Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture

Brunelleschi’s Dome narrates the construction of the cupola of the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral in Florence. The key to understanding this piece of architecture, King suggests, is understanding its creator. As such, the book examines the relationship between the historical construction of the dome and the legend of Brunelleschi which has emerged in the centuries since. The Brunelleschi of legend a is daring and ambitious figure who attempts—and achieves—something which many people believed to be impossible. This sense of wonder and awe can be found in the writings of men like Brunelleschi’s contemporary biographer Antonio Manetti and the painter and architect Giorgio Vasari, who lived a generation after Brunelleschi and painted the fresco on the interior of the dome. As well as being artists in their own right, these men penned important histories of Florence during a time when the city was the epicenter of the philosophical and artistic movement that would become known as the Renaissance. Brunelleschi is key to their portrayal of this time and place, and their accounts often verge on hagiography rather than history. Fittingly for a man buried beside a saint, they talk about Brunelleschi in reverential terms, praising his wondrous works and excluding his numerous mistakes. King compares the contemporary accounts of Brunelleschi’s genius with more realistic, nuanced accounts of his failures, such as the sinking of Il Badalone and the attempted flooding of Lucca. King traces the fine line between history and legend by telling a story that both validates and conflicts with other accounts.

The biographies written by Manetti and Vasari speak to the relationship with the past enjoyed by the people of Renaissance Florence. Before Brunelleschi began work on the dome, the city was emerging as a key player on the European stage. Despite the wealth and political importance of Florence, the city’s past was not particularly notable. King mentions the myths and legends which the Florentines told one another. They believed that their city was founded by Roman emperors, even if they debated which particular emperor was responsible. They sought to align themselves with a glorious past, trying to validate their importance in historical terms. As King notes, many of these stories were simply not true. Many of the buildings which the Florentines believed to be Roman were, in fact, from the early Middle Ages. The Florentines had become invested in their own legend, which replaced actual history. This is why Brunelleschi emerges as such an important figure in the Republic of Florence. Through his dome, the city has a historic achievement. The dome is more than just a physical landmark, it is a signpost of legendary status, giving Florentines a  present-day source of pride that allowed them to divest from legendary, ahistorical beliefs about the past.

The fine line between history and legend is also explored in the quasi-religious ways in which the people of Florence treat their intellectual leaders. Before Brunelleschi begins works on the dome, for example, the model made by Neri di Fioravanti is an important centerpiece of civic life. People make offerings at the model as though it were a church order, only for the model to be turned into a public lavatory once Brunelleschi’s work overtakes Neri’s own. Vasari notes the way in which Brunelleschi is venerated more by the Florentine people after his death than he was in life. In death, he becomes a mythical figure. Through the hagiographies of Vasari and Manetti, Brunelleschi is given the treatment of a saint. His great works are praised and his flaws are ignored. Vasari likens Brunelleschi to Jesus Christ, approaching blasphemy in his desire to praise the man who elevated the discipline of architecture to new heights. Brunelleschi and his dome become almost religious figures. They embody the Renaissance movement, receiving praise from people for ushering a new era in history. Legend and history are folded together through the veneration of Brunelleschi and his work.