No one traveling to Florence can miss seeing the dome of the Basilica of St. Mary of the Flowers. That’s true not only because of its physical proximity to other parts of the city, but also because of its importance as an achievement in many kinds of history, from engineering to architecture to religion. The story is told by art historians Beth Harris and Steven Zucker. New Smarthistory video onAt the time, Zucker explained, Florence had “big” problems. The foundations for the ambitious cathedral had been laid a century earlier, but no one knew how to construct the dome the project required.
The assumption, Harris says, was that “by the time they had to build, they would know how to do it,” reflecting both the slower rate of construction in the 15th century and the pace of technological innovation, which would have felt rapidly increasing.
No such structure had been erected since the ancient Pantheon, and the creation of a structure greater than the Pantheon would, at least in theory, confirm that Florence had received the beacon of civilization from Rome. However, conventional technology could not support a dome of this size atop such a tall tower during construction. Salvation finally came in a disappointing way. Filippo BrunelleschiAn architect, sculptor and goldsmith, he has little to no resume but, crucially, a deep understanding of the Pantheon.
“Brunelleschi realized that a hemispherical dome could function on its own if it was made of freestanding concentric circles,” Zucker said, and his challenge was to use that knowledge to build an octagonal dome. This involves a two-dome design with a thicker inner dome covered by a thinner outer dome. If you pay 30 euros for a ticket, you can climb the stairs yourself through the gap between the domes. There, a herringbone brick pattern appeared on the walls, stabilizing the structure. On a larger scale, these bricks form a structural element much like the oversized versions of stones that have been used to build arches since time immemorial. Regarding almost every photo of Florence, your eyes may go straight to the cathedral and be drawn to the splendor of the dome and other architectural features that mix its eras. But only from the inside can you understand how everything works.
Related content:
How the world’s largest dome was built: The story of Filippo Brunelleschi and the Duomo of Florence
How Filippo Brunelleschi, with no training in architecture or engineering, built the world’s largest dome at the dawn of the Renaissance
The beauty and ingenuity of the Pantheon, ancient Rome’s best-preserved monument: an introduction
Why didn’t the Pantheon’s dome collapse?: How did the Romans design their dome to last into the 19th century?
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Based in Seoul, Colin Mbemust write and broadcastIt’s about cities, languages and cultures. he is the author of the newsletter books about cities books as well Home page (I won’t summarize Korea) and korean newtro. Follow him on the social network formerly known as Twitter. @Colinbemust.
Source: Open Culture – www.openculture.com
