Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture

Lorenzo Ghiberti was an Italian sculptor, goldsmith, and architect, best known for his work on the bronze doors of the Baptistery of Florence Cathedral, which Michelangelo later called the “Gates of Paradise.” Ghiberti was born in Florence and initially trained as a goldsmith under his father, Bartoluccio Ghiberti, who also worked in metals. His career took a significant turn in 1401, when he entered and won a famous competition to create new bronze doors for the Florence Baptistery, a competition that attracted many leading artists of the day. This competition required participants to create a bronze relief depicting the Sacrifice of Isaac. Ghiberti’s design, which showcased his mastery of anatomy, perspective, and emotional expression, triumphed over that of the other renowned competitor, Filippo Brunelleschi. In Brunelleschi’s Dome, this incident becomes a formative moment in the life of Brunelleschi and cements the rivalry between Ghiberti and Brunelleschi which endures throughout the book.

The commission for the Baptistery doors launched Ghiberti’s career and established him as a leading sculptor in Florence. He spent the next two decades, from 1403 to 1424, crafting what became known as the North Doors. This long process mirrors Brunelleschi’s own work on the dome, especially as both men are working in Florence on the construction of the dome. Ghiberti’s success with the North Doors earned him another commission for the East Doors of the Baptistery, which he began in 1425 and completed in 1452. This project, spanning 27 years, produced what are now known as the “Gates of Paradise.” In particular, King suggests that Ghiberti being awarded this commission without any competition may have rankled Brunelleschi, who was always forced to submit proposals against other people (including Ghiberti) whenever a new part of the dome needed construction. Brunelleschi was not just striving to build something spectacular, but he remained in constant competition against rivals like Ghiberti to demonstrate why he and his designs were worthy of veneration.

The two artists remained in competition even as Brunelleschi worked on the dome. Ghiberti was appointed as one of the supervisors of the project, a decision that further intensified their rivalry. However, Brunelleschi’s engineering and vision ultimately drove the project forward, and he retained primary control, effectively sidelining Ghiberti. King shares an anecdote about Brunelleschi feigning sickness as a way to publicly humiliate Ghiberti and sideline Brunelleschi on the project. This marked a turning point in the rivalry, solidifying Brunelleschi’s place as the leading architect in Florence and a pioneer of Renaissance architecture. Though their careers took different paths, the rivalry between Ghiberti and Brunelleschi contributed significantly to the Renaissance, pushing each artist to achieve extraordinary innovations. Ghiberti’s doors became masterpieces of sculpture, famous for their perspective and narrative depth, while Brunelleschi’s dome transformed architectural design and engineering. Their competition symbolized the growing tension in Renaissance Florence between tradition and innovation, with Ghiberti representing the elegance of Gothic artistry and Brunelleschi embodying the bold advances of new architectural and scientific methods. Ultimately, their greatest works could be found in the same piazza, with the baptistry doors adorning the building directly in front of the cathedral, on top of which is Brunelleschi’s dome (though the bronze door panels were later replaced with replicas, with the real version being placed in the museum behind the dome). The rivalry which defined and shaped the lives of the two men ultimately brought them to the same place.

Antonio di Tuccio Manetti was an Italian architect, mathematician, and biographer, known primarily for his contributions to the field of Renaissance architecture and his biography of Filippo Brunelleschi. Born in Florence, Manetti was a central figure in the intellectual and artistic life of the city, living during the peak of the Florentine Renaissance. Manetti was trained in both mathematics and architecture, fields that were becoming increasingly interconnected as Renaissance thinkers sought to apply mathematical principles to art and building design. He worked on several important architectural projects in Florence, including the restoration of the city’s walls and various civic buildings, as well as contributions to the design and construction of the Florence Cathedral (Santa Maria del Fiore), especially in later phases of the dome’s development and interior design.

Beyond his work as an architect, Manetti is celebrated for writing the first biography of Filippo Brunelleschi, though there remains some scholarly uncertainty as to whether he is the author of each of the three surviving manuscripts—the Magliabecchiana, the Pistoiese, and the Corsiniana—that make up the Life of Brunelleschi. Taken together, these three manuscripts offer an account of Brunelleschi’s character, achievements, and innovations, particularly his revolutionary techniques for constructing the cathedral’s dome without traditional scaffolding. This biography not only preserves valuable details about Brunelleschi’s work and personality but also provides insights into the intellectual environment of Florence during the Renaissance. In the context of Brunelleschi’s Dome, Manetti’s work is important because it documents the mythologization of Brunelleschi. The architect of Florence’s dome is celebrated as an almost mythical figure, with Manetti sharing (and occasionally exaggerating) stories from Brunelleschi’s life. He also excludes embarrassing incidents, such as the sinking of Brunelleschi’s boat, Il Badalone. Manetti’s work often approaches the genre of hagiography, turning Brunelleschi into a secular saint of the Renaissance itself rather than a mere architect. Just as Brunelleschi was the chief architect of the dome, Manetti is arguably the chief architect of the myth of Brunelleschi.