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Great Read if you are planning to climb Brunelleschi's Dome in Florence

Posted by (San Franciso Bay Area, USA) on

I will be traveling to Florence again in a few weeks. In preparation for my trip, I wanted to dig a bit deeper into the art and architecture. I just finished reading Brunelleschi's Dome by Ross King. It is a fascinating read on one of the greatest engineering achievements of the Renaissance. At just under 170 pages, it brings the history and the innovations to light, everything from how to construct a Dome of that size to the new machinery of hoists and cranes invented to enable the construction.

Last time I went, I climbed the Dome. I wished I had read this book in advance as there are so many things I missed in that climb. Just wanted to share this recommendation for those traveling to Florence and will be climbing the Dome. Even if you are not, it is amazing just to understand the revolutionary engineering required, the background on the political climate, and the interpersonal relationships of the key Renaissance artists involved with the construction.

Posted by
1713 posts

It is a great read, and he was quite the Renaissance figure. There's a Florence itinerary to see some of his other works:
http://www.aboutflorence.com/Itineraries-in-Florence/brunelleschi.html
There is also a Tuscan site not far from Pisa with Brunelleschi's imprint. The fortifications of Vicopisano are not so dramatic as the Firenze cupola, but they are easy to visit.
https://brunelleschi.imss.fi.it/itineraries/place/FortifiedSystemOfVicopisano.html

Posted by
3969 posts

Loved that book prior to climbing the dome. I think I was the only person snapping pictures of the tools left high up in the dome, somewhat near the top. I loved King’s other books too of Renaissance figures, especially Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling.

Posted by
840 posts

FYI his tomb is in the basement of the Duomo if you visit the Santa Reparata sight underneath the Duomo. It's sectioned off now but I swear my memories of visiting several decades ago was that it was in gift shop area that used to be in the basement of the Duomo. I remember literally stumbling across it and being shocked that it wasn't treated more seriously, but it was a long time ago.

=Tod

Posted by
964 posts

Thank you all for the recommendations on other books and the tomb. I am so looking forward to seeing the cathedral is a whole new light.

Posted by
4452 posts

If you do some google, there have been many documentaries done on the dome as well. I'm guessing Youtube is full of them.

Posted by
4380 posts

I loved that book even though I never have, and never will, climb the dome.

Posted by
38 posts

I just finished that book as well (a month after climbing the cupola with my teen). Ross King features in a few documentaries available on BBC Select (free trial through Prime Video), the most germane being Italy's Invisible Cities: Florence, which recounts some of the saga of Brunelleschi's dome and shows you a 3-D scan of it. Rocky Ruggiero has a nice interview with King on his podcast (episodes 72-74 would be a fitting listen).

I'm starting Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling next. As a teacher, I always advise to study first, then take your field trip, but I love that while reading these books I already have a geocache of locations and repository of images with which to bolster the terminology. I think it would be a much harder read had I not just returned from Florence and Rome.

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