Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore - Research Paper Example

?Esra Ozdemir Gothic Architecture Susan Ward Fall ‘13 Basilica di santa maria del fiore Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is the mother church of Roman Catholic Archdiocese located in Piazza del Duomo, Florence, Italy. Holding numerous gothic elements in its structure, the cathedral is widely known for the glowing Renaissance dome, or in another name as Duomo. The construction of the cathedral and the dome started at the end of the 13th century, by Arnolfo di Cambio and the dome was engineered and completed by Filippo Brunelleschi. The site used to be a home to the 7th century church of Santa Reparata and the new cathedral was designed to praise Santa Maria del Fiore. The cathedral complex is composed of the basilica, the baptistery and Giotto’s Campanile. The basilica was regarded as Italy’s largest church and the dome is deemed as the world’s largest brick dome ever constructed. Although the church still serves as a whole, history of its construction is still ambiguous. Plan and structure, dome, facade, and gothic elements are the main points that hold the crucial evidences of medieval architecture. Thesis To analyze the development of urbanism, Christianity, and power in the Early Modern Florence City after the crumbling of the Roman Empire in the sixth century, leading to the construction of the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. Bibliography Florence: The Biography of City. Hibbert, Christopher. New York: W.W. Norton & Company Inc., 1993. This book will help me with in-depth insight into the transition of Florence as symbol of wealth and power among other the Tuscan communities in the medieval era. The Gothic Cathederal Christopher Wilson April 1, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0500276811 | ISBN-13: 978-0500276815 | Edition: 2nd Revised This book will allow me to study the gothic elements in the church and, if necessary, compare it to other significant churches. A Presentation Drawing for the Facade of Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence Mary L. Myers, Master Drawings, Vol. 9, No. 4 (Winter, 1971), pp. 391-398+443-446 The facade information will help me develop my arguments about the facade design of Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. The feud that sparked the Renaissance : how Brunelleschi and Ghiberti changed the art world Walker, Paul Robert. New York: William Morrow, c2002. xv, 269 p., [8] p. of plates : ill. ; 24 cm. Achieving great success by engineering the biggest brick dome in the entire world, Brunelleschi is considered as a pivotal architect who has changed and challenged the art world ever since. This evidence will help be praise Brunelleschi with his magnificent work. Arnolfo's S. Maria del Fiore: A Working Hypothesis Franklin Toker Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, Vol. 42, No. 2 (May, 1983), pp. 101-120 I will be using this source despite its focus on the engineering part of architecture, because Toker is a major scholar of this building. Trachtenberg, Marvin. Dominion of the Eye: Urbanism, Art, and Power in Early Modern Florence, Cambridge, 1997. I will use this book because it focuses on the urban transformation of Florence in the 14th century which is a hypothetical subject of this paper. Introduction Since the emergence of architectural designs practices long before Santa Maria del Fiore was constructed, the design and construction of buildings, has always relied on the ability of an architect to graphically visualize and present their ideas using a variety of different media. Architects formulate and refine spatial, artistic, and functional concepts through drawings, sketches, and models, whereby they rely on their personal artistic skills and preferences to accomplish this (Myers 7). Around the period when the Duomo was constructed, new architectural advances were being invented as is true of the advanced structure and interior design of the building. This advancement in arts and architecture was to revolutionize the world of architecture (Hibbert 66). Brunelleschi’s work in Santa Maria del Fiore liberated architecture from the technological and aesthetic constraints that had been imposed by Gothic traditions. His distinguished invention of linear perspective officiated a new method of architectural representation of three-dimensional space, opening up new venues for artistic and architectural expression to date. However, the need for architectural revolution was not the main reason behind the planning and construction of the Santa Maria del Fiore. In this project, I will discuss the motivations resulting to the emergence of construction of the Duomo, the beautiful cathedral in Florence. The major motivation behind the Duomo’s construction During a period when many European societies were still coping with the loss of the Roman Empire in the Middle Ages, Florence, a small city in Italy was positioning itself firmly in terms of improved transnational trade, city infrastructures, and wealth creation. Medieval Florence symbolizes an era in which the small Roman town was transformed into a powerful, populated city from the 12th century all the way into the 17th century. Florence was growing rapidly in size as Europeans began touring the city for vocational opportunities or to escape the rule of elite lords, as well as to seek jobs in the construction of monumental buildings (Goy 8). The wool industry in the region had grown exponentially in addition to the international trade promise in the 11th century, and many people were escaping from the rule of feudal lords imperial power in Europe, migrating onto the city. These are main factors that contributed to the urbanization of Medieval Florence. The urbanized city’s power and wealth was eventually to be demonstrated when the Duomo was constructed (Robert 20). The Duomo, meaning “cathedral” in Italian, is the touchstone of Florence’s architectural achievements and the motivation behind its design and construction was to serve as a symbol of Florence’s power and prosperity to the surrounding communities especially the Tuscan communities. This was the major motivation and indeed the Duomo has continued to be a symbol of magnificence to date. Urbanization of Florence The Roman Empire crushed in the 6th century, resulting in the continued disintegration of the Roman centralized administrative system. Other Roman political systems and policies, also crumbled across the European cities. As a result there was a deficiency in authority that plagued Europe. This made the wealthy individuals, families and communities to become influential factors in the country’s political system as well as the main providers and protectors for peasants (Goldthwaite 45). Conversely, this created a significantly high level of dependency on the wealthy, which in many cases led to increased unfair treatment of the underprivileged and many started to have the feelings of insecurity. Peasants then started to escape from the bondage generated by the feudal lords as well as the need for a better lifestyle through trading opportunities that urban environments provided (Hibbert 67). This is the migration that led them into different cities, including Florence resulting to the urbanization of such cities. Florence’s population grew exponentially as a result of this logic, especially because the wool industry was prospering in the midst of the medieval era. Florence’s therefore managed to succeed economically despite its location making it to be referred as “one of the pearls of Tuscany (Christopher 5)” because the city was flourishing extensively as a trading capital in the 11th century. Florence’s main industry was the manufacturing and exportation of wool, which was collected from “the hitherland although merchants went farther as production increased and as quality improved, market expanded into new markets in Europe (Christopher 6)”. The wool industry as has been discussed was the force behind the strengthening of Florence’s economy in medieval Europe. This contributed significantly to the consideration of this particular city as a strong source of power in comparison to the other Tuscan towns. Florence notwithstanding continued to grow with the arrival of more merchants, who immensely inhabited the region surrounding Florence, creating the suburbs around the city and expanding the metropolis’ territory. Merchants, who were denied access at the city’s gates when they came to sell at the city’s markets, would line along the roads that led to the city’s core, creating what is called faubourgs or suburbs (Myers 8). As the suburbs became saturated with merchants the wall was expanded, which had originally surrounded the city’s nucleus, now encompassing a larger section of the land. In 1175, the wall was moved to a record fifth time to include the ever increasing population in Florence. This made the city to circumscribe an area larger than twice the size of the Roman town and divided Florence city into six neighborhoods, called sestieri (Goy 25). As a result of the Roman street grid that covered Florence city, the space became limited in such a way that it was particularly difficult for the city to develop monumental buildings. Large sections were also occupied by Florentine housing, which comprised of simple timber structures. However, two major building typologies were erected in the city that had a profound impact on the appearance of the now mature medieval Florence city (Goy 26). The tower house was one of them and was composed of stone masonry for fireproofing. The building was often used as a refuge during times of pandemonium. Churches also became an essential factor for many European communities because Christianity was growing exponentially resulting in the urbanization of the cities. The Duomo, or Florence Cathedral, also resulted to urbanization of the Florence city and made it to grow into one of the most powerful cities in Europe during that time (Trachtenberg 8). The Duomo was constructed to replace the primary cathedral of Florence, the Santa Reparata. The Duomo was and still remains one of the most immense and recognizable structures not only in Florence but across Europe in whole. The Santa Reparata Cathedral was one of the three churches that had been constructed originally in the sixth century near an area in Florence called the “sacred axis” which also contained other religious buildings including the baptistery (Trachtenberg 10). The Santa Reparata had an extended nave, demarcated by two arcades leading to an apse in the location of the altar. This structure mimicked the form of a Roman basilica. However, The Duomo started to be constructed in the late 13th century to replace the Santa Reparata. Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore The construction of the Florence Cathedral that transformed “the complete image and identity of the Florence city, and which would ultimately become the city’s greatest monument (Goy 72),” was an exclusive project that not even the most affluent economies could have easily afforded. As a result of the growth that had been experienced in this small city, the work in the construction of the Duomo comprised of the cooperation of the Florence citizens. These citizens were also responsible for the funding of this immense structure which proves that the mideaval Florencer had transformed itself in transnational trade, city infrastructures, and Wealth (Robert, 68). The plan of Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore started to be heavily funded from its inception stages. The project itself commenced between the years 1293 and1296, under the leadership of Arnolfo di Cambio, the master architect. Arnolfo di Cambio It is evident that beginning stages of the planning and construction of the Duomo was led by Arnolfo di Cambio but he died shortly after the scheme was produced. Having left the majority of the building’s construction process unfinished, he left the continuation of the work in the hands of other reputable architects. Many art and architectural historians doubts the overall influence of Arnolfo on the outcome of the on the ground that Duomo is given the approximate date of his death, he spent maximum of 17 years on a project that took over a century to build (Toker 120). The critics who argue against Arnolfo authorship of the project often argue that the building had no individual designer but was rather the product of a combination of great ideas taking place not only at the beginning of the project but throughout the period of its construction. This theory is strengthened because of the emergence of Brunelleschi’s and his contribution and his addition of the cupola to the Brunelleschi's Dome in 1420. The most recognizable aspect of the cathedral, which implies that it is unreasonable to claim Arnolfo as the main author, is because he didn’t even have the opportunity to view the architectural masterpiece of the building. Nevertheless, Arnolfo produced an early design of the building because in April 1, 1300, the communal council of Florence stated that it was well pleased with the ‘magnificent visibility principal’ of the Cathedral that had been manifested by Arnolfo di Cambio. This is the reason that Arnolfo’s name is always present in the discussion of the mastermind(s) behind the Duomo’s creation. Duomo’s Construction Continues Following the death of Arnolfo in the early 14th century, other architects took over the control of the project. It is important to note that the construction of the building began in 1296, when the city council of Florence decided to erect a new cathedral worthy of the prosperity of the city and its citizens (Fletcher 264). The building was erected to give emphasis to the significance of Florence City and the ambition of her citizens during the middle Ages. The construction on the project paused for a while after Arnolfo’s death. The work resumed in the mid 14th century when architects Giotto, Talenti and Pisano each began to take part in the perfecting of the project. When the work on the Gothic cathedral began in the 1330s, Arnolfo’s design of the Duomo was altered, which saw the elimination of the urban influence of the structure as well as the elimination of the axiality within the city. Arnolfo had designed the Cathedral so that the cupola of the structure would be located exactly where the Via dei Servi terminated with Piazza del Duomo. Via dei Servi was a street within Florence connecting Piazza del Duomo and Piazza della Santissima Annuziata . The cupola was later enlarged approximately by 15 % thereby leading to the shifting of the center of the dome twenty meters to the east which saw the axial relationship framed by Arnolfo to border the dome of the cathedral along one of Florence’s main passageways to be lost. The Duomo work was driven by different architects who used different architectural techniques including rib-vaulted basilica. Other features were also used that integrated expressions from the Early Christian, Romanesque, Byzantine, Gothic, as well as Italian and French cultures. The entire work of the Duomo took over two centuries to completion because of the different parties involved and the motivational desire to make the building the epitome of beauty and perfection in the world of Florentine architecture (Christopher 24). After the construction resumed, the Santa Reparata could still be viewed and essentially embodied the skeleton of the structure. Following Duomo’s ground breaking, the original cathedral continued to function for about 70 years, a time under which the new immense walls of the new structure were constructed enclosing the monument. The Duomo however slowly over took the Santa Reparata, and eventually erased it from the sacred axis site by burying it from Duomo’s birth soil (Goy 60). Santa Reparata, a religious structure that had served as an emblem of Florence’s religious fervor for over 6 centuries, ceased to operate officially in 1375 essentially because it was utterly overtaken by the new dome. The Duomo was eventually completed, embodying many architectural characteristics that symbolized economic muscle of the Florentine (Toker 115). The Duomo is characterized as a gothic building, not because it resembled gothic structures outwardly (such as the Cathedral of Milan), but because of it’s time of construction (Medieval era) and because it possessed similar characteristics of vaulting systems and pointed arches (Christopher 25). The monument comprises of a central nave that is roughly 270 feet long, which directs individuals into the building west to east, and closing in on an octagon in the eastern far end of the monument The rib-vaulted nave encompassed four bays, that were not as elaborate in Arnolfo’s design, that presented three bays and a non-vaulted ceiling. However, the vaulting was to become a common feature in the architectural works that followed including buildings such as the baptistery. The vaulting symbolized wealth and therefore was added to the structure as well as because it was seen as a declaration of accomplishment. Three tribunes of design that are identical each one of them opening into an array of five rectangular chapels (Robert 69) distinguishes the octagon in the eastern side of the structure. All of these chapels are protected by the predominant presence of the Brunelleschi dome. The central nave, down which people process towards the altar, is defined by an immense arcade supported by columns that “is surmounted by a corbelled walkway that runs around the vault springers, continuing into the clerestory and the octagon (Toker 103). The architectural elements in the interior of the building are intonationed with grey limestone underlining the main design and structure of the building. The interior decoration in the Brunelleschi’s dome central nave may emerge as rather banal and somber, but the fresco within the cathedral brings to existence the Florentine admiration for art and literature that emerged during the Renaissance. While Brunelleschi’s dome emerged as an addition to Florence’s central core, its interior thoughtfulness and elegance no doubt promoted the vision of its construction as a symbol of wealth and as an addition it emerged as an elegant piece of art (Toker 103). The addition of the cupola to the Duomo by Brunelleschi was as a result of an architectural competition he had won in early 15th century (Toker 103). The dome still symbolizes a prestigious work in Florence which even architectural scholars have described as “a miracle of design which successfully blends Renaissance dome and Gothic Building (Goldthwaite 15).” The dome was finished using a Roman technique that added to the Romanesque attributes, consisting of brick shells supported by stone ribs to concentrate the load on the underneath piers, so the dome can easily be read as a cloister vault. The interior of the dome in its entirety was coated with a fresco depicting the Last Judgment, designed by Vasari Giorgio in late 16th century. The fresco painted by Vasari’s student (Frederico Zuccari) wraps around each of the Dome’s curvature and was finished in 1579. The dome piercing Florentine skyline, to make the Duomo rise over 300 feet tall, is described as the “first major dome since chief harbinger and antiquity of the Italian Renaissance (Goldthwaite 17)” The Dome still remains as one of the distinct features that defines Florence and a reminder of its wealth and growth during the Middle Ages. Conclusion The Duomo functions as an artifact in Florence that marked a transition period in the city’s history. The Cathedral symbolized the continuity and growth of religion to the Florentine community as well as the power and wealth of the city that contributed to the great urbanization of the city in the medieval era. The construction has been excavated several times to establish the history of the Santa Reparata and have an insight into the true author of the building. However, it is still an art and architectural object forever representing the evolution of Florence into the great city it is today (Fletcher, 304). The Duomo today may no longer be the revolutionary or the immense structure it was then due to the architectural modernization, increased use of digital tools in the architectural design practice and the society transformation that took place worldwide. However, it still carries on as the jewel of Florence that thousands of tourist from all over the world visit to see. Works Cited Christopher Wilson The Gothic Cathederal (April 2005) ISBN-10: 0500276811 | ISBN-13: 978-0500276815 | Edition: 2nd Revised Fletcher, Banister. A History of Architecture. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1961. Goldthwaite, Richard A. The Building of Renaissance Florence: An Economic and Social History. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1980. Goy, Richard. Florence: The City and its Architecture. London: Phaidon Press Limited, 2002. Toker, Franklin. “Arnolfo’s S. Maria del Fiore: A Working Hypothesis” Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 42. 2 (May 1983): 101-121. Myers Mary L.A Presentation Drawing for the Facade of Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence Master Drawings, Vol. 9, No. 4 (Winter, 1971), pp. 391-398+443-446 Robert Paul. The feud that sparked the Renaissance : how Brunelleschi and Ghiberti changed the art world / New York : William Morrow, 2002. Trachtenberg, Dominion of the Eye: Urbanism, Art, and Power in Early Modern Florence, Cambridge, 1997. Read More