Dome Of Florence Cathedral

Ÿ Filippo Brunelleschi, the first great architect of the Renaissance, worked primarily in

churches. His most famous masterpiece is the octagonal brick dome he designed

for Florence Basilica (an Italian Gothic church), an engineering feat of such difficulty

(due to the dome's unprecedented size) that he also had to invent special machines to

hoist each section into place.

Ÿ This dome is the most famous transitional work

between Medieval and Renaissance architecture

Cathedral of santa maria

Ÿ Although at first glance it appears to be very much

a Gothic dome (given its pointed shape and ribbed

frame)5, it is considered a transitional work due to

Brunelleschi's attention to balanced proportions

and simple decoration. It is crowned by a lantern,

a rooftop structure with openings for lighting or

ventilation.

Ÿ Is an octagonal dome higher and wider than any

that had ever been built, with no external buttresses

to keep it from spreading and falling under its own

weight.

Ÿ The drum or base of the dome was already in place

before Brunelleschi received the assignment to

complete it.

Ÿ The span of the octagonal drum was 140 feet, a

very large span for a dome at that time, especially

one without the possibility of external buttressing or

supports.

Ÿ Brunelleschi knew that a hemispheric dome (one

which is perfectly rounded) would not be able to

span this distance without the use of external buttresses.

Ÿ As a result, he decided to make a pointed dome.

He placed 8 major ribs at the points of the octagon,

and 16 minor ribs (two in the space between every

two major ribs), all tied together by lateral bands.

Ÿ The spreading problem was solved by a set of four internal horizontal stone and iron

chains, serving as barrel hoops, embedded within the inner dome: one each at the top

and bottom, with the remaining two evenly spaced between them. A fifth chain, made

of wood, was placed between the first and second of the stone chains. Since the dome

was octagonal rather than round, a simple chain, squeezing the dome like a barrel

hoop, would have put all its pressure on the eight corners of the dome. The chains

needed to be rigid octagons, stiff enough to hold their shape, so as not to deform the

dome as they held it together.

Ÿ To lift 37,000 tons of material, including over 4 million bricks, he invented hoisting

machines and lewissons for hoisting large stones. These specially designed machines

and his structural innovations were Brunelleschi's chief contribution to architecture.

Ÿ The lantern was finally completed by Brunelleschi's friend Michelozzo in 1461. The

conical roof was crowned with a gilt copper ball and cross, containing holy relics,

by Verrocchio in 1469. This brings the total height of the dome and lantern to 114.5

metres (375 ft).

Ÿ Brunelleschi’s design features a double-walled ovoid shell anchored at the bottom by a

15 meter high tambour eliminating the need for scaffolding and reinforcement. The

dome is 44 meters in diameter and 113 meters high topped by a lantern that is

accessed by a stairway between the interior and exterior walls of the dome. Florence

Cathedral is commonly known simply as The Duomo because of the beauty and

magnificence of Brunelleschi's design and its striking impact on the skyline of Florence

Saransh Gupta

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