This document provides a biography of the Italian architect Filippo Brunelleschi and discusses his innovative solution to building the dome of the Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy in 1418. It explains that Brunelleschi, inspired by ancient Roman architecture, proposed building two domes - an inner dome within an outer dome - to support the enormous dome structure where previous designs had failed. This innovative double-shell dome design allowed the inner dome to span the opening and support the outer dome, and the structure still stands nearly 600 years later.
This document provides a biography of the Italian architect Filippo Brunelleschi and discusses his innovative solution to building the dome of the Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy in 1418. It explains that Brunelleschi, inspired by ancient Roman architecture, proposed building two domes - an inner dome within an outer dome - to support the enormous dome structure where previous designs had failed. This innovative double-shell dome design allowed the inner dome to span the opening and support the outer dome, and the structure still stands nearly 600 years later.
This document provides a biography of the Italian architect Filippo Brunelleschi and discusses his innovative solution to building the dome of the Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy in 1418. It explains that Brunelleschi, inspired by ancient Roman architecture, proposed building two domes - an inner dome within an outer dome - to support the enormous dome structure where previous designs had failed. This innovative double-shell dome design allowed the inner dome to span the opening and support the outer dome, and the structure still stands nearly 600 years later.
Common Core State Standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W3.1-3.5 through 8.1-8.5; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.1-3.
3 through 8.1-8.3; CCSS ELA-Literacy.RI.3.7 and 4.7; CCS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.8
Meet the Architect: Filippo Brunelleschi
In 1418, people in the city of Florence were building a big cathedral called Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore. Their design called for an enormous dome to be put on top of the church, but no one was quite sure how to build it. How could they make a dome that large? It would be too heavy to stay up. It had to span too far a distance to support its’ own weight. Unsure of what to do, they asked the community if any- one could solve this problem. A young goldsmith named Filippo Brunelleschi had traveled to Rome to study ancient architecture. The ancient Romans were brilliant engineers who were fascinated with math and proportions, and had solved many dif- ficult design questions in the past. Based on what he had learned from them, Filippo had the solution. Don’t build one dome. Build • Born in 1377 in Florence TWO domes – one inside the other! The • Sculptor, architect, inventor dome on top could protect the inner dome from the elements. The smaller dome on the • Brought ancient Greek/ inside could span the opening and provide Roman styles to European the support the heavy outer dome needed architecture to stay on top of the cathedral. He did such a good job that the dome is still there today, nearly SIX HUNDRED years later!
DID YOU KNOW?
Filippo had also trained as a sculptor, but he lost a contest to make the large, bronze doors for the Flor- ence Baptistery. Because of this failure, he changed his goals, focused on architecture instead, and had a brilliant career in architecture.