The cupola that cheers

As its subtitle indicates, this book tells a story, the fascinating story of the construction of the Dome of Florence Cathedral…

As its subtitle indicates, this book tells a story, the fascinating story of the construction of the Dome of Florence Cathedral in the early 15th century to the design of the clock-maker and goldsmith Filippo Brunelleschi.

The book weaves together detailed technical descriptions, insights into the cultural and social life of Florence at the time and anecdotes about the occasionally bizarre behaviour of some great and revered figures of early Renaissance Italy. Ross King, who has written novels, gives us a sense of the intense rivalries and drama which accompanied the project.

The Cathedral had already been under construction for more than 100 years when a competition was held in 1418 for designs for the vaulting of the Dome and the required scaffolds, lifting devices and so on.

Indeed, the precise pointed shape of the dome had been agreed on 50 years before, and competitors were required to conform to this design.

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The problem was that no-one knew how to construct such a thing, and this was the question asked of Brunelleschi and his competitors. The genius of Brunelleschi's winning solution was that he had proposals not just for how to make it stand up, but also for how to go about the complex task of constructing it.

In 1401 Brunelleschi had been narrowly beaten by Ghiberti in the competition to design the bronze doors for the Baptistery next door to Florence Cathedral. When asked by the 34 judges to work in collaboration with Ghiberti, because they were so impressed by both entries, Brunelleschi refused, retreated to Rome and gave up working as a sculptor. Accompanied by Donatello, he used his time in Rome well, researching and studying the architecture of the ancient Romans. One of my favourite images in the book is of the two men living rough and foraging among the ruins of former glory, measuring, surveying and recording in a desolate and almost abandoned Rome.

Brunelleschi only returned permanently to Florence when the Dome competition was announced. Here again the judges could not decide between two entries and Ghiberti and Brunelleschi were again asked to collaborate. This time Brunelleschi was supremely confident that only he knew how to build the Dome, and was determined to do so. He reluctantly agreed to the proposal.

He started on the work, and then exposed Ghiberti's ignorance of construction by feigning illness at a critical stage when important design input was needed and telling the judges that Ghiberti would solve it, as he had equal role as designer. Ghiberti was eventually dismissed. This was a period of intense creativity for Brunelleschi; he designed a number of remarkable machines to facilitate the works, the most innovative being an oxdriven hoist with a reversible gear. The young Leonardo da Vinci visited the site as an apprentice and made a series of sketches of the machinery, and is therefore sometimes credited with their design.

It is not quite clear who this book is aimed at. While the illustrations are interesting and helpful, as an architect I would have liked more of them, in particular more precise drawings and diagrams. But that is probably the nature of the book: it is informative and highly readable, carefully balancing the specialist information with anecdotes and social background. It will appeal to a wide range of people, not just those who already have an interest in the subject.

Sheila O'Donnell is a partner in O'Donnell Tuomey architects and teaches architecture in University College Dublin