Brunelleschi's Dome for Florence Cathedral is one of the most honored architectural and engineering achievements the world has ever known.
The Cathedral of Sta. Maria dei Fiori, better known as the "Duomo", (house of God), was bult by the architect Arnolfo di Cambio between 1296 and1326.
The Duomo was left unfinished, as no one knew how to construct a dome nearly 150 feet across, and starting at 180 feet high,
over such a large span, which had been capped over until the 1400's.
The only precedent was that of the Pantheon in Rome, construced in the first century AD.
In 1418, a contest was held for the dome, and two finalists were Lorenzo Ghiberti (creator of the "Gates of Paradise" on the Baptistery), and Filippo Brunelleschi.
Because Brunelleschi's plan was to build the dome with no wooden "centering", his design was chosen.
Constructed between 1420 and 1436, Brunelleschi's dome is built with two shells, the outer one seen here,
which exerts force outward, counterbalanced by an inner dome exerting force inward,
the two connected by huge wooden beams and iron clamps.
Visitors can climb the dome using the original stairway between the two dome shells,
where the large beams and original brickwork can be seen with its
herringbone pattern of bricks that were made specifically for each layer.
If you look closely in the image, you can see people at the very top of the dome, below the lantern built by Michelozzo in 1461 after Brunelleschi's death in 1446,
Seeing people in the image gives a sense of proportion to this enormous structure.
and makes one wonder at the engineering feat that took place during the construction process.
The ball and cross on the top were made by Brunelleschi's friend Andrea Verrocchio in 1461.
To raise the enormous weights of stone at great heights, Brunelleschi is credited for creating a lifting device, first worked
with human labor and later with oxen.
Some of the tools used to construct the dome can be seen in the Museo del Duomo, currently closed for construction of the
new Museum, due to open in late 2015.
Behold the miracle !!!
