Looking for something interesting to watch this Easter break? Check out the NOVA/National Geographic special “The Great Cathedral Mystery” about the construction of Brunelleschi’s dome atop the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy.
The full episode is available here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/great-cathedral-mystery.html
You’ll learn about how Filippo Brunelleschi, a fifteenth century metalsmith, was able to bridge a chasm of 150 feet by building a dome nearly 300 feet in the air without using any internal supporting framework—a task that would be difficult even with today’s technology. Brunelleschi developed a special bricklaying technique and also invented the first reversing gear system for hoisting tools and materials. These were just a few of his innovations that allowed the dome to rise skyward, unsupported from within.
Then for more details, check out Brunelleschi’s Dome by Ross King, available here in the library. The television program and the book complement each other well because the program focuses on unraveling the methods used to build the dome, while the book dives deeper into the life of Brunelleschi and the context and history of the period in which the cathedral was built.
Have a nice break!