What Is Brunelleschi's Dome?

Il Duomo, or better known as Brunelleschi’s Dome is one of the masterpieces in architectural design. In 1418 the fathers of Florence had an enormous problem with their cathedral. It had a huge hole in the roof. This cathedral was to be showcased as having the largest dome or cupola ever built and to be crowned as the “most useful and beautiful” and “more powerful and honorable” than any other ever built.
For decades the architects of the day worked tirelessly to find a solution for such a large undertaking that surely would cost a mere fortune. They struggled to find materials that would be light enough and secure enough to withstand the enormous structure it would be. If it weighed tons, how would they manage to secure a dome and have it stay up without destroying the cathedral walls or structure? A problem these fathers posed to their most ingenious and masterful architects.
The Florentine fathers announced a contest for leading architects to submit their ideas. As many ideas came one was of utmost interest to them. A brilliant goldsmith, the genius, Filippo Brunelleschi shared with them and idea of a dome nested inside the outer dome. It piqued their interest enough that he was hired along with his rival Ghiberti.
Because the Florentine fathers wanted to save money, and worried about having enough timber for …show more content…
Brunelleschi’s vision produced jobs for some of the finest craftsmen in the area and he oversaw every detail of the design; from the stone cutters, blacksmiths, carpenters, and many others who designed the fine carvings and produced the painting of the dome. When they questioned him not knowing how to continue or design what he wanted, he would show them by carving from clay or wax or sometimes from a turnip to illustrate what it was to