Renaissance architecture first arose in Florence in the 15th century and was a conscious revival of classical styles. The architectural style arose in Florence not as a slow evolution from previous styles, but rather as a development set in motion by architects seeking to revive the golden age of classical antiquity.
This style avoided complex proportional systems and irregular profiles of Gothic structures and focused on the symmetry, proportions, geometry and regularity of details.
Characteristic
The architecture of Florence of the 15th century was distinguished by the use of classical elements, such as the ordered arrangement of columns, pilasters, lintels, semicircular arches and hemispherical domes. Filippo Brunelleschi was the first to develop true Renaissance architecture.
While the huge brick dome that covers the central space of the cathedral of Florence used Gothic technology, it was the first dome built from the time of classical Rome and became a ubiquitous feature in Renaissance churches.
Quattrocento
This term refers to the 1400s, which can also be called the Italian period of the Renaissance of the XV century.
It was marked by the development of the style of architecture of Florence of the Renaissance, which represented the revival and development of ancient Greek and Roman architectural elements. The rules of Renaissance architecture were first formulated and implemented in Florence of the 15th century, the buildings subsequently served as inspiration for architects throughout Italy and Western Europe.
Features
Florence's Renaissance architecture was the vision of Philippe Brunelleschi, whose ability to invent and interpret the ideals of the Renaissance in architecture made him the leading architect of the era. He was responsible for the projects of the early Renaissance (until 1446, the time of his death) and, therefore, laid the foundation for the development of architecture in the remainder of the period and beyond. His most famous work is the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore.
One of the goals of Renaissance Florence architecture was to rethink the ingenuity of Greek and Roman art about 1,500 years ago. Brunelleschi went early to Rome and carefully studied Roman architecture. His designs broke away from the medieval traditions of pointed arches, the use of gold and mosaics. Instead, he used simple, classic designs based on basic geometric shapes. His work and influence can be seen throughout Florence, but the chapel of Pazzi and Santo Spirito are two of his greatest achievements.
Architects of this period were sponsored by wealthy patrons, including the powerful Medici family and the Silk Guild. They approached their craft from an organized and scientific point of view, which coincided with the general revival of classical education. The Renaissance style deliberately avoided complex proportional systems and irregular profiles of Gothic structures. Instead, Renaissance architects focused on symmetry, proportions, geometry, and the correctness of detail, as demonstrated in classical Roman architecture. They also made extensive use of classic antique elements.
Cathedral of Florence
The dome of this cathedral was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi (1377â1446), who is usually credited with the origin of the Renaissance architecture style. Known as the Duomo, it was designed to cover the skeleton in an existing cathedral. The dome retains the Gothic pointed arch and Gothic ribs in its design.
It was created under the influence of similar elements of ancient Rome, such as the Pantheon, and it is often called the first building of the Renaissance. The dome is made of red brick and brilliantly built without supports, using a deep understanding of the laws of physics and mathematics. It remains the largest stone dome in the world.
Leon Battista Alberti (1402â1472)
This architect was another key figure in the history of Renaissance Florence architecture. He was a humanist theorist and designer whose book on architecture, De reedicatoria, was the first Renaissance architectural treatise. Alberti designed the two most famous buildings of the 15th century in Florence: the Palazzo Rucellai and the facade of the church of Santa Maria Novella.
Palazzo Rucellai, a luxurious townhouse built in the years 1446â1451, personified new features of the Renaissance architecture, including the classic arrangement of columns on three levels and the use of pilasters and entablature in proportion to each other.
The facade of Santa Maria Novella (1456â1470) also demonstrated similar Renaissance innovations based on classical Roman architecture. Alberti tried to bring the ideals of humanistic architecture and proportion into an existing structure, creating harmony with the existing medieval facade.
His contribution included a classic frieze decorated with squares, four white-green pilasters and a round window topped with a pediment with a Dominican solar emblem and S-shaped scrolls surrounded on both sides.
While the gable and frieze were inspired by classical architecture, the scrolls were new and had no precedent in antiquity, eventually becoming a very popular architectural feature in churches throughout Italy.
In general, the architecture of Florence of the Renaissance expressed a new sense of light, clarity and spaciousness, which reflected the enlightenment and clarity of mind, glorified by the philosophy of humanism.