The Duomo: The Most Humanistic Ideas During The Renaissance

The structure, approved and paid for by the city council, was a feat of amazing architecture on the part of Fillippo Brunelleschi. This was the largest dome created in that time and it was Brunelleschi’s ingenious design that won the commission against Ghiberti and other artists. The Church’s possession of grand cathedrals like this one served to demonstrate to the people the greatness of the faith and the power of God. There was a religious aspect to the construction of the immense cathedrals and basilicas; the people were paying homage to their god and constructing churches they felt were worthy for him. However, it was also somewhat political, as the grandeur of the churches was displayed to all the people in the city. No one could question the Catholic church’s might and colossal influence after viewing a cathedral such as the

Arguably the greatest and longest impacting movement brought about by the forward thinkers of the Renaissance was humanism. Humanism was a cultural and intellectual movement that emphasized the human potential to attain excellence through direct study of the literature, art, and civilization of the classical Greek and Roman societies (Merriam-Webster). The scholars and believers in humanism sought to change the course of society away from the narrow pedantry of medieval scholasticism and utilitarianism. Humanism was a basic desire for every citizen to be able to speak with eloquence and read and write with clarity, so that common citizens were capable of engaging in the civic life of their communities (Gray). The movement also emphasized the value of a human being as well as the importance of rational thought rather than blind faith in spiritualism or superstition. It also pushed people to explore human desires and pleasures while also enriching their minds. The influential nature of humanism was far reaching and most notable for its effects on Renaissance art, literature, and philosophy.

The Renaissance was a time of great social and cultural change in Europe. It was a period characterized by innovation, imagination, and creativity. During the Renaissance, there were many famous artists, writers, philosophers, and inventors who contributed to the modern world. This basically means that the Renaissance was a time of innovation, imagination, and creativity. Three contributions the Renaissance gave us were art, printing press, and theater.

One of the world’s most famous architects and engineers was born in the Italian city state of Florence sometime in 1377. Although he had a huge influence on building design and construction, and on art, we don’t know a lot about Filippo Brunelleschi’s early life. Nonetheless, he left buildings and artwork that still exist today, and he had two biographers who provided information about his work, from these we can learn a lot about this Renaissance genius. His most important work, the ll Duomo di Firenze (the Dome of the Florence Cathedral), was finished in 1436 and remains as one of the greatest symbols of the period. Before he started building this revolutionary structure, Brunelleschi studied the architecture of Roman buildings and monuments.

What do these pictures of the Pazzi Chapel (exterior and interior) suggest to you about the core ideas/beliefs of the Italian Renaissance?

On March 25th 1436, a historic feat was accomplished that would change architecture, the Renaissance, and the culture of an entire city. On this date the dome of the Santa Maria del Fiore was completed thanks to the architectural genius and innovative new methods by Filippo Brunelleschi. 16 years earlier the Cathedral overseers held a competition in a desperate attempt to find a plausible design to rebuild the dome of the Santa Maria del Fiore which had fallen in. This seemingly impossible task was accomplished by an unlikely goldsmith, with no formal architectural training. He was motivated not simply to prove his own abilities but to also restore pride and beauty to the city of Florence, which had lost something in status since the dome had collapsed. The dome would also stand as a symbol of freedom from the tyranny of its neighboring city Milan, the birth of new ideas, and the abandonment of the oppression of the Middle Ages.

The Renaissance was a period in Europe from the 14th to the 17th century. It is considered a bridge from the Middle Ages to modern history. It started in Italy, and spread to the rest of Europe. The Renaissance represents a cultural rebirth that lead to the discovery and exploration of new continents, the growth of commerce, and various inventions and interest such as paper, printing, art, literature, etc.

The Renaissance was a time that revisited the ideas of antiquity from the culture of their ancient ancestors in order to reach "modern" views that were able to rise above the backward views of the Middle Ages. Antiquity is the cultural ideas rooted in the ancient Greeks and Romans. The Renaissance was a time period that stepped back hundreds of years in order to renew and rebirth the culture that was nearly lost as the Middle Ages began. This was the initial steps taken towards capitalism that was driven by banks and taxes imposed by the princes and diverted away from primarily trading. It was also a time of humanism that focused on the achievements of humans throughout history without opposing their Christian faith.

The arrangements of Renaissance structures have a square, symmetrical appearance in which extents are typically in light of a module. Inside a congregation, the module is frequently the width of a path. The need to coordinate the outline of the arrangement with the façade was presented as an issue in the work of Filippo Brunelleschi, yet he was never ready to convey this part of his work into realization. The primary working to exhibit this was St. Andrea in Mantua by Alberti.Façades are symmetrical around their vertical axis.

Duomos, or Cathedrals in Italian, are some of the most beautiful, inspiring, and mysterious marks in Italian history. There are more than thirty notable Duomos that contain stunning artwork, most are highly decorated and some could even be considered artwork themselves. “One of the most beautiful Duomos in Italy is Siena Cathedral of Santa Maria” (Myrabella). The Duomo of Siena is considered one of the most beautiful because it is lined with many pieces of art. From its facades (front facing exterior wall), to the bell tower, the architecture is a statement in itself. The ceiling, the sides of the walls, and even the floor is covered in masterful pieces of work.

Renaissance humanism arose in northern Italy during the 1300s and lasted to about 1600s, but we can still see evidence of it today. Renaissance humanism was a new way of thinking and learning and was the backbone of the Renaissance. The main centres for renaissance humanism was Florence and Neapel in Italy. This was a time when artists and writers rejected the restrictions of the Middle Ages. Renaissance humanism emphasized common sense, tolerance and personal responsibility. The Italian scholar, Petrarch is considered the first humanist. He revitalised interests in the classical thoughts of the Greeks and Romans. Petrarch studied and imitated the work of many of the great classic writers and was influential in the spread of humanism. Some of the other influential writer/humanists of the Renaissance was Niccolo Machiavelli was an Italian writer and humanist. He wrote “The Prince” exposing the political conspiracy of the time. The Italian writer, poet and humanist, Giovanni Boccaccio corresponded with Petrarch and wrote several notable books. Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni expressed his poetry in sculptures, paintings and architecture before taking literary form in his later years. Leonardo Da Vinci was a creative force and a polymath. He’s considered one of the greatest minds in the world. His work is immortal (Editors,

The Renaissance was a massive rebirth of classical art and literature. They created art to teach, glorify, and remember history and religion. The Renaissance started in the fifteenth century, and lasted all the way through to the seventeenth century. The word renaissance means “rebirth”. It is viewed as “a period of great awakening” because people began to see the world around them.

During the shift from the middle ages into the Renaissance period new conceptions of the individual and the human mind quickly came to light. Although art in the Middle Ages was centered predominantly on religion and faith, the incoming art of the Renaissance underwent a drastic change. A vast amount of these changes mainly focused on individualism, secularism, and humanism. Following the collapse of the feudal system, thoughts of individualism quickly rose when people realized that they didn’t have to adhere to a specific group.Throughout the beginning of the Renaissance, religious figures and the Catholic Church began to lose authority which conducted in new ideas of secularism. Comparably, humanistic art and notions became preeminent when individuals focused on glorifying the human body, learning more about it and inclined more towards realistic art.

The renaissance was a period of change in the society. It was the rebirth of the world; a new age. It lasted from the 1300’s until the 1600’s. During that time period, there was something called the reformation, which also brought change to society. The renaissance and reformation have changed in three ways including religious, political, and social ways.

The Renaissance was an efflorescence of the arts and changes in many different areas such as political, social, economical, and cultural. It was the rebirth of art, literature, and learning in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from an agricultural to an urban society. The Renaissance ideals emphasized ideas of humanism and human achievement. Artists and writers used realistic techniques, such as perspective, and they believed man should be the subject of study, not God.