It was during the 14th century that the Gothic style of the late Middle Ages transitioned to the Renaissance in Europe. This period known as the Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" in French, saw many new architectural marvels constructed, including the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy, also known as Florence Cathedral. Construction of the cathedral began in 1296 under Arnolfo di Cambio and continued over centuries, with key contributions from Giotto, Talenti, and Filippo Brunelleschi, who solved the issue of constructing the massive dome. The domed cathedral stands as a symbol of beauty and inspiration in Florence.

1. It was during the 14th
century when Europe had undergone a dramatic change from the Gothic of
the late Middle Ages (Medieval era) to that of the Renaissance. The term “renaissance” literally means
“rebirth” in French, a period that many new forms of artistic marvels and architectural wonders that stand
today with monuments such as the San Lorenzo and the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi but one of the most
significant structures that best represents Renaissance architecture is the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore
better known as Florence Cathedral located in Florence, Italy. The building of the cathedral was dedicated
to the Virgin Mary (Ching, Jarzombek, Prakash, 2007). Florence, the city that was regarded as the
birthplace of the Renaissance was a strategic location where trade had flourished as Italy was positioned
in between Western Europe and Eastern Byzantine; as well as the city states that were dominated by
wealthy families who sought prestige and status through their patronage of arts and local artists and
architects (Fazio, Moffett, Wodenhouse, 2009).
Florence as a trade center
It was Arnolfo di Cambio who had first began the constructing the Cathedral of Florence in the year
1296. He was followed by Giotto di Bondane who started to construct the Campanile, bell tower, in 1334
after he was nominated. It was in the 1350s that the Florentines had decided to expand the length of the
nave as an effort to outdo the Romanesque cathedral of Pisa and Siena. This can be credited to Francesco
Talenti who had continued the construction of the cathedral by enlarging the structure as well as completing
Unknown. (2011). Philopanoramica [Painting].
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63-3-in-1-thursday-laurentian-library.html

2. the campanile. But it was the brilliant work of Filippo Brunelleschi that began in the year 1420 that the
massive Duomo had moved towards completion. In the year 1436, the Cathedral of Florence was finally
completed with the addition of the Lantern which construction began in 1446; the year that Brunelleschi had
passed away.

3. The structure of the cathedral was designed to have a domed crossing from which emanate three
arms of equal length, the fourth which has a longer arm is the nave with a centralized structure for the altar
and the clergy; the shape of the nave and the three dome apses were designed to represent a Latin cross.
The dome of the Florence Cathedral was built using bricks of different sizes while the external walls of the
cathedral are covered with graceful green, white and pink marble claddings is an expression of spirituality
(Parke, 2002). The construction of the dome however remained an issue then because it had been
impossible to build a wooden framework that would support the weight of the dome without breaking the
octagonal drum. Using his knowledge on ancient Roman construction, Brunelleschi had solved the problem
by simply using the pointed-arch cross section instead of the semi-circular shape he had managed to
reduce the load along with the double shell of radial and concentric ribs.
Structure of the dome

4. The Florentines wanting to have their cathedral crowned with a mighty dome had led Brunelleschi
into devising a method that had gone on to create a new form of building to create harmony and beauty that
has impacted modern architectural forms. Today the Florence Cathedral stands tall with its shadow soaring
over the skies of Florence as a sign of marvel and inspiration to all.
Unknown. (2013). Beautiful renaissance cathedral [Photograph]. Retrieved May 3, 2013 from
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5. References
Catling, C. (2011). Florence & Tuscany. London: Dorling Kindersley.
Ching, F., Jarzombek, M., & Prakash, V. (2007). A global history of architecture. Hoboken, N.J: J. Wiley &
Sons.
Fazio, M., Moffett, M., & Wodenhouse, L. (2009). Buildings Across Time (3rd ed.). Mass, Boston: McGraw-
Hill Higher Education.
Kostof, S. (1959). A history of architecture: Settings and rituals (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University
Press.
Murray, P. (1986). The architecture of the Italian Renaissance (3rd ed.). London: Thames and Hudson Ltd.
Parke, T. (2002). FLORENCE A city with a view. London: Tauris & Co Ltd.
Toker, F. K. (n.d.). Florence Cathedral: The Design Stage. Retrieved May 2, 2013, from
https://courses.marlboro.edu/pluginfile.php/32835/mod_page/content/1/Florence_Cathedral-
The_Design_Stage.pdf
Essential Architecture- Florence Cathedral. (n.d.). Retrieved May 3, 2013, from http://www.italian-
architecture.info/FL/FL-002.htm
Garntner, P. J. (1998). Brunelleschi. Germany: Konemann.