Renaissance part 1
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The document provides an overview of Renaissance architecture in Italy, beginning in the late 14th century. It discusses key architectural features and influences, as well as important architects of the period like Filippo Brunelleschi. Brunelleschi's works, such as the dome of Florence Cathedral and the Foundling Hospital, demonstrated his innovative use of classical forms and linear perspective. The Pazzi Chapel is also highlighted for its harmonious proportions and interplay of solids and voids, foreshadowing the Baroque style.
Renaissance part 1
- 1. Renaissance Architecture (Italian) - Introduction to Renaissance Architecture - Architectural features of Renaissance Architecture
- 2. ✓ The Renaissance (Italian: Rinascimento, from ri- "again"and nascere "be born") was a cultural movement that spanned roughly from the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Florence in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. ✓ Italy - In the middle ages, was composed of different city-states and fiefdoms eg Florence, Venice, Milan, Mantua. ✓ Florence – is considered as the birthplace of the Renaissance ✓ The term ‘Renaissance’ refers in particular to the growing infatuation of the Italian intelligentsia (intellectuals or highly educated people as a group, especially when regarded as possessing culture and political influence) with Roman antiquity ( the ancient past, especially the period of classical and other human civilizations before the Middle Ages), whether it be the writings of Cicero and his contemporaries or with the study of Roman ruins. Time and Place
- 3. Italian Renaissance ✓ It also refers, in the field of painting, to the discovery of perspective. The first known picture to make use of linear perspective was created by the Florentine architect Fillipo Brunelleschi(1377- 1446). Painted in 1415, it depicted the Baptistery in Florence from the front gate of the unfinished cathedral. ✓ Nonetheless, the interior of the Pazzi Chapel, begun by Brunelleschi in 1429 but finished by other architects, set the tone for the type of architecture that emphasized the use of columns, pilasters and entablatures all unified by a proportional system that governed the height, widths, and intercolumniations of the pilasters. ✓ Though the detailing of the column and the bases was inspired by Roman buildings, Brunelleschi was still not using the orders in their distinctive categories of Doric, Ionic & Corinthian. ✓ That emerged only somewhat later & was first insisted upon by Alberti in his treatise De re aedificatoria (1452), now known as The Ten Books on Architecture. ✓ Key was the discovery (1415) of a copy of a manuscript of Vitruvius’s Ten Books on Architecture in the Abbey Library of St. Gall in Switzerland. Alberti studied the manuscript & used it as an inspiration for his own work.
- 4. ✓ Covering a wide range of subjects - from choice of materials to the history of architecture, & from different types of buildings to the philosophy of beauty – Alberti’s treatise was written not only for architects but also for patrons eager to understand the logic of representation through buildings. ✓ Other phenomena accompanied what is now defined by the words Renaissance architecture- the difference between the architect & the craftsman was now accepted, & architectural drawings became more common. ✓ Sebastiano Serlio (1475- 1554) wrote a treatise, five books of which he finished, that was more visual than Alberti’s treatise, which had no illustrations.Serlio’s book has dozens of drawings, showing a variety of built & unbuilt projects. ✓ Questions about the nature of ancient Roman architecture & about the proportional systems that the Romans used were not easy to resolve and led to a wide range of interpretations. ✓ Nonetheless, the Renaissance did require a rigorous attention to proportion & as a result, facades become flatter & volumes more regularized. Italian Renaissance
- 6. Horizontal layers of columns, entablatures & cornices. ✓The vertical dimension began to be articulated by horizontal layers of columns, entablatures & cornices.
- 7. Pilasters, Niche, Aediculae ✓Niche and aediculae now entered the architect’s vocabulary as secondary elements, to be placed between pilasters. ✓Windows were framed & often pedimented.
- 8. Early Renaissance ca. 1400-1500 Brunelleschi, Alberti High Renaissance ca. 1500-1525 Bramante Late Renaissance ca. 1525-1600 Palladio The Phases of the Renaissance
- 9. ✓ Inspired by Roman buildings, orderly arrangements of columns, pilasters and lintels, as well as the use of semicircular arches hemispherical domes, niches and aedicules replaced the more complex proportional systems and irregular profiles of medieval buildings. ✓ Plans - square, symmetrical appearance in which proportions are usually based on a module. ✓ Facades - symmetrical around their vertical axis, domestic buildings are often surmounted by a cornice ✓ Columns and pilasters - the Roman orders of columns are used: Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian and Composite. ✓ Arches – semi circular ✓ Vaults – do not have ribs ✓ Domes - the dome is used frequently, both as a very large structural feature that is visible from the exterior Characteristics
- 10. Interior courtyard of the Palazzo Farnese, Rome, by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger and Michelangelo, 1517–89. Palazzo Massimo Alle Colonne Rome, 1532-36
- 11. ✓ Plans - square, symmetrical appearance in which proportions are usually based on a module The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore or the Florence Cathedral Plan of Chateau de Chamborg, France 1519-1527
- 12. ✓ Facades - symmetrical around their vertical axis, domestic buildings are often surmounted by a cornice. Palladian Villas
- 13. ✓ Ceilings - roofs are fitted with flat or coffered ceilings, frequently painted or decorated ✓ Doors - usually have square lintels, set within an arch or surmounted by a triangular or segmental pediment, in the Mannerist period the ―Palladian arch was employed. ✓ Walls - external walls are generally of highly finished ashlar masonry, laid in straight courses, the corners of buildings are often emphasised by rusticated quoins, basements and ground floors were often rusticated ✓ Details -courses, mouldings and all decorative details are carved with great precision. Studying and mastering the details of the ancient Romans was one of the important aspects of Renaissance theory, mouldings stand out around doors and windows rather than being recessed, as in Gothic Architecture, sculptured figures may be set in niches or placed on plinths. Characteristics
- 14. Ceilings - roofs are fitted with flat or coffered ceilings, frequently painted Above: Sant'Agostino, Rome Giacomo di Pietrasanta, 1483 Doors - usually have square lintels, set within an arch or surmounted by a triangular or segmental pediment
- 15. Palazzo Medici- Riccardi, Michelozzo di Bartolomeo. Quoining on the corners of Palazzo Aragona Gonzaga, Rome. ✓ Walls - external walls are generally of highly finished ashlar masonry, laid in straight courses, the corners of buildings are often emphasised by rusticated quoins, basements and ground floors were often rusticated
- 16. Floor & Wall Treatment ✓ A popular decorative treatment of the Renaissance palazzo was rustication, in which a masonry wall is textured rather than smooth. This can entail leaving grooves in the joints between smooth blocks, using roughly dressed blocks, or using blocks that have been deliberately textured. The rustication of a Renaissance palazzo is often differentiated between stories. ✓ Planked or parquet hardwood, Marble and terracotta tiles are frequently used in Italian Renaissance floors. Area rugs add cozy comfort to wood, marble or tile floors. Wall-to-wall carpet is seldom seen in this style of home. Marble counter tops, fireplace mantels and columns enhance the Italian Renaissance ambiance. Scagliola is a less expensive substitute for natural marble.
- 17. The Architects of the Renaissance ✓ Filippo Brunelleschi (1377 –1446) ✓ Michelozzo di Bartolomeo (1396-1472) ✓ Leon Battista Alberti( 1404-1472) ✓ Donato Bramante (1444 –1514) ✓ Andrea Palladio (1508 –1580) ✓ Giacomo da Vignola (1507 –1573) ✓ Michelangelo Buonarotti (1475 – 1564)
- 18. Filippo Brunelleschi Filippo Brunelleschi (1377 1446) was one of the foremost architects and engineers of the Italian Renaissance. He is perhaps most famous for his discovery of perspective and for engineering the dome of the Florence Cathedral, but his accomplishments also include other architectural works, sculpture, mathematics, engineering and even ship design. His principal surviving works are to be found in Florence, Italy. Brunelleschi’s Discovery of Perspective ✓ A Florence goldsmith, Brunelleschi moved to Rome and visited the ancient ruins. Brunelleschi codified the principles of geometrically accurate linear perspective, making possible the exact representation of a 3-dimensional object on a 2‐dimensional surface. In making careful drawings of such repetitive elements as the arches of aqueducts, ✓ He realized that parallel horizontal lines converge at a point on the horizon and that elements of like size diminish proportionally in the distance. ✓ Brunelleschi observed that with a fixed single point of view, parallel lines appear to converge at a single point in the distance. Brunelleschi a p p l i e d a s i n g l e vanishing point to a canvas, and discovered a method for calculating depth.
- 19. Florence cathedral-Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore
- 20. ✓ The plan, designed by Arnolfo di Cambio (1232 -1300), was unusual, calling for a broad nave leading to an octagonal, domed apse. ✓ The design specifications for the building explicitly banned exterior buttresses. ✓ The basic design idea of a basilica – plus – octagon was retained, but on a larger scale. Florence cathedral-Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore
- 22. ✓ Fillipo Brunelleschi won the competition in 1418. ✓ Brunelleschi drew upon his knowledge of ancient Roman construction as well as lingering Gothic traditions to produce an innovative synthesis. ✓ Employed the Gothic pointed arch cross section instead of a semi circular one ✓ To reduce dead load, he created a double shell as was done in the Pantheon ✓ Employed 24 vertical ribs and 5 horizontal rings of sandstone, as observed in the ruins of Roman construction. ✓ He made a curving rib- lattice structure with an outer & inner dome of brick laid in herringbone fashion to ensure unity. ✓ The dome terminated with an oculus about 7 m. in diameter, superseded by normal lantern (built in 1446) whose weight guaranteed that the ribs were in compression. ✓ From here on out the dome would become an important element in monumental European Architecture. ✓ The cupola on top was a temple of masonry acting as a weight on top of the dome. The Florence Cathedral dome (1436) by Filippo Brunelleschi Florence cathedral-Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore
- 23. Axonometric view of the cupola
- 24. The Foundling Hospital, 1421-1444 by Filippo Brunelleschi ✓ Featured a continuous arcade ✓ At the hospital the arcading is three dimensional, creating a loggia with domed vaults in each bay. ✓ Use of Corinthian columns across its main facade and around an internal courtyard. ✓ The design was based in Roman architecture.
- 25. The Foundling Hospital (Ospedale degli Innocenti ), 1421-1444 Plan of hospital
- 26. The Foundling Hospital (Ospedale degli Innocenti ), 1421-1444 Elevation of hospital
- 27. ✓ Loggias – roofed over open outdoor spaces – were highly valued and served both functional and symbolic purposes. The Foundling Hospital, 1421-1444 by Filippo Brunelleschi
- 28. ✓ One of the most spectacular loggia was one at the Foundling Hospital (Ospedale degli Innocenti, 1419- 24, finished 1445), built by Silk Guild association in Florence. Though it had set up wards and hospitals, this building was specifically for abandoned children. ✓ A special door with a rotating panel was built in the facade so that a child could be deposited anonymously. ✓ By the year 1640, more than 1600 infants and children lived there, along with 40 priests, nurses and administrators. ✓ The loggia that constitutes the building’s facade was designed by Brunelleschi, and even though its prototype was medieval, its style was markedly new. ✓ The columns, modeled carefully on classical precedent, are the earliest examples of archaelogically correct Corinthian capitals in 15th century. (If Brunelleschi wanted to be more Roman, he would not have set the columns on thin plinths only 5cm. High). ✓ The facade consists of a long unbroken entablature. ✓ The arches are semicircular rather than pointed. ✓ Rondels (curved panel) depicting babies in swaddling clothes decorate the space between the arches. ✓ The vaults, also spherical, were originally covered with a sloping wooden roof. ✓ The attic level was added later. The Foundling Hospital (Ospedale degli Innocenti ), 1421-1444
- 29. San Lorenzo, Florence, (1430-33) This church is seen as one of the milestones of Renaissance architecture, with pietra serena or dark stone articulation.
- 30. San Lorenzo, Florence, (1430-33)
- 31. San Lorenzo, Florence, (1430-33) ✓ Plan is basilican in form ✓ Central arcaded flat ceilinged space ✓ Square Sail-vaulted side aisles and shallow dark side chapels (added after 1463) ✓ Sacristy grouped around the domed crossing and transepts. ✓ The nave is brightly lit from clerestory windows and oculi in the aisles. ✓ The attempt to create a proportional relationship between nave and aisle (aisle bays are square whereas nave bays are 2X1) ✓ The articulation of the structure in ‘dark stone’(grey stone column against white plaster walls). ✓ The use of an integrated system of column, arches, entablatures. ✓ A clear relationship between column and pilaster ✓ The use of proper proportions for the height of the columns ✓ The use of spherical segments in the vaults of the side aisles.
- 32. Pazzi Chapel, 1460 ✓ The facade was inspired by the Roman triumphal arch. ✓ small domed chapel ✓ commissioned by the Pazzi family to serve as a Franciscan chapel and meeting space. ✓ Italian Renaissance style, with its expressive interplay of solids and voids, was the first step toward an architecture that led eventually to the baroque ✓ The building has a central dome plan and a narthex or porc, recalling early Christian configurations
- 33. Pazzi Chapel, 1460 - cylindrical cupola with its delicate lantern was added to the top of the chapel only in 1461. A hemispherical dome covers a central square, which is extended on either side so that the square forms the centre of a rectangle - twelve-ribbed hemispherical dome on pendentives above a square Apse: a semicircular projecting part of a building, especially the east end of a church that contains the altar. Pendatives: A triangular section of vaulting between the rim of a dome and each adjacent pair of the arches that support it. The minor spatial compartment, opening off a third side of the main square, is a corresponding square apse covered by a dome and containing the altar.
- 34. Pazzi Chapel, 1460 ✓ The central round arch of the porch frames the main door of the chapel, set deeply into the shadows - added dimension of the recessed niches on each side. - references the Roman framed arch motif - a round arch flanked by columns that support an entablature - in a rational, clear spatial arrangement. ✓ Façade : slender Corinthian columns support an entablature that is regularly divided into squares ✓ The portico was built after Brunelleschi's death corresponds to his design. ✓ The portico serves to "filter" the light coming in from the outside, which merges with the light from the dome (the light from heaven), creating a uniform illumination. ✓ The enamel terracottas surrounding the dome are by Luca della Robbia ✓ Materials : severely restrained, made of the gray stone called pietra serena and white plaster, unrelieved by color ✓ The harmonious pietra serena grey stone pilasters, oculi, dome ribs & corbels contrast cooly with the white stuccoed walls
- 35. The Basilica of Santa Maria del Santo Spirito (St. Mary of the Holy Spirit), 1481 ✓ San Spirito, begun 1445. The plan played on the configurations of the square. The current church was constructed over the pre-existing ruins of an Augustinian priory from the 13th century, destroyed by a fire.
- 36. The Basilica of Santa Maria del Santo Spirito (St. Mary of the Holy Spirit), 1481 ✓ The Crossing dome of the Santo Spirit does provide sufficient light to the Santo Spirito and is well- proportioned as opposed to the dome of the San Lorenzo. Twelve round windows were installed at the base of the dome, like we have seen at the Old Sacristy and the Pazzi chapel. ✓ The semi-columns at the aisles and the full columns in the nave are placed at an equal height. The columns are of course monoliths, which was imperative to Filippo. There are however two differences between ‘the legs’. The semi-column is not a true monolith, but comprises two parts. ✓ Furthermore, the semi-columns do not have an entasis like the columns that are supporting the formerets. Naturally, the Corinthian columns, the order that Brunelleschi favoured most, was placed on an Attic basement. This was done in full accordance with the classical rules including the correct proportions of the two tori (ring shape) and the trochilus (ring between the outer two). ✓ Despite the differences between the San Lorenzo and the Santo Spirito, Filippo used the system of balanced proportions (symmetria) for both churches, like Vitruvius had described.In both churches, the crossing was used as a module and the other parts were derived from it. ✓ The aisle is half of the bay of the nave, so a quarter of the crossing. The side chapel is half of the aisle bays and 1/8th of the crossing. The circumference of the floors in both churches is accurately indicated with the lining in the marble. Yet this is where the difference shows. The San Lorenzo has the lines in the floor running next to the plinth of the column – put differently, the space of the basements does not match the bay – while the floor of the Santo Spirito has coloured marble strips running exactly to the centre of the columns
- 37. Thank You.