Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture

Written by Ross King

Narrated by James Cameron Stewart

On August 19, 1418, a competition concerning Florence's magnificent new cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore was announced: "Whoever desires to make any model or design for the vaulting of the main Dome . . . shall do so before the end of the month of September." The proposed dome was regarded far and wide as all but impossible to build. The dome would literally need to be erected over thin air.

Of the many plans submitted, one stood out. It was offered not by a master mason or carpenter, but by a goldsmith and clockmaker named Filippo Brunelleschi, who would dedicate the next twenty-eight years to solving the puzzles of the dome's construction. In the process, he did nothing less than reinvent the field of architecture.

Brunelleschi's Dome is the story of how a Renaissance genius bent men, materials, and the very forces of nature to build an architectural wonder we continue to marvel at today. Denounced at first as a madman, Brunelleschi was celebrated at the end as a genius. He engineered the perfect placement of brick and stone, built ingenious hoists and cranes to carry an estimated 70 million pounds hundreds of feet into the air, and designed the workers' platforms and routines so carefully that only one man died during the decades of construction.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Jul 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9781705236840

Ross King

Ross King is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling and Brunelleschi's Dome as well as several novels. Born and raised in Canada, he lives outside Oxford, England.

Reviews for Brunelleschi's Dome

[Eva Matijevic · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Simply amazing. The subject matter the author has picked is serious and requires a lot of backbreaking research, which author did, that it would have been easy for him to fall into a trap of dry, too complicated writing. Not only did he avoid it, but he will most certainly inspire you to read and learn more about Italy and its culture. Believe me when I tell you that it reads like a novel!

[Natalya Ferch · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Engaging, detailed, scholarly. A must-read for any traveling to Florence.

[john brunet · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another audio book from Tantor media, I got into their line through the Martin Beck series which I recommend as well. Some series can be taken out of order, in the Beck novels they must be in sequence because Martin reflects on his past. Spoilers abound if out of order. This book very neatly describes the process of building the dome by giving the biography of those who made it happen.

[Mike Downing · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is so entertaining and fascinating. Any lover of Art, Italy or engineering will absolutely love it.