Most famous sight of Florence it’s Dome of its Cathedral. Lifting to it will give you unforgettable sense and experience; you will enjoy views of the city and the Dome itself. But be ready to spend in line some time. It’s very popular attraction among the tourists.
Dome in Florence has been contrived by the designer of Duomo - Arnolfo di Cambio. But Arnoldo didn’t explain how to build the Dome and left this task for shoulders of his heirs.
After the death of Arnoldo were a few attempts to finish it work. But they all were unsuccessful. For example, in 1367 master Neri di Fioravanti tried to implement Arnoldo’s ideas but all his attempts ended with mishap.
It was only one problem. To build Dome medieval masters used a lot of timbers to support structure until mortar will congeal. Arnoldo had contrived enormous Dome and to support it were needed a lot of timbers. To get it, Florence would to cut down all trees around the city.
It’s worth mentioning that many of masters tried to solve this problem and sometimes they generated extravagant ideas. One of them was to create a mound from mixture of earth and coins under the Dome to support it in hope that after Dome will be finished greedy Florentines will tidy it up.
In the end city’s authorities decided to declare tender and make this project open for public competitors. They did it in year of 1418. This tender has been won by the Filippo Brunelleschi who just returned to Florence from Rome where he studied the art of architecture. Interesting that Brunelleschi defeated his old rival Ghiberti to whom he earlier lost tender on creations of Baptistery’s doors.
Ghiberti had not calmed with his defeat. He constantly tried to interfere Brunelleschi and criticized his work in attempt to be designated also to this job. In one day city’s authorities lent themselves to the Ghiberti’s pleas and made him co-chiefs of the project. But Brunelleschi refused to work together with Ghiberti and resigned. Ghiberti didn’t cope with his responsibilities and soon after Brunelleschi was called by authorities to complete the project.
Brunelleschi was successful not only because he devised revolutionary technology. He was very attentive to the tiny details of the project. For example, he established a kitchen and dinner room for his workers to facilitate the dinner for them.
Brunelleschi dedicated almost all of his life to this project. Few people in Florence believed that it would be possible to implement design of enormous Dome. But Brunelleschi undertook this project and finished it.
The final works on the Dome were completed on 1460s when Dome has been topped by the cross designed by Verrocchio.
