Duopo Brunelleschi's Duoo: The Cradle Of The Renaissance

The Renaissance began in the late 1300s and lasted till the 16th century. Over time, people realized the importance of Roman and Greek architecture, and started to enjoy non-religious art. Artists and sculptors began to make pieces of art that reflected to people's “wants” and “likes”, such as science, human anatomy, classical inspiration, new inventions, and much more. Artists and sculptures, such as Filippo Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, and Da Vinci, became known as humanists. Brunelleschi's Duomo di Santa Maria del Fiore was built in Florence, Italy, and completed in 1436. Florence is recognized as "The Cradle of the Renaissance" because the ideas of humanism began in Florence. The Duomo is most known as the best representation of the Renaissance because of its architecture, the artwork in the Duomo, and it is a symbol of Florence Italy.

Humanists loved to include classical art and architecture into their pieces of work, especially Brunelleschi. He wanted to make the dome based off the Pantheon, since he was fascinated by it. Brunelleschi knew that “there was not enough timber in Tuscany to build a scaffold inside the Cathedral, and the recipe for concrete had been lost since the fall of Rome” (Amaral). He had to find a way to make the dome stand and support itself, while still incorporating arches and columns. Brunelleschi's dome design

“contained two shells for the dome, an inner shell made of a lightweight material, and an outer shell of heavier wind-resistant materials” (Brown). Another innovative idea that Brunelleschi had was to invent “a fast and efficient hoist with the world's fastest reverse gear” which allowed “an ox to raise or lower a load at the flick of a switch” (Amaral). Brunelleschi found a way to make the dome incredibly strong, and in fact, the dome has “survived through hurricane-strength winds, and several earthquakes” (Brown). In conclusion, the Duomo contains classical architecture making it a great example of humanism and the Renaissance.
Definitely, classical background play a big role on the Duomo, but so does the art. For example, Michelangelo’s David was meant to be placed within the Duomo, but since it was gorgeous and extremely tall, it got moved outside. Also, this helps to focus on the beautiful paintings on the inside of the dome, which were “frescoed by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari from 1572 to 1579” (“Dome”). Yes, the paintings on the inner dome are religious, it was made to look nice. The two painters had a choice to keep the dome blank, but they decided to paint it for the enjoyment of the people. The Duomo, in short, was not only made to accomplish the impossible, but also to look nice (Amaral). As a result, the art within the Duomo is another factor that contributes to being the best portrayal of the Renaissance.
Surely, art helps the Duomo exemplify the Renaissance, but the main point is that it symbolizes Florence.

Although the Duomo was originally made to complete the cathedral, and many can argue that it was built for religious purposes, people believed that a church was not sacred without a dome. Originally, people believed that “there was no conceivable way to build a dome that size that would be self-supporting” until the dome was actually completed (Brown). The Duomo “was the greatest architectural feat in the Western world” (Amaral). Accordingly, the Duomo not only embodies the Renaissance, but also expresses Florence as a

whole.
Without a doubt, Brunelleschi's Duomo di Santa Maria del Fiore is the best representation of the Renaissance because of inspiration of the classical architecture and new ideas, the work of art in the church, and the Duomo gives Florence its identity. Brunelleschi “solved one of the greatest architectural puzzles and invented his way to success” (“Filippo Brunelleschi”). The Duomo contained art that made the cathedral look pretty, which helped the it symbolize Florence to give it an identity. By all means, the Duomo di Santa Maria del Fiore best represents the Renaissance.