Like many notable architects of the period, Brunelleschi was not just an architect.
Still, there is much to learn about this iconic Renaissance figure.
You may be able to see these qualities in the following 10 facts about his life and work.
Here are 10 facts about Filippo Brunelleschi and the famous Dome of Florence.
Brunelleschi invented linear perspective drawing.
His technique was a revolutionary gear for representing buildings and other objects in 3D.
Statue of Filippo Brunelleschi in Florence, Italy (Photo:Stock Photosfrom Colin Dixon/Shutterstock)
Brunelleschi studied the appearance of objects as they appeared closer and farther away.
His studies included drawings and paintings of theFlorence Baptisteryand thePalazzo Vecchioas he perfected the technique.
The style quickly spread and became standard practice.
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Brunelleschis attitude may have won him the commission for the Dome of Florence.
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The task of completing the Dome of Florence was extremely difficult.
The area for the dome was an octagon and could not be completed with the typical semi-circle shape.
Competition Panels by Lorenzo Ghiberti (left) and Filippo Brunelleschi (right) (Photo: Wikimedia)
Brunelleschi may have turned to architecture after bruising his ego in a sculptural competition.
In 1401, Florence held a competition for new bronze doors to the Florence Baptistry.
Both entries were beautiful examples of each artist’s skill and the jury was unable to make a decision.
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They asked both competitors to collaborate on the project, but Brunelleschi refused and therefore forfeited the competition.
He later began focusing mostly on architecture and his theory of linear perspective.
The people of Florence were emotionally invested in the construction process.
Peposo Beef Stew (Photo:Stock Photosfrom bonchan/Shutterstock)
This is why when work started on Brunelleschi’s vision, the people of Florence were excited.
Plans were made to complete jobs or fulfill promises before the Dome is covered.
With so many workers actively on-site for this project, it was difficult to feed everyone.
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This beef stew, called Peposo, was cooked along with the tiles and shared with the workers.
Some accounts say that Brunelleschi himself brought the dish to Florence.
Brunelleschis Dome remained the widest vault until the 20th-century.
Arch-centering process used in a traditional dome construction (Photo:Bill Bradley for Wikimedia
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You may have already heard thatBrunelleschis Domeis still the tallestbrick domein the world.
It also remained the widest vault of any kind until the 20th century when more modern materials were used.
There was not enough wood in all of Tuscany to complete a traditional dome.
Unfinished drum of dome (Photo:Stock Photosfrom Inu/Shutterstock)
One of the most convincing aspects of Brunelleschi’s design was that he claimed to not need arch-centering.
The drum of the dome was unfinished when Brunelleschi died and remains unfinished to this day.
Brunelleschi died in 1446 leaving pieces of the project for a future designer.
1430 sketch by Brunelleschi (Photo:xennex for Wikiart)
A competition was eventually held almost 100 years after his death and attracted many competitors, includingMichelangelo.
Four architects were eventually chosen for the project but all abandoned the work except for one:Baccio dAgnolo.
The remaining architect worked diligently on the project until harsh criticism was publicized about his work.
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The best known is Michelangelos comment that it resembled gabbia dei grilli, or acage for crickets.
DAgnolo left his work at the Florence Cathedral and the remaining work was never picked up again.
Brunelleschi needed a more efficient system that would generate more power and help the materials achieve greater heights.
We still dont completely know how Brunelleschi built his dome.
We know that Brunelleschis scheme included not one, but two domes.
They were connected by massive brick arches and interlocking rings of stone and wood.
The main question is this: How did Brunelleschi get his brickwork so perfect?
