Flippo Brunelleschi Accomplishments

Ross King’s Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling narrates the four years from 1508-1512 that Michelangelo spent laboring over the immense project handed to him; to fresco the 12,000 square foot ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. King’s book describes the battles that Michelangelo faced; the internal struggles, political turmoil and rivalries among fellow artist that encompassed his surroundings. Michelangelo’s battles with his health, family problems, financial burdens, rival artists and the ever impatient Pope are told in great detail by King. King also provides precise artistic descriptions of the process required to fresco scenes so magnificent they are considered one of the greatest artistic masterpieces of all time.

-he designed machines that no one else have seen before to get the dome done

Filippo Brunelleschi was one of the leading architects and engineers of the Italian Renaissance and is best known for his work on the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence. Filippo was assigned the job of creating the dome of the cathedral of Florence. This work took a lot of his time and a good portion of his life and the challenge was enormous, no other dome that size has ever been built in that era. The dome didn't just become an architect problem, but also an engineering problem. They didn't have the type of tools we have today to get something like that built. Filippo also invented and patented the new hoisting machine for raising the masonry required for the dome (Mueller, T. 2014). You’ll see this on a lot of tall commercial

The structure, approved and paid for by the city council, was a feat of amazing architecture on the part of Fillippo Brunelleschi. This was the largest dome created in that time and it was Brunelleschi’s ingenious design that won the commission against Ghiberti and other artists. The Church’s possession of grand cathedrals like this one served to demonstrate to the people the greatness of the faith and the power of God. There was a religious aspect to the construction of the immense cathedrals and basilicas; the people were paying homage to their god and constructing churches they felt were worthy for him. However, it was also somewhat political, as the grandeur of the churches was displayed to all the people in the city. No one could question the Catholic church’s might and colossal influence after viewing a cathedral such as the

In the fifteenth-century, the evolution of patronage begin, since power, and money influenced the creation of great artworks. One hand it flourished the Italian architectural collections other hand, notable designers as Brunelleschi, and Donatello designed and experimented with their creations. For example, Brunelleschi creation for the Medici family, which known as the Dome of Florence Cathedral (Fig 12-12). As it has been mentioned in the book he was the founder of the dome and it was one of the Gothic inspired and cost effective creation from that time period. Artist Donatello also made a contribution in the art world in a fascinating way since his work was inspired by as it has been mentioned in the book by the classical forms which

Brunelleschi’s mysterious design touched their imagination. As a boy, during his goldsmith’s apprenticeship, he mastered drawing and painting, wood carving, sculpture in silver and bronze,

In 1418, the town fathers of Florence realized they had to face a major problem. Il Duomo, the cathedral that was built to best all others, was missing its roof. This cathedral had been constructed in 1296 to commemorate Florence’s new status as one of the most prosperous cities in Europe. The cathedral would serve as a symbol of this new Florence. The town fathers had a vision of a colossal dome that would rise to the heavens without support, pulling one’s attention upwards. The only obstacle was that the technology at the time could not accommodate a dome of the scale as planned, with a diameter of 180 feet. A competition was announced with the prize of 200 florins, which was more than a craftsman’s two year wage at the time.

Leading up to this project Brunelleschi had lead a life of discovery, invention, and art. He was a master of painting, wood carving, gold

Florence began to build a cathedral in 1296, in 1418 (122 years later) they confront a big problem: the enormous hole in the center of the building.

Brunelleschi solved a problem that was huge in the year 1418 in Florence, Italy.  There was a cathedral that had begun to be built, that no one knew how to finish.  The top of the building was needing to be covered, but due to its octagonal shape, the height of the building (which was already built), and originality of the building no one had any idea how to go about completing the roof.  So a contest was put out to the city, many came forward with ideas on how to finish the building.  Two big worries of the leaders of the city were cost of materials and the weight of the roof.  Brunelleschi, came forward with a design that would alleviate much cost, compared to his competitors, and he was certain would not cave in.  Many discoveries were made

During all of this Brunelleschi not only built the dome in the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral (what today is still the biggest dome in the world), but mechanical marvels of worker platforms and lifts that managed to carry workers and hundreds pounds of materials hundreds feet in the air over the course of 28 years with only a single death. This showed how Brunelleschi was a mastermind in architecture and how he revived it.

Another canvas lay rolled up at the bottom of the time capsule. Once unrolled, a beautiful drawing on canvas of the Florence Cathedral’s dome was revealed. The dome was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, drawn in 1420. This dome was the largest ever built in history in this era. Flippo Brunelleschi used new methods of hoisting stone and masonry technique to construct the dome (Fiero, 2011). The Florence Cathedral highly reflects the Architectural development of the early Renaissance period. It also reflects how devoted Rome was to their religion, and how religion influenced the Romans to build magnificent architecture for a place to worship.

Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Francesco Borromini spent their professional lives locked in a complex rivalry that spans the duration of the seventeenth century. The profound differences between the lives and personalities of these two, reflected in work still evident in Rome today, have been a hotbed for debate and praise. Always a competition, Bernini and Borromini have produced some of the most beautiful staples in Roman architecture, sculpture and space. The stark contrast in fundamental design principle, shown most prominently in the sites of Borromini’s San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, and

First, we visit St. Peter’s Basilica and Adjoining Piazza in Rome. The beautiful structure still used today, initially was brought to fruition by Donato Bramante as a temple shaped like a Greek cross. Quickly Pope Paul V rejected the design, deeming the Greek cross to be pagan-like. He commissioned Carlo Maderno to make some changes to the floor plan, adjusting the look into a Latin cross. The florid baroque styles are seen entering the Apse and Alter, which “symbolized the power and richness of the church” (392). The sculptures throughout, specifically in the Apse, are dramatic and real, shunning classical styles.

Filippo Brunelleschi early life is mostly a mystery. He was Born in 1377 in Florence, Italy. Brunelleschi was trained to be a goldsmith and a sculptor, in 1401 he joined a competition to make a bronze reliefs for the door of the Florence baptistery. Brunelleschi entered the design of “The sacrifice of Isaac.” That was the highpoint of where his short career ended. Brunelleschi lost the competition and it was believed that the lost made him quit sculpting. He also left the city of Florence and moved to Rome to live with his good friend, the sculptor Donatello for 10-years. Filippo was interested in the Roman engineering and the most thing that fascinated him was the construction of the Pantheon especially the Dome. He then dedicated his life to architectural and the idea of how to create a Dome that could stay up.