Brunelleschi's Dome

Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture by Ross King is one of those rare history books that despite being full of facts, figures, and citations is also a wonderfully satisfying read. Ross King brings both Filippo Brunelleschi and his incredible dome to life in vivid detail. King describes the structure of Brunelleschi's life through layer after layer of detail about Renaissance life, food, guilds, war, city rivalries, and brickbuilding while simultaneously deconstructing Brunelleschi's dome for us by exposing layer after layer of brick, rings, ribs, and herringbone patterns. We also witness the intense and life-long rivalry between two of the Renaissance's most brilliant and controversial geniuses Brunelleschi and Lorenzo Ghiberti.

I visited Florence's cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore and saw Brunelleschi's dome up close many years ago and can still picture the cathedral in my mind. There is one particular viewpoint high on a hill overlooking the city that gives you an uninterrupted view of the city, some of its medieval wall fortifications and Santa Maria del Fiore. The cathedral and the dome dwarf the rest of the city. It stands tall and proud and dominant in a sea of smaller red roofed buildings that seem to serve as a mere anchor for the glory of Brunelleschi's dome.