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Sarah Ward
Mr. Carnes
Geography Honors 3
24 November 2010
Italian Architecture
Someone said that “Architecture is a visual art, and the buildings speak for
themselves.” Italian buildings do speak for themselves. The biggest rush of
Architecture was during the renaissance. The cathedral was finished. In the 1400s
lots of Christian artwork was completed. Italians did a lot of building in the 14th
century. Italian architecture changed the world.
Italian architecture includes the successive styles and methods of buildings
that developed in Italy from the 11th century to modern times. The earliest
architecture was realized in Romanesque modes with vault forms derived from
ancient Roman models. The semicircular arch, tunnel vault, and groin (a low wall or
sturdy timber barrier built out into the sea from a beach to check erosion and
drifting.) vault were used in massive buildings with small windows and heavy walls.
In the 11th century, builders in northern Italy made important advances.
They inserted diagonal arches under the groins of Roman cross vaults to create a
functional framework or massive ribs, and introduced alternating systems of heavy
and lighter piers to carry the vaults of their churches. The lighter piers supported
the low vaults of the aisles, and the massive alternate piers carried the high ribbed
vaults of the nave (central part of a church, the chapel). Gothic architecture entered
northern Italy by way from Germany in the 13th century, but did not become
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popular except in Po valley and Tuscany. Italian architects understood the structural
advantages of pointed arches and ribbed vaults, but did not like the soaring vertical
lines, dynamic forms, and large windows of the French style. Gothic appears heavy
and uninspiring. These designs did not last long.
The renaissance style originated in Italy as an import manifestation of the
intellectual vitality and progressive spirit that marked the renaissance movement in
general. The conscious aim of its creators was to recover ancient Roman principles
of design, particularly the classical column and lintel construction. They sought out
to use the knowledge in designing types of buildings, churches, chapels, and palaces.
Filippo Brunelleschi, from Florence, was an engineer and architect. He was the first
to study and use the ancient orders of columns and entablatures and the first to
comprehend the essential role of proportion in classic designs.
His demonstration of this was the building of the great dome for the
cathedral of Florence. Bramante made significant contributions to the scheme of St.
Peters in Rome and built other famous churches and places. The classical purity of
designs that inspires is tempietto (small temple) foreshadowing the high
renaissance. The designs of high renaissance are distinguished by vigorous,
neatness, and a bold richness tempered by dignified reserve. Michelangelo
masterpieces include Florence as the vestibule (an antechamber, hall, or lobby next
to the outer door of a building) of the Laurentian Library and the Sacristy of the
church of San Lorenso. Michelangelo enhanced the expressive possibilities of
architecture and prepared the way for the habit of the baroque style. Baroque
architecture is noted essentially for its use of curved lines as characterized by a bold
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plasticity. Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini designed the famous plaza of St. Peter’s the
Royal Staircase. Francesco Borromini developed a more free and original style in his
San Carlo church in Rome.
The Florence cathedral began construction in the late 13th century and
continued during the 14th century. They lacked the engineering to know how to
construct it. It revived in 1407, when a young sculptor-turned-architect, Filippo
Brunelleschi proposed a technical solution. Filippo’s father had been involved in the
original plans for the cathedral dome. He solved the problem of the dome. He was at
first trained in goldsmiths but wanted to further his education so he traveled to
Rome with a friend, Donatello a sculptor. He studied ancient Roman sculpture and
architecture. He tackled the problem of the cathedral on his way back. He advised
constructing a tall octagonal drum, as a base. It was finished in 1412 and in 1417
was ready to design the dome. From 1420 to 1436 workers built the dome. It was
138 feet across. Supported by eight large and sixteen lighter ribs. Each portion of the
structure reinforced the next one. The inner and outer shells were linked internally
by a system of arches. When it was completed it did not need an external support
unit to keep it standing. A lantern designed in 1436 surmounted the round opening
in the center of the dome. After Brunelleschi’s death, Michelozzo Di Bartolomeo
completed the crowning structure. The final touch was a gilt bronzed ball.
Brunelleschi might have been involved in designing the near by Medici
Palace in 1446. Cosimo de Medici the Elder rejected Brunelleschi’s model for the
palace because it was too grand. The courtyards of both buildings were work of
Michwlozzo. Many people have accepted that he was the designer of the building.
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Medici is a square in plan with rooms arranged symmetrically. The classical
elements inspired by the study of Roman ruins give the house an aura of dignity and
stability. Many other wealthy people copied it. A door was made and called The
Baptistery of San Giovanni. They face the main entrance to the cathedral. It is of
Jacob and Esau.
The Florence Baptistery is an ancient octagonal Romanesque building, which,
in the 15th century, had such a reputation for antiquity that some thought it had
originally been a Roman temple. A famous competition was announced in 1401 for
the right to decorate the doors of the Florence Baptistery, dedicated to saint John
The Baptist and a focal point of Florentine life. This assigned subject for the
competition was Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac. Ghiberti worked for almost a quarter
of a century on the north doors, completing twenty panels. While he was finishing
up, The Cathedral authorities commissioned him to execute another set of panels for
the East doors. This commission occupied the next quarter of a century, and the
result of the labor was so striking that Michelangelo later said” Ghiberti’s East Doors
were not unworthy to be called the “the Gates of Paradise.” Even thought
Brunelleschi lost to Ghiberti in the sculpture competition, he made a major
contribution to this early developmental phase of Renaissance art in another area.
The Cathedral was still unfinished in the early 15th century, although the nave easily
complete no one had quite figured out how to span the great area without immense
buttresses on the outside and supporting armatures on the inside. Brunelleschi
worked in the Cathedral problem between 1417 to 1420. He tried simultaneously to
solve the technical aspects of doming the building and convincing the skeptical
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cathedral overseers that it could be done. The brilliance of it cannot be over praised.
It was a breath taking achievement, as well as an incredible success. Brunelleschi’s
wanted to combine the buttressing methods of the gothic cathedral and classic
vaulting techniques that he had mastered by his careful study of the Roman
Pantheon and other buildings from antiquity. He did not study Rome’s Pantheon to
rebuild it but as an exercise in order to better create church architecture. Synthesis
came when people took what they had recovered from the past and transformed
what they discovered to meet the needs of their own contemporary situations.
Study of the past is used for the designs in the day was extensive. It would be
misleading to see the Renaissance as a naïve recovery of the classical past.
The Gothic style from France spread throughout Europe. The first Gothic
architects did not introduce any new forms but the architectural style and building
technique completely changed. The Basilica of Saint Deni’s was a large stained glass
window. The most distinctive character of the Gothic architecture in the pointed
arches. Notre- Dame Cathedran si one of the best examples of Combination of Gothic
and Romanesque architectural styles. The Gothic designs are defined in religious
buildings. Besides the pointed arches that created an appearance of height, was later
emphasized by high towers and spires. Larger windows let in more light; they are
one of the most distinctive Gothic architecture. Gothic churches and Cathedrals
feature rich decoration both inside and outside; they decorate with pointed arches,
sculptured decoration commonly depicting the biblical stories and miracles. They
also show the important biblical figures. Stained glass windows illustrated teachings
of the bible. They also show depictions of kings and powerful nobles.
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Early Christian art developed before the fall of Rome. They were persecuted
and met in secret before the Edict of Milian. The safest place for them was the
Catacombs. In the catacombs there were different pictures of describing bible
stories. Its out side was plain, but the inside was richly decorated. Walls were
covered with marble and coated with gold. Most Early Christian architecture was
destroyed after the end of the 5th century. The gothic was not greatly developed in
Italy, but an exception is the cathedral of Milan, built in part foreign architects. The
Gothic era was not very popular in Italy.
Italy has many famous buildings and people. The cathedral was a big success.
Italian artwork is amazing. The buildings are amazing, even though I’ve only seen
pictures of them. Italian architecture has inspired the world to make bigger
buildings and try different designs. The cathedral was built with a dome roof and
now many theaters are built that way so that sound carries. Like I quoted “
Architecture is a visual art and, the buildings speak for themselves.”
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Work Cited
Cunningham, Lawrence S and John J. Reich. Culture and Values, A Survey of The
Humanities: Cengage learning, 2009.
Essential Architecture. 2010, November 24, 2010. http://www.essentialarchiture.com/ARCHITECT/ARCH-bramante.htm.
Infoplease. Gothic Influences, 2005, November 24, 2010
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0858933.html.
Middle Ages-Medieval Times History website. 2010, November 24, 2010.
http://www.medievaltimes.info/medieval-art-and-architecture/early-christian-artand-architecture.html.
“Middle Ages- Medieval Times History” Website. Gothic Art and Architecture, 2010.
November 24, 2010. http://medievaltimes.info/medical-art-andarchitecture/gothic-art-and-architecture.html.
Stokstad, Maryilyn. Art History: Fourteenth to Seventeenth Century Art. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: 2009.
Swift, Emerson H. “Italian Architecture.” New Age Encyclopedia. Lexicon, 1977.