Filippo Brunelleschi

Filippo Brunelleschi (1377 - 15 April 1446) was a Florentine goldsmith, sculptor, architect and engineer, regarded as one of the founders of Renaissance architecture. His best-known work is the great brick dome of Florence Cathedral, a milestone in the history of large roofs.

Early career

At about fifteen Brunelleschi was apprenticed to a goldsmith and to a sculptor in cast bronze, and he became a master goldsmith in December 1398. In 1401 he entered the competition to design new bronze doors for the Florence Baptistery. The jury could not decide between him and Lorenzo Ghiberti and asked them to collaborate; Brunelleschi refused to share control.

Perspective

Brunelleschi is credited with being the first to describe a precise system of linear perspective, which he demonstrated with paintings of Florentine buildings. It shaped Western painting until the 19th century.

The dome

In 1418 the wool merchants' guild held a competition for the unbuilt dome of the cathedral. Brunelleschi won, again over Ghiberti. Between 1420 and 1436 he built an octagonal double-shell brick dome without temporary wooden centring, using herringbone brickwork and new hoisting machines of his own invention. He also designed the lantern, begun shortly before his death and completed by Michelozzo in 1461.

Engineering and patents

In 1421 Brunelleschi received one of the first modern patents, for a river vessel intended to carry goods on the Arno more cheaply. In 1427 he built a boat, Il Badalone, to carry marble; it sank on its maiden voyage.

Other buildings

All in Florence:

• Ospedale degli Innocenti (begun 1419), a foundling hospital;
• San Lorenzo, including the nave, aisles and Old Sacristy;
• Santo Spirito, begun in 1436, his last major commission;
• the Pazzi Chapel, completed around 1469, after his death.

Burial

Brunelleschi was buried in the crypt of Florence Cathedral, beneath the dome he built. His dome remains one of the most studied roofs in architectural history.