CHAPTER II

THE DOME OF FLORENCE

Exhibits a wide departure from older dome constructions--Sources of the architect’s inspiration--General character of earlier domes--Remarkable construction of the dome of the Florentine Baptistery--It probably supplied the chief inspiration to both Arnolfo and Brunelleschi--Brunelleschi’s departures from the Baptistery scheme--His structural system and his own account of it--No Gothic character possible in a dome--The dome of Florence a daring innovation--Its general dimensions--Brunelleschi’s great ability as a constructor--His achievement of the work without the usual centring--Consideration of the dome as a work of art--The inherent weakness of its form--This not appreciated by the early Italian writers--Precautions taken for its stability--Signs of disintegration--Uncertainty as to its duration--Opinions of the early Italian writers as to its security--Structural integrity essential to good architecture--No classic character in Brunelleschi’s dome--Inferior character of the classic details of the lantern 10