Mackenzie Broughton

Professor Spencer, Art History

8. October 2015
Filippo Brunelleschis Dome Of Florence Cathedral Is A Work Of Genius
When people think of geniuses they think of people like Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Steve
Jobs, and the list goes on. However what defines them as geniuses? Is it what they have created or
accomplished, or is it that they just seem to have all the answers. I believe a genius is someone
with all of those qualities, someone who surpasses the level of thinking of their time to do
something great. One person I absolutely believe has done all of that is Filippo Brunelleschi.
Brunelleschi has had many great works in his lifetime but the one that seems to have surpasses
them all is his Dome Of the Florence Cathedral. Brunelleschis dome is still today one of the
greatest mysteries, he has historians and engineers from all around the world trying to figure out
how he did it with the little technology from the 14 hundreds. I believe Brunelleschis dome is a
work of architectural geniuses not only because he surpassed the level of thinking of his time and
still has scholars baffled at his work, but also because he engineered new ideas and turned them
into the one of the greatest spectacles the world has ever seen.
Filippo Brunelleschi was originally trained as a goldsmith then quickly transitioned into an
architect after he went to Rome to study ancient roman sculpture and architecture. It was on his
way back home to Florence when he came across the dilemma at the cathedral. For many years
the Florence Cathedral had a 150foot open space in it allowing the elements in. The Florentine
fathers then announced that they would have a contest to see who could come up with the best
idea for the dome. Brunelleschi proposed a crazy idea to have two domes one inside the other

without any expensive or elaborate scaffolding. They were intrigued but unsure because
Brunelleschi didnt want to show them how he would do it, he feared someone would steal his
work. One year later the overseers of the dome agreed to let Brunelleschi start his what seemed
impossible task.
Brunelleschi began his work on the dome in 1420. He was immediately faced with criticism and
doubtfulness. However the Florentine people just sat and watched as dome kept going up each
day without collapsing. The people were so skeptical about the dome because in that time in
history nothing like what he proposed has ever been done before. As Brunelleschi kept working
the people were in awe, they wanted to know how this was being done but he didnt tell many
people and got rid of all of his notes so nobody could ever find out. Scholars today are still trying
to figure out what he did and it is believed he used two crucial methods to create the dome. One
method he used was the arrangement of how he laid the bricks called the Spina Pesce or in
English called the Herringbone design. This design was so untested he had to really convince the
cathedral and workers to let him use it. The Herringbone bone design is laying bricks horizontally
then interrupted by other bricks set vertically so they sig sag.
However by just using the herringbone method the dome wouldnt work he needed one more
thing to make sure it would all align. The second method he used to create the dome was hidden
in the lines. Brunelleschi used string to keep his walls aligned. That method was common for the
time but how he laid the string was the real secret. He had scholars baffled at how he set up the
lines until a 600-year-old document kept in the Florentine State Archive was found. This was the
only surviving sketch of the domes construction however it was a criticism of Brunelleschis
design saying it was going to collapse. Luckily he did a very detailed sketch showing the genius
rope lines Brunelleschi used to guide him through his construction. He used a flower shape as a

guide on the floor of the cathedral to guide his lines and that aloud him to obtain the inverted arch
which is on of the most stable forms of architecture.
Its amazing how the dome is still standing today, Brunelleschis secret architecture has withstood
years of strong wind and intense weather. Brunelleschis dome is still today the largest masonry
dome after six centuries. The dome weighs about as much as a cruise ship and extends 40 stories
above the cathedral floor. The domes size and sheer impossibility drew people from around the
world to see such a great work of architecture. People stood in awe and still do today at the
amazing creation.
The methods used to create the Dome of the Florence Cathedral have been used years after it was
made helping the renaissance grow. Specifically the herringbone method aloud many other
architects to create great works. Even though some of the methods werent known at the time,
other artist and architect were inspired by his work and it revolutionized the way artist and
architects thought throughout the rest of the renascence. Filippo Brunelleschi answered one of
Florences greatest dilemmas and turned it into a beautiful masterpiece still standing today. He
defied the odds and built the largest masonry dome of all time, not only did he surpass the level of
thinking and technology at his time, he still has historians and engineers baffled at his work. In
my mind Filippo Brunelleschi created a work of architectural genius.

Work Cited
Brown, Jenifer. 2002 Brunelleschis Dome

http://www.obscure.org/~perky/uofr/fall2002/ISYS203U/Duomo_Site/construction.html

Mueller, Tom. Brunelleschis dome, Nation Geographic

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2014/02/il-duomo/mueller-text
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/great-cathedral-mystery.html