Rennaissance

Dean T. Hentz
HS 342G
The Italian Renaissance
Dr. Geoff Haywood

FILIPPO THE “NEW DAEDALUS”: HOW TO TURN FAILURE INTO SUCCESS

Certainly Filippo Brunelleschi is one of the most noted figures in the Italian Renaissance; doubtless, he is the most noted architect. The eminent monument to this man’s building skill is the Florence Cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore. Brunelleschi is credited with solving the unique architectural challenges this building presented. Alberti wrote in Della Pittura that the cathedral rose “above the skies, ample to cover with its shadow all the Tuscan people” (Hyman 1).
The Florentines called Filippo the New Daedalus after the legendary architect of ancient Rome. An exploration of Brunelleschi’s handling of the challenges inherent in the completion of the Florence Cathedral exemplify the essence of the Renaissance, an epoch when thinkers reached back in time to capture and apply the wisdom and learning of ancient Greece and Rome. ...