Florence in the Renaissance Building and culture
Table of Contents
List of figures…………………………………………………………………….. i Introduction………………………………………………………………………. 1 The existing local culture……………………………………………………….. 2 The construction of the Cathedral……………………………………………... 2 The city after the Cathedral…………………………………………………….. 4 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….. 5 List of sources consulted……………………………………………………….. 6
List of figures Figure 1. The Florence Cathedral. Photographer unknown. (2013)………………………………………………. 1 Figure 2. Map showing the locations of the churches in Florence, as well as the expansion of the city walls over the years. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2 Figure 3. The façade of Cattedrale Santa Maria del Fiore. Photographer unknown. (2009)………….. 3 Figure 4. Cross section showing the different shells Brunelleschi used to construct the dome. Illustration by IMGarcade. (2009)…………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4 Figure 5. Inside the cupola: 3600 m2 of frescoes, created by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari, who worked there from 1572 to 1579. The restoration of these ceiling frescoes began in 1978 and was completed in 1994. Photography by Pixshark (2011)……………………………………………………………………… 5 Figure 6. The Gates of Paradise doors by Lorenzo Ghiberti. Photographer unkown……………………… 6
The Cathedral of Renaissance Florence
Introduction The Italian renaissance saw cities like Florence expand rapidly both in population and architecture. In the thirteenth century, Florence was counted among the upper ranks of great European cities. What stood out in this city was the rapid building of churches. This essay looks more specifically at the construction of the Cathedral of Florence, officially known as Cattedrale Santa Maria del Fiore, and what its effect has been on the city of Florence as a whole. The essay discusses the existing local culture in that time around the cathedral’s construction, and how Florence was transformed by the building of this monument.
Figure 3. The Florence Cathedral. Photographer unknown. (2013)
The existing local culture of Florence During the renaissance, the city of Florence saw vast urban renewal schemes. The city was being built and rebuilt over that period and around 1285 plans were made to build the new city walls. Among the vast number of new buildings going up, what stood out the most in Florence were the churches. At that time, Florence had showed an interest in public buildings and spaces. These were mostly subsidised by public organisations linked both to the church and the government. With the construction of the Cathedral officially beginning in 1296, the new city walls went up. They were five times the area of what the old walls had ringed. The new wall was built with an expectation that the city would grow, but this expectation was not realized (Richard A. Goldthwaite: 2 - 4).
Figure 4. Map showing the locations of the churches in Florence, as well as the expansion of the city walls over the years.
The construction of the Cathedral The construction of the Cathedral began in the thirteenth century, the architect at that time being Arnolfo di Cambio. His original plan was of a Gothic cathedral that would replace the aged church of Santa Reparata. His plan was significantly larger, symbolising Florence’s growing importance during the renaissance (A view on cities [sa]:1). During this period, Florence was taking its first steps towards empowering itself with a monumentality equal to its size and wealth (‌4). Architect Giotto di Brondone designed the bell tower of the Cathedral in 1334; at that time he was the master builder of the city of Florence. When he died, work continued by Andrea Pisano and later Francesco Talenti. The building was clad with Tuscan marble and its relief decorated in terra cotta.
Figure 3. The façade of Cattedrale Santa Maria del Fiore. Photographer unknown. (2009)
In the fifteenth century, Filippo Brunelleschi crowned the cathedral with what was termed the world’s largest dome, which towered over the city of Florence (Essential architecture [sa]). He drew inspiration from the cupola over the Pantheon in Rome. Brunelleschi managed to construct an enormous dome that was without supports with the help of indigenous design, consisting of an inner shell of bricks and an outer shell that protects the inner shell from the elements. The inner shell has a herringbone pattern with a horizontal stone chain that reduces stress and equally distributes the weight of the whole dome (A view on cities… [sa]: 3).
Figure 4. Cross section showing the different shells Brunelleschi used to construct the dome. Illustration by IMGarcade. (2009)
The city after the Cathedral With the building of the Cathedral, there was an expectation to see the city growing in population (…: 4). When the Cathedral building was complete, it stood a long while without a covering over the chancel after Di Cambio’s wooden dome failed due
to technical problems (Essential architecture [sa]). In the fifteenth century, however, with the crowning of the Cathedral by Brunelleschi, the city saw great numbers of people moving into the city, among them being artists who were drawn to the majesty of the Cathedral (‌: 5). Some were there to try and capture its beauty, and others being involved in further beautifying the Cathedral, contributing to the incredible paintworks and sculptures that adorn the Cathedral to this day.
Figure 5. Inside the cupola: 3600 m2 of frescoes, created by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari, who worked there from 1572 to 1579. The restoration of these ceiling frescoes began in 1978 and was completed in 1994. Photography by Pixshark (2011).
In 1336 Andrea Pisano created Gothic design doors for the south façade of the Cathedral. This was after the funders of the renovation of the Cathedral decided they wanted to replace the wooden doors with new bronze ones. The other doors were completed be Ghiberti in 1424, one of these being the Gates of Paradise as
described by Michelangelo, which depicted scenes from the bible (A view on cities‌ [sa]:5 - 6).
Figure 6. The Gates of Paradise doors by Lorenzo Ghiberti. Photographer unkown.
Conclusion By reflecting on the points mentioned above, one can see how the renaissance has helped shape cities like Florence. To this day, the building of the Cattedrale Santa Maria del Fiore has had a positive effect on the city of Florence and Italy as a whole. People still flock there to go and behold its beauty.
List of sources consulted Goldthwaite, R. A. 1980. The building of renaissance Florence. John Hopkins University Press: Baltimore
A View on Cities – Florence Cathedral. [sa]. [O]. Available: http://www.aviewoncities.com/FlorenceCathedral Accessed 27 May 2015.
Essential Architecture – Florence. [sa]. [O]. Available: http://www.italian-architecture.info/ Accessed 27 May 2015