About the Brunelleschi Seminar Walk in Florence
One cannot imagine the skyline of Florence without picturing the flaming brick-red dome of the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, better know as the Duomo. With this accomplishment, Filippo Brunelleschi, the creator of the dome, permanently changed the face of Florence and of architecture, in general. Florence is home to many of Brunelleschi's other creations and designs, some little known, and during the course of this seminar-based walk we will explore some of these inspiring spaces in order to trace the legacy left behind by this Renaissance master.
Our walk will begin with one of Brunelleschi's later works, the simple and graceful church of Santo Spirito. Considered by many to be his ultimate masterpiece, this unique church will illustrate both Brunelleschi's skill as an architect and his passion as an artist. From here, we will slowly snake our way through the city center, observing various places that were both created by Brunelleschi or served as his inspiration, such as the M
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One cannot imagine the skyline of Florence without picturing the flaming brick-red dome of the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, better know as the Duomo. With this accomplishment, Filippo Brunelleschi, the creator of the dome, permanently changed the face of Florence and of architecture, in general. Florence is home to many of Brunelleschi's other creations and designs, some little known, and during the course of this seminar-based walk we will explore some of these inspiring spaces in order to trace the legacy left behind by this Renaissance master.
Our walk will begin with one of Brunelleschi's later works, the simple and graceful church of Santo Spirito. Considered by many to be his ultimate masterpiece, this unique church will illustrate both Brunelleschi's skill as an architect and his passion as an artist. From here, we will slowly snake our way through the city center, observing various places that were both created by Brunelleschi or served as his inspiration, such as the Medieval church of Santi Apostoli. The apex of the walk will coincide with our delve into the dramatic creation of the emblematic Duomo.
We will end at the beginning, in terms of the architect's career- in the placid Piazza Santissima Annunziata, home to the Ospedale degli Innocenti, an orphanage run by Brunelleschi's own trade guild, the Silkmakers, and his first architectural commission. The extended loggias and soaring arches of the Ospedale would become some of Brunelleschi's trademarks, of which we will have seen repeated throughout the walk. If extra time remains, we will visit the Medici church of San Lorenzo, one of Brunelleschi's most important commissions, where his Old Sacristy is a model of elegance and balance.
The seminar will also delve into Brunelleschi's talents as engineer and mathematician. His ideas regarding one-point perspective revolutionized the painting styles of the times, helping to introduce a more realistic representation of man and his surroundings, as opposed to the immobile figures of the Medieval era. In sum, the seminar will be an in depth investigation of a man and his life's work- a story that is still being told by the city of Florence every day.
