed the structure and built the base for the lantern, but he did not live long enough to see its final installation atop the dome. In 1438 Brunelleschi designed his last contribution to the cathedral; four hemispherical
exedra An exedra (: exedras or exedrae) is a semicircular architecture, architectural recess or platform, sometimes crowned by a semi-dome, and either set into a building's façade or free-standing. The original Greek word ''ἐξέδρα'' ('a seat ou ...
, or small half-domes, following a Roman model, set against the
drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a ...
, the upright base of the main dome. The four small domes were altered and arranged to appear like a stairway of domes mounting upward. They were purely decorative and were enriched with horizontal
entablature An entablature (; nativization of Italian , from "in" and "table") is the superstructure of moldings and bands which lies horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and ...
s and vertical
arch An arch is a curved vertical structure spanning an open space underneath it. Arches may support the load above them, or they may perform a purely decorative role. As a decorative element, the arch dates back to the 4th millennium BC, but stru ...
es,
pilaster In architecture, a pilaster is both a load-bearing section of thickened wall or column integrated into a wall, and a purely decorative element in classical architecture which gives the appearance of a supporting column and articulates an ext ...
s, and double
column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member ...
s. The technological advancements of
gunpowder Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, charcoal (which is mostly carbon), and potassium nitrate, potassium ni ...
and portable
cannon A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during th ...
s required a new system of
fortification A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...
which led to further development of the double shelled dome. Their architectural elements inspired later
High Renaissance In art history, the High Renaissance was a short period of the most exceptional artistic production in the Italian states, particularly Rome, capital of the Papal States, and in Florence, during the Italian Renaissance. Most art historians stat ...
architecture, including the Tempietto of St. Peter built at Montorio by
Bramante Donato Bramante (1444 – 11 April 1514), born as Donato di Pascuccio d'Antonio and also known as Bramante Lazzari, was an Italian architect and painter. He introduced Renaissance architecture to Milan and the High Renaissance style to Rom ...
(1502). A similar structure appears in the painting of an
ideal city In urban design, an ideal city is the concept of a City planning, plan for a city that has been conceived in accordance with a particular rational or moral objective. Concept The "ideal" nature of such a city may encompass the moral, Spiritua ...
attributed to
Piero della Francesca Piero della Francesca ( , ; ; ; – 12 October 1492) was an Italian Renaissance painter, Italian painter, mathematician and List of geometers, geometer of the Early Renaissance, nowadays chiefly appreciated for his art. His painting is charact ...
at
Urbino Urbino ( , ; Romagnol: ''Urbìn'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Italy, Italian region of Marche, southwest of Pesaro, a World Heritage Site notable for a remarkable historical legacy of independent Renaissance culture, especially und ...
(about 1475). The new designs fulfilled the need for the architectural expression for the status of ruling kings and princes while the strong dome structure symbolized the protection of their interests and bloodline. File:Florence duomo fc10.jpg, Dome of the Cathedral File:Brunelleshi-and-Duomo-of-Florence.png, Plan of the dome, showing the inner and outer shells File:System of the dome, Florence Cathedral (Character of Renaissance Architecture).png, Interior structure of the dome


Pazzi Chapel (1430–1444)

The Pazzi Chapel in Florence was commissioned in about 1429 by Andrea
Pazzi The Pazzi were a powerful family in the Republic of Florence. Their main trade during the fifteenth century was banking. In the aftermath of the Pazzi conspiracy in 1478, members of the family were banished from Florence and their property was ...
to serve as the
chapter house A chapter house or chapterhouse is a building or room that is part of a cathedral, monastery or collegiate church in which meetings are held. When attached to a cathedral, the cathedral chapter meets there. In monasteries, the whole communi ...
, or meeting place of the monks of the Monastery of Santa Croce. Like nearly all of his works, the actual construction was delayed, beginning only in 1442, and the interior was not finished until 1444. The building was completed twenty years after his death, in about 1469, including some of the details, such as the
lantern A lantern is a source of lighting, often portable. It typically features a protective enclosure for the light sourcehistorically usually a candle, a oil lamp, wick in oil, or a thermoluminescence, thermoluminescent Gas mantle, mesh, and often a ...
on top of the dome. The
portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cu ...
of the chapel is especially notable for its fine proportions, simplicity, and harmony. Its centerpiece is a sort of arch of triumph. Its six columns support an
entablature An entablature (; nativization of Italian , from "in" and "table") is the superstructure of moldings and bands which lies horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and ...
with sculpted tondos, an upper level divided by pilasters and a central arch, and another band of sculpted entablature at the top, below a terrace and the simple ''cupola''. The interior space is framed by arches, entablatures, and pilasters, all in local '' pietra serena''. The floor is also divided into geometric sections. Light comes downward from the circular windows of the dome, and changes throughout the day. The interior is given touches of color by circular blue and white glazed
terracotta Terracotta, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta (; ; ), is a clay-based non-vitreous ceramic OED, "Terracotta""Terracotta" MFA Boston, "Cameo" database fired at relatively low temperatures. It is therefore a term used for earthenware obj ...
relief Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...
s by Luca Della Robbia. The architecture of the chapel is based on an arrangement of rectangles, rather than squares, which makes it appear slightly less balanced than the Old Sacristy of San Lorenzo. File:S. croce, cappella dei pazzi.JPG, Facade of the Pazzi Chapel File:Plan of the chapel of the Pazzi (Character of Renaissance Architecture).png, Plan of the Pazzi Chapel File:Pazzi Chapel Florence Apr 2008.jpg, Interior of the Pazzi Chapel with
relief Relief is a sculpture, sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''wikt:relief, relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give ...
s in tondos by Luca Della Robbia


Santa Maria degli Angeli (1434–1437)

Santa Maria degli Angeli was an unfinished project by Brunelleschi which introduced a revolutionary concept in Renaissance architecture. Churches since the Romanesque and Gothic periods were traditionally in the form of a cross, with the altar in the crossing, a central chapel or an
apse In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical Vault (architecture), vault or semi-dome, also known as an ' ...
. Santa Maria deli Angeli was designed as a rotunda in an
octagon In geometry, an octagon () is an eight-sided polygon or 8-gon. A '' regular octagon'' has Schläfli symbol and can also be constructed as a quasiregular truncated square, t, which alternates two types of edges. A truncated octagon, t is a ...
al shape, with each side containing a chapel, and the altar in the center. The financing of the church came from the legacy of two Florentine merchants, Matteo and Andrea Scolari, and construction commenced in 1434. However, in 1437, the money for the church was seized by the Florentine government to help finance a war against the neighboring city of
Lucca Città di Lucca ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its Province of Lucca, province has a population of 383,9 ...
. The structure, which had reached a height of , was never completed as Brunelleschi designed it. The completed part was later integrated into a later church of a different design. The plans and model of Brunelleschi's church are lost, and it is known only from an illustration in the ''Codex Rustici'' from 1450, and from drawings of other architects.
Leon Battista Alberti Leon Battista Alberti (; 14 February 1404 – 25 April 1472) was an Italian Renaissance humanist author, artist, architect, poet, Catholic priest, priest, linguistics, linguist, philosopher, and cryptography, cryptographer; he epitomised the natu ...
, in his ''
De re aedificatoria (''On the Art of Building'') is a classic architectural treatise written by Leon Battista Alberti between 1443 and 1452. Although largely dependent on Vitruvius's , it was the first theoretical book on the subject written in the Italian Renais ...
'', the first major treatise on Renaissance architecture, written around 1450 and
printed Printing is a process for mass reproducing text and Printmaking, images using a master form or template. The earliest non-paper products involving printing include cylinder seals and objects such as the Cyrus Cylinder and the Cylinders of Nabon ...
in 1485, hailed the design as the "first complete plan of a Renaissance church."
Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 - 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested o ...
visited Florence in about 1490, studied Brunelleschi's churches and plans, and sketched a plan for a similar octagonal church with radiating chapels in his notebooks. It reached its fruition on an even larger scale in the 16th century.
Donato Bramante Donato Bramante (1444 – 11 April 1514), born as Donato di Pascuccio d'Antonio and also known as Bramante Lazzari, was an Italian architect and painter. He introduced Renaissance architecture to Milan and the High Renaissance style to Rom ...
proposed a similar central plan with radiating chapels for his Tempieto, and later, on an even larger scale, in his plan for
Saint Peter's Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican (), or simply St. Peter's Basilica (; ), is a church of the Italian Renaissance architecture, Italian High Renaissance located in Vatican City, an independent microstate enclaved within the cit ...
(1485–1514). The central plan was finally realized, with some modifications, beginning in 1547, in Saint Peter's by Michelangelo and its deviating completion by Carlo Maderna. File:Codice rustici, santa maria degli angeli.jpg, 1450 ''Codex Rustici'' drawing showing Brunelleschi's proposed octagonal church (lower right) File:Rotonda del brunelleschi 12.JPG, Brunelleschi's rotunda from Santa Maria degli Angeli. Only the lower wall remains of his original design. File:Angeli 11.png, Plan of the rotunda of Santa Maria degli Angeli File:Basilica di San Pietro - Schema progetto di Michelangelo a confronto con la situazione attuale - Disegno di Etienne -Li-.PNG, Michelangelo's plan for
Saint Peter's Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican (), or simply St. Peter's Basilica (; ), is a church of the Italian Renaissance architecture, Italian High Renaissance located in Vatican City, an independent microstate enclaved within the cit ...
, Rome (1546), superimposed on the earlier plan by Bramante


Basilica of Santo Spirito (1434–1466)

The Basilica of Santo Spirito in Florence was his last major commission, which, characteristically, he carried out in parallel with his other works. Though he began designing in 1434, construction did not begin until 1436, and continued beyond his lifetime. The columns for the facade were delivered in 1446, ten days before his death. The facade was finally completed in 1482, and then was modified in the 18th century. The bell tower is also a later addition. Santo Spirito is an example of the mathematical proportion and harmony of Brunelleschi's work. The church is in the form of a cross. The choir, the two arms of the transept, and the space in the center of the transept are composed of squares exactly the same size. The continuation of the nave contains four more identical squares (The half-square at the end is a later addition). The length of the transept is exactly half of the total length of the nave. Each square of the lower collateral naves is one-quarter the size of the squares in the principal nave. The side aisles are lined with thirty-eight small chapels, which were later fitted with altars decorated with devotional art works. The vertical plan is also perfectly in proportion; the height of the central nave is exactly twice its width, and the height of the collateral naves on either side are exactly twice their width. Other aspects of his original plan, however, were modified after his death. The main aisle of the nave, lined by columns with Corinthian capitals, is topped by a row of semicircular moulded arches. His original plan called the ceiling of the nave to be composed of a
barrel vault A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault, wagon vault or wagonhead vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve (or pair of curves, in the case of a pointed barrel vault) along a given distance. The curves are ...
, which would have echoed the collateral naves, but this was also changed after his death to the flat coffered ceiling. Little remains of the exterior walls that he had planned. They were unfinished at his death and were covered with a facade in
Baroque style The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from the early 17th century until the 1750s. It followed Renaissance art and Mannerism and preceded the Rococo (i ...
. File:Santo Spirito, inside 1.JPG, Central nave of Santo Spirito File:Santo Spirito Grundriss Brunelleschi Filippo Florenz I 8c100589.jpeg, Brunelleschi's plan of Santo Spirito File:Santo Spirito, sagrestia di giuliano da sangallo, capitelli 02.JPG, Detail of the classical pilasters of the sacristy


Accomplishments


Linear perspective

Besides his accomplishments in architecture, Brunelleschi is also credited as the first person to describe a precise system of linear perspective. This revolutionized painting opening the way for the naturalistic styles from Renaissance art until the 19th century. He systematically studied why and how objects, buildings, and landscapes changed their shape and lines appeared to converged when seen from a distance or from different angles. According to his early biographers Antonio Manetti (and
Giorgio Vasari Giorgio Vasari (30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance painter, architect, art historian, and biographer who is best known for his work ''Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects'', considered the ideol ...
took it from him), Brunelleschi conducted experiments between 1415 and 1420, including making paintings with perspectives of the
Florence Baptistery The Florence Baptistery, also known as the Baptistery of Saint John (), is a religious building in Florence, Italy. Dedicated to the patron saint of the city, John the Baptist, it has been a focus of religious, civic, and artistic life since its ...
viewed from the entrance of the Cathedral, and the
Palazzo Vecchio The ( "Old Palace") is the town hall of Florence, Italy. It overlooks the , which holds a copy of Michelangelo's ''David'' statue, and the gallery of statues in the adjacent Loggia dei Lanzi. Originally called the ''Palazzo della Signoria'', a ...
, seen obliquely from its northwest corner on
Piazza della Signoria () is a w-shaped Town Square, square in front of the in Florence, Central Italy. It was named after the Palazzo della Signoria, also called . It is the main point of the origin and history of the Florentine Republic and still maintains its reput ...
. According to Manetti, he used a grid to guide the drawing of the scene square by square and produced a reverse image. He geometrically calculated a scale for the objects in the drawing to make them appear accurately, thus discovering a system to represent three dimensional objects on a two-dimensional surface. The results were compositions with accurate perspective, as seen through a mirror. To compare the truthfullness of his image with the real object, he made a small hole in his painting, and had an observer look through the back of the painting to observe the scene. A mirror was then raised, reflecting Brunelleschi's composition, and the observer saw the striking similarity between the reality and painting. Both panels have since been lost. Brunelleschi's studies on perspective were extended by
Leon Battista Alberti Leon Battista Alberti (; 14 February 1404 – 25 April 1472) was an Italian Renaissance humanist author, artist, architect, poet, Catholic priest, priest, linguistics, linguist, philosopher, and cryptography, cryptographer; he epitomised the natu ...
,
Piero della Francesca Piero della Francesca ( , ; ; ; – 12 October 1492) was an Italian Renaissance painter, Italian painter, mathematician and List of geometers, geometer of the Early Renaissance, nowadays chiefly appreciated for his art. His painting is charact ...
and
Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 - 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested o ...
. Following the rules of perspective studied by Brunelleschi and the others, artists could paint imaginary landscapes and scenes with accurate three-dimensional perspective and realism. The most important treatise on painting of the Renaissance, ''Della pittura'' by Alberti, was published in 1436 and dedicated to "Pippo" Brunelleschi, whose experiment Alberti described in its third book. The painting of '' The Holy Trinity'' by
Masaccio Masaccio (, ; ; December 21, 1401 – summer 1428), born Tommaso di Ser Giovanni di Simone, was a Florentine artist who is regarded as the first great List of Italian painters, Italian painter of the Quattrocento period of the Italian Renaiss ...
(1425–1427) in the church of Santa Maria Novella, Florence, is a renowned early example of the new technique, which accurately created the illusion of a three-dimensional space and also adopted, in painting, Brunelleschi's architectural style. This established the standard method for artists (working on two-dimensional surfaces like paper or canvas) until the 19th century. File:Masaccio, Holy Trinity, 1425-28, Santa Maria Novella, Florence.jpg, ''The Holy Trinity'' (upper part) by
Masaccio Masaccio (, ; ; December 21, 1401 – summer 1428), born Tommaso di Ser Giovanni di Simone, was a Florentine artist who is regarded as the first great List of Italian painters, Italian painter of the Quattrocento period of the Italian Renaiss ...
(1425–1427) used Brunelleschi's system of perspective File:Brunelleschi's perspective experiment.jpg, Diagram of Brunelleschi's experiment in perspective Entrega de las llaves a San Pedro (Perugino).jpg, '' The Delivery of the Keys,'' fresco by
Perugino Pietro Perugino ( ; ; born Pietro Vannucci or Pietro Vanucci; – 1523), an Italian Renaissance painter of the Umbrian school, developed some of the qualities that found classic expression in the High Renaissance. Raphael became his most famous ...
in the
Sistine Chapel The Sistine Chapel ( ; ; ) is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the pope's official residence in Vatican City. Originally known as the ''Cappella Magna'' ('Great Chapel'), it takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who had it built between 1473 and ...
(1481–1482), features both linear perspective and Brunelleschi's architectural style


An innovative boat

In 1421, Brunelleschi was granted what is thought to be one of the first modern patents for his invention of a river transport vessel that was said to "bring in any merchandise and load on the river Arno etc for less money than usual, and with several other benefits."Griset, Pascal (2013
The European Patent http://documents.epo.org/projects/babylon/eponet.nsf/0/8DA7803E961C87BBC1257F480049A68B/$File/european_patent_book_en.pdf
/ref> It was intended to be used to transport marble. In the history of patent law, Brunelleschi is, therefore, accorded a special place. In cultural and political terms, the granting of the patent was part of Brunelleschi's attempt to operate as a creative and commercial individual outside the constraints of the guilds and their monopolies. He was also active in shipbuilding. In 1427 he built a large boat named ''Il Badalone'' to transport marble to Florence from Pisa up the River Arno. The ship sank on its maiden voyage, along with a sizable portion of Brunelleschi's personal fortune.


Other activities

Brunelleschi's interests extended to mathematics and engineering and the study of ancient monuments. He designed
hydraulic machinery Hydraulic machines use liquid fluid power to perform work. Heavy construction vehicles are a common example. In this type of machine, hydraulic fluid is pumped to various hydraulic motors and hydraulic cylinders throughout the machine a ...
and elaborate clockworks, none of which survive. Brunelleschi designed machinery for use in churches during theatrical religious performances that re-enacted Biblical miracle stories. Contrivances were created by which characters and angels were made to fly through the air in the midst of spectacular explosions of light and fireworks. These events took place during state and ecclesiastical visits. It is not known for certain how many of these projects Brunelleschi designed, but at least one, for the church of San Felice, is confirmed in the records. Brunelleschi also designed fortifications used by Florence in its military confrontations with
Pisa Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for the Leaning Tow ...
and
Siena Siena ( , ; traditionally spelled Sienna in English; ) is a city in Tuscany, in central Italy, and the capital of the province of Siena. It is the twelfth most populated city in the region by number of inhabitants, with a population of 52,991 ...
. In 1424, he worked in Lastra a Signa, a village protecting the route to Pisa, and in 1431, in the south of Italy at the walls of the village of Staggia. These walls are still preserved, but their attribution to Brunelleschi is uncertain. His works involved sometimes urban planning; he strategically positioned several of his buildings in relation to the nearby squares and streets to increase their visibility. For example, demolitions in front of San Lorenzo were approved in 1433 to create a piazza facing the church. At Santo Spirito, he suggested that the façade be turned either towards the Arno so travellers would see it, or to the north, to face a large piazza.


Personal life

Brunelleschi did not have children of his own, but in 1415, he adopted Andrea di Lazzaro Cavalcanti, who took the name Il Buggiano, after his birthplace. He was Brunelleschi's sole heir. Brunelleschi was a member of the guild of silk merchants, which included jewelers and goldsmiths, but not of the guild of stone and wood masters, which included architects. In 1434, he was arrested at the request of the guild of masters of stone and wood for practicing his trade illegally. He was quickly released, and the stone and wood masters were charged with false imprisonment.


Location of remains

Brunelleschi's body lies in the crypt of the Cathedral of Florence. Antonio Manetti, who knew Brunelleschi and wrote his biography that Brunelleschi "was granted such honours as to be buried in the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, and with a marble bust, which was said to be carved from life, and placed there in perpetual memory with such a splendid
epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...
." Inside the cathedral entrance is this epitaph: "Both the magnificent dome of this famous church and many other devices invented by Filippo the architect, bear witness to his superb skills. Therefore, in tribute to his exceptional talents, a grateful country that will always remember him buries him here in the soil below." A statue of Brunelleschi, looking up at his dome, was later placed in the square in front of the cathedral.


Fictional depictions

In 2016, Brunelleschi was played by
Alessandro Preziosi Alessandro Preziosi (born 19 April 1973) is an Italian actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of th ...
in the 2016 television series '' Medici: Masters of Florence''. Brunelleschi was portrayed by John Rowe in a 1995 audio drama by Jean Binnie titled ''Battle for the Dome'', which was produced by
BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
in 2025.


Principal works

The principal buildings and works designed by Brunelleschi or which included his involvement, all situated in Florence: * Dome of the
Florence Cathedral Florence Cathedral (), formally the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower ( ), is the cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Florence in Florence, Italy. Commenced in 1296 in the Gothic style to a design of Arnolfo di Cambio and completed b ...
(1419–1436) *
Ospedale degli Innocenti The (; 'Hospital of the Innocents'), also known in old Tuscan dialect as the , is a historic building in Florence, Italy. It was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, who received the commission in 1419 from the Arte della Seta. It was originally a ...
(1419–ca.1445) * The Basilica of San Lorenzo (1419–1480s) * Meeting Hall of the Palazzo di Parte Guelfa (1420s–1445) * Sagrestia Vecchia, or Old Sacristy of S. Lorenzo (1421–1440) * Santa Maria degli Angeli: unfinished, (begun 1434) * The
lantern A lantern is a source of lighting, often portable. It typically features a protective enclosure for the light sourcehistorically usually a candle, a oil lamp, wick in oil, or a thermoluminescence, thermoluminescent Gas mantle, mesh, and often a ...
of Florence Cathedral (1436–ca.1450) * The
exedra An exedra (: exedras or exedrae) is a semicircular architecture, architectural recess or platform, sometimes crowned by a semi-dome, and either set into a building's façade or free-standing. The original Greek word ''ἐξέδρα'' ('a seat ou ...
e of Florence Cathedral (1439–1445) * The church of Santo Spirito (1441–1481) * Pazzi Chapel (1441–1460s) File:Vicopisano, rocca del brunelleschi 03.JPG, Brunelleschi designed the Rocca di Vicopisano File:Palazzo Lenzi, Piazza Ognissanti, Florence, 1470, attr. to Brunelleschi, sgrafitti by Andrea Feltrini.jpg, Palazzo Lenzi, Piazza Ognissanti, Florence, 1470, attributed to Brunelleschi, sgrafitti by Andrea Feltrini


See also

* Egg of Columbus * Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli


Footnotes


Citations


Bibliography

*Coonin, A. Victor, ''Donatello and the Dawn of Renaissance Art'', 2019, Reaktion Books, * *


Further reading

* * * * * * * * * * *
in line presentation
) * * Vereycken, Karel

'' Schiller Institute'', 2013. (Translation from the French
"Les secrets du dôme de Florence"
la revue ''Fusion'', n° 96, Mai, Juin 2003)
"The Great Cathedral Mystery"
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
''
Nova A nova ( novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. All observed novae involve white ...
'' TV documentary, February 12, 2014


External links


Filippo Brunelleschi: Life & Main Works


*
Works
a
Open Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brunelleschi, Filippo Filippo Brunelleschi Italian Renaissance architects Italian civil engineers 1377 births 1446 deaths Architects of cathedrals Architects from Florence 14th-century people from the Republic of Florence 15th-century people from the Republic of Florence Italian Roman Catholics History of patent law 15th-century Italian engineers 15th-century Italian architects 15th-century Italian sculptors Architects of Roman Catholic churches Catholic sculptors