Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture

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Filippo Brunelleschi's design for the dome of the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence remains one of the most towering achievements of Renaissance architecture. Completed in 1436, the dome remains a remarkable feat of design and engineering. Its span of more than 140 feet exceeds St Paul's in London and St Peter's in Rome, and even outdoes the Capitol in Washington, D.C., making it the largest dome ever constructed using bricks and mortar. The story of its creation and its brilliant but "hot-tempered" creator is told in Ross King's delightful Brunelleschi's Dome.

Both dome and architect offer King plenty of rich material. The story of the dome goes back to 1296, when work began on the cathedral, but it was only in 1420, when Brunelleschi won a competition over his bitter rival Lorenzo Ghiberti to design the daunting cupola, that work began in earnest. King weaves an engrossing tale from the political intrigue, personal jealousies, dramatic setbacks, and sheer inventive brilliance that led to the paranoid Filippo, "who was so proud of his inventions and so fearful of plagiarism," finally seeing his dome completed only months before his death. King argues that it was Brunelleschi's improvised brilliance in solving the problem of suspending the enormous cupola in bricks and mortar (painstakingly detailed with precise illustrations) that led him to "succeed in performing an engineering feat whose structural daring was without parallel." He tells a compelling, informed story, ranging from discussions of the construction of the bricks, mortar, and marble that made up the dome, to its subsequent use as a scientific instrument by the Florentine astronomer Paolo Toscanelli. --Jerry Brotton, Amazon.co.uk

Book Description

Ross King has a knack for explaining complicated processes in a manner that is not only lucid but downright intriguing. . . . Fascinating." (Los Angeles Times)

By all accounts, Filippo Brunelleschi, goldsmith and clockmaker, was an unkempt, cantankerous, and suspicious man-even by the generous standards according to which artists were judged in fifteenth-century Florence. He also designed and erected a dome over the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore-a feat of architectural daring that we continue to marvel at today-thus securing himself a place among the most formidable geniuses of the Renaissance. At first denounced as a madman, Brunelleschi literally reinvented the field of architecture amid plagues, wars, and political feuds to raise seventy million pounds of metal, wood, and marble hundreds of feet in the air. Ross King's captivating narrative brings to life the personalities and intrigue surrounding the twenty-eight-year-long construction of the dome, opening a window onto Florentine life during one of history's most fascinating eras.

Customer Reviews:

Just what I needed on the Dome in Florence.......2007-08-27

This slim volume contains a lot of detailed information - both on the construction of the dome, and on the politics and rivalries behind the scenes. It is well presented and makes for an absorbing read.
The drawings of the unique hoisting equipment developed by Brunelleschi showed that he was as much an engineer as an architect.
I'll be visiting the dome this fall and now have a wealth of information to make my tour more meaningfull.

A Thinker's Book.......2007-07-23

Some books are for cruising,easy reading with the mind in overdrive, even serious books like King's Judgement of Paris, the reading of which brought me to this book. Yes I know it should have been the other way around. I had picked this text up a few times in my bookstore strolls, but always was tempted elsewhere. Then I read that fine work on the birth of Impressionism and its Hercules like incunabula strangulation of the python of Beaux Arts . It was a wowser!! and I wanted a bit more of this author's breezy erudition. Kind of like a great graduate class with that perfect professor; so I went back and bought the "Dome." Well, it was no smoothie. Yes this earlier book has the artists achieving grand feats, there is the rivalry of big egos, there is even the conflict(inevitable) of creative minds mostly in agreement. But it does not have all the same zip as Paris. Maybe because with the passage of time the bits and pieces of these rivalries have been obscured , darkened like Michaelangelo's chapel by all the years smudges and wisps of smoke until when we clean them up, they no longer are what we have come to treasure. The physical difficulty, the inventiveness, the sheer bravado of construction at great height are a big part of this book. To me the tools are so many large ratchets and socket wrenches. Then too, there is the amor loci of architecture. How many copies of the Parthenon have we seen, and yet they are just not the Acropolis. So the Duomo. It is difficult to envision the redtiled Florentine skyline elsewhere. But the objects of Manet, Degas, Cezanne are transportable and have become loved items. Certainly the physical achievement of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Flowers far surpasses that of The Alba Madonna, but Raphael is after all with us and as has been said the near dear drives off the distant beloved. So I guess the subject cannot carry all the discussion of the mechanical wow. I am glad I took the course, learned a lot, but would be cautious in whom I would tell to just go ahead, you'll love it.

Can culture be thrilling?.......2007-06-27

I find books about engineering, art and architecture more interesting when they are written as cliff-hangers. 'Brunelleschi's Dome' by Ross King is one of them. As are his 'Michelangelo and the Pope's ceiling' and King's latest 'The Judgement of Paris'.
Superbly documented and written with great speed, they kept me reading instead of looking at the real thing. Coming back to the real things I find myself looking through different eyes!
If you like this type of reading, be sure to look for 'The Lighthouse Stevensons' by Bella Bathurst (HarperCollins, 1999) and 'St Peter's' by Keith Miller (Profile Books, 2007)!

great read.......2007-05-14

a well researched and very readable account of a staggering masterpiece, which at the time was considered impossible to build and of its creation and creator.

Read this book before you go to Firenze!.......2007-05-13

I often give a copy of this book to friends planning a trip to Italy... A quick read and a marvelous story about the intrigue...everything about renaissance Italy was an intrigue!... and history surrounding the building of the dome for il Duomo...I could almost feel Brunellschi climbing the stairs to the top dome with me...
This, and "Michaelangelo, The Popes Ceiling" also by Ross King, ought to be required reading for any student of history or anyone going to Italia... they breath life into Italian history.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful resource
Perfect downplay of Italian Renaissance art.
Amazing Detail often refered to set
A Rare and Treasured Treat
A work of art about the art of Florence - a treasure

The Art of Florence (2 Volume Set)
Glenn M. Andres , John Hunisak , and Richard Turner
Manufacturer: Artabras Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0896601110

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful resource.......2007-08-08

The 1989 edition still holds up for the most part with the exception of some pre-1999 restoration images such as many of the Botticellis, including the Cestallo Annunciation and Pontormo's frescos from the Capponi Chapel. The architecture and sculpture images are amazing, especially the two page spread of the New Sacristry of San Lorenzo.

Perfect downplay of Italian Renaissance art........2005-11-26

As a coffee table book- it is OK- big and colorful pictures.... Too colorful! For example, a large-scale view of a painting has a black and yellow palette, but the detail is blue and red. As a professional reference- it is as bad as bad could be. No professional artist would ever have their work photographed with flash!!! But in this book there are plenty of those. Paintings have flash spots - unbelievable!
Sculpture pictures are the worst! They look flat - bad photography can damage even Michelangelo!!!! The lighting is all wrong and incoherent.
The only good photos of sculptures are of those that are outside-- in natural light.
If you are looking for quality reproductions of art, you will be surely disappointed. A very ambitious project, but done by dilettanti.

Amazing Detail often refered to set.......2005-08-26

This is a stunning two volume set. The amount of detail in both the written word and stunning photographs brings Florentine art to life. The text covers not only the technical aspects of the art and architecture but also the socio-political environment in which the art was created. These discourses can be a little dry but they are enlightening. The photography will certainly recapture ones interest when the text gets a little dull.

A Rare and Treasured Treat.......2004-05-25

Talk about magnificently beautiful! THE ART OF FLORENCE does full justice to its subject -- and it's a lot cheaper than plane fare to Italy.

The last time I was in Italy I witnessed three muggings, one in the Church of Santa Maria Novella, and those experiences were so unnerving that I couldn't fully concentrate on the loveliness of the many treasures before me. I barely remember any of them. So what a delight to discover so many of them in stunning full-color plates, to be enjoyed again and again in the comfort and safety of my own home.

The dual volume book is divided into historical sections of about a generation each in length. Each begins with a lucid account of the history of the city during that period with emphasis on the political, social and economic events that influenced the patronage of art at that time. There are separate accounts of the architecture, sculpute and painting done in each period. A rich and exciting interplay unfolds between the arts, the politics and the social structure of each time period. No wonder Florence was the artistic and political leader for all of Europe during the 13th through 16th centuries.

The authors confine themselves to Florentine artists or those who lived for some time in Florence. References to other artists, when necessary, are minimal. Michaelangelo, for instance, is discussed only in terms of the Dona Madonna, since it is the only painting of his in the city. His limning of the Sistine Chapel in Rome is mentioned only in passing.

These two volumes are special -- so special they'll draw you to the reading chair even when the siren of Spring calls through your window.

A work of art about the art of Florence - a treasure.......2004-01-02

This is one of those books I wish I could give six or even seven starts. This is not only a book about great art; it is itself a beautiful work of art. The care lavished in making this book shows from the beautifully decorated slipcase to the wonderfully textured covers (my kids say they feel furry), to its large format and glorious reproductions. There are many foldouts showing large-scale works in broad sweep and even full-page reproductions of details of works shown in the book.

While the artwork shown is dazzling to the eye and overwhelming to the mind, the articles illuminating the works are first rate as well. One really nice feature of the articles is that there are marginal listings of the plates and figures discussed in each paragraph so it is easy to find text related to the images in which you are interested.

There are two volumes and over 1,300 pages. Volume 1 begins with a brief essay on Florence's prelude to greatness (59 B.C. 0 A.D. 1200). Then the book is organized into sections of varying size: Civic Price and Prosperity (1200 - 1340), An Age of Crisis (1340-1400), Images of a Free Republic (The Early 15th Century), and The Era of Cosimo De' Medici (1430-69). Volume two has: Lorenzo Il Magnifico (1469-92), The End of the Republic (1492-1530, and ends with The Medicean Principate (1530 - c. 1600). Each of these larger sections is organized in the same way - Architecture, then sculpture, and then painting. It is quite fascinating to watch how tastes and techniques evolve over the centuries.

There is also a glossary, bibliography, a section on the photographer and authors, an index and photo credits.

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

more info for the life-long learner
A great read
"The House of Medici" by Christopher Hibbert: Seeds of the Renaissance
Bring this with you to Florence!
House of Medici

The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall
Christopher Hibbert
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0688053394

Book Description

It was a dynasty with more wealth, passion, and power than the houses of Windsor, Kennedy, and Rockefeller combined. It shaped all of Europe and controlled politics, scientists, artists, and even popes, for three hundred years. It was the house of Medici, patrons of Botticelli, Michelangelo and Galileo, benefactors who turned Florence into a global power center, and then lost it all.

The House of Medici picks up where Barbara Tuchman's Hibbert delves into the lives of the Medici family, whose legacy of increasing self-indulgence and sexual dalliance eventually led to its self-destruction. With twenty-four pages of black-and-white illustrations, this timeless saga is one of Quill's strongest-selling paperbacks.

Customer Reviews:

more info for the life-long learner.......2007-01-04

If you have any interest in art history, Italy, or Florence, this is a great resource. The book itself has plenty of information but may be kind of dense or hard to follow for anyone who's reading this as an introduction to the area. Perfect for anyone with more than a casual interest in the Medici and art history!

A great read.......2006-04-03

The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall is a dispassionate, informative, yet interesting book. I found the various personalities of the various Medici fascinating, not to mention the highs and lows of the complex and vivid city they ruled. I felt The House of Medici to be a great guide to the sweep of Renaissance Florentian history, and good reference material as well with its artistic/architectural footnotes and exhaustive index.

"The House of Medici" by Christopher Hibbert: Seeds of the Renaissance.......2006-02-19

On January 16, I reviewed the book "The Medici Effect" by Frans Johansson. In his work on innovation, Frans uses the Medici family of Renaissance Florence as template for the kind of enabling patronage that draws together talent from a variety disciplines, arts and sciences - with the ultimate impact of empowering extraordinary levels of creativity and innovation.

As I read Johansson's book, I was struck by the fact that I knew precious little of the history of the Medici and the story behind them emerging as the greatest patrons of the arts the world has ever known. Despite the fact that I have visited Florence, Italy, I still felt that my knowledge of that world needed to be enhanced. As someone who often alludes to Renaissance Men, I felt that it behooved me to learn more about the time and place that spawned the first generation of prototype Renaissance Men - Leonardo, Michelangelo and their ilk.

A quick Google search led me to Christopher Hibbert's classic book on the history of the Medici - "The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall." Hibbert does a nice job of leading the reader through a Grand Tour of several generations of the Medici - bankers to the Papacy who investments a large portion of their largesse in supporting artists and scholars of many stripes. A nice set of endnotes provides a parallel tour through the architectural history of all of the sites mentioned in the body of the text.

While I will not take the time for a full review here, I do want to share some insight that I gleaned early in the book that shed important light on how Florence emerged as the haven for genius that turned it into the magnet that it remains today for people who want to experience the glory of its Golden Age.

In 1438, Cosimo Medici arranged for a Council to be convened in Florence that would attempt to repair the breech between the Roman Church and the Orthodox Church centered in Constantinople. The Council ultimately failed to bridge that theological chasm, but had more salubrious effects on the reputation of Florence as a center for the arts and scholarship.

"Yet for Florence, as Cosimo had foreseen, the Council had happier consequences. As well as profiting the trade of the city, it was an important influence on what was already being spoken of as the Rinascimento ["Renaissance"]. The presence of so many Greek scholars in Florence provided an incalculable stimulus to the quickening interest in classical texts and classical history, in classical art and philosophy, and particularly in the study of Plato, the great hero of the humanists, for so long overshadowed by his pupil, Aristotle." (Page 68)

This book helped me to fill in some missing pieces in my understanding of how the Renaissance emerged from the Dark Ages that had beclouded and adumbrated Europe for so many centuries. I recommend it as a useful resource for those, who like me, are not serious students of history, but who desire to know more than "the average bear" about the intellectual history of Western Civilization.

Enjoy.

Al

Bring this with you to Florence!.......2005-12-13

I recently visited Florence and was so charmed by the historical city that I picked up Hibbert's book upon my return. How I wished I had it while I was actually in Florence!

Hibbert's account of the Medici - from Cosimo, Pater Patriae, to Anna Maria - the last of the Medici - was at times matter-of-fact, at times, greatly moving. One needs to look within the descriptive lines in order to feel the emotional part of this great family's history, whose decadence, indulgence, and duty made them one of the most famous familes in history.

I enjoyed this book so much that I even read all of the footnotes; most of the information regarding the more famous works of art commissioned by the Medici is hidden in these footnotes. Take the time to read them; you will not be disappointed!

Novice art historians should take a copy of this book along on their next trip to Florence -an index in the back tells the reader where to find many of the surviving art pieces that still reside in Florence -whether they are at the Uffizi Gallery, in the Bargello, or in the Pitti Palace, etc. In addition, the author tells you the addresses where some of the major Florentine families once took residence - if only I had the book - I might have wandered around Florence and looked for everything!

This is definitely a great read for someone who wants to view history through the eyes of a most infamous family; anyone who has taken a liking to Florence and who wishes to learn more history about this beautiful city will likely find this to be a good book!

House of Medici.......2005-10-19

Just finnished reading this book. I'd say it is unbias. It is jam packed with facts and Historical refs about The Medici family and their impact on the Italian Culture, Catholocism and European Politics. The book is a good historical overview, partly slow going but a valuable read for those wishing knowledge on the Italian Renaissance. I doubt that the Medici were as powerful during their respective times as the Rothschilds or the Rockefellers but the Medici was most deffinately the most powerful, or one of the most powerful families in Europe, if not the World with more direct influence over Culture, Politics and Religion. Very good book. Worth the read and a good addition to any library.

Fire in the City: Savonarola and the Struggle for the Soul of Renaissance Florence

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Fire in the City
Savonarola and Florence emerge into the light!
Another view
Florence Comes Alive
Very Strange

Fire in the City: Savonarola and the Struggle for the Soul of Renaissance Florence
Lauro Martines
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0195177487

Book Description

A gripping and beautifully written narrative that reads like a novel, Fire in the City presents a compelling account of a key moment in the history of the Renaissance, illuminating the remarkable man who dominated the period, the charismatic Savonarola. Lauro Martines, whose decades of scholarship have made him one of the most admired historians of Renaissance Italy, here provides a remarkably fresh perspective on Girolamo Savonarola, the preacher and agitator who flamed like a comet through late fifteenth-century Florence. The Dominican friar has long been portrayed as a dour, puritanical demagogue who urged his followers to burn their worldly goods in "the bonfire of the vanities." But as Martines shows, this is a caricature of the truth--the version propagated by the wealthy and powerful who feared the political reforms he represented. In fact, Savonarola emerges as a complex and subtle man: compassionate, wise, a poet and scholar, and even, at critical moments, a force for moderation. The friar, a mesmerizing preacher, set the city afire with his message of Christian charity wedded to republican ideals. It is this reality--of Savonarola as both religious and civic leader--that Martines captures in all its complexity, showing how he inspired an outpouring of political debate in a city newly freed from the tyranny of the Medici. In the end, the volatile passions he unleashed--and the powerful families he threatened--sent the friar to his own fiery death. But the fusion of morality and politics that he represented would leave a lasting mark on Renaissance Florence. For the many readers fascinated by histories of Renaissance Italy--such as Brunelleschi's Dome or Galileo's Daughter, and Martines's acclaimed April Blood--Fire in the City offers a vivid portrait of one of the most memorable characters from that dazzling era.

Customer Reviews:

Fire in the City.......2007-09-08

Overall good
I was hoping that there would be more on the content of the sermons of Savonarola

Savonarola and Florence emerge into the light!.......2007-01-08

Fire in the City is another revealed hornet's nest from Martines that picks up the thread where his previous book April Blood left off. As the title suggests, this is not an exclusive biography on Savonarola, the author casts his net wider than that detailing, in a very readable fashion, the political and social settings that were bound in with Savonarola's actions.

With Lorenzo's death, Florence is at the mercy of his vain and incompetent son, Piero de Medici, whose diplomatic bungling with the invading King of France, Charles the VIII, gets him run out of town by the citizens of Florence, creating political alternatives to Medici rule. Into this anxious period of uncertainty, the searing personality of the reforming Dominican Friar, Savonarola, is catapulted.

Martines shows how Savonarola's political instinct was very much in line with the Christian ethos he espoused from the pulpit, preferring a broader based franchise through the Great Council, sustained by a Republic, instead of oligarchic rule by an elite. Salvation meant not just the deliverance by redemption from the power of sin, but also preservation from tyrannical harm. Yet Savonarola's motives were not as subversive or ego driven ('vainglorious') as his inquisitors and future Medici regimes led history to believe.

Martines also shows how Savonarola's prophecies, another contentious quality to his personality used against him by his enemies in Rome and elsewhere, were not far off the mark. The sack of Rome by Christian mercenaries in 1527, twenty-nine years after Savonarola's execution, seemed to vindicate much of Savonarola's visionary utterances. Was that, indeed, the scourge against the Church he claimed Charles the VIII capable of a generation earlier?

Emphasising the importance of this little Dominican Friar from Ferrara who was prepared to take on Pope Alexander VI over issues of simony and moral corruption, reminds us just how much of a precursor he was to Martin Luther. His insistence on a reformed Church was not merely rhetorical either, his own example proved otherwise.

No doubt Savonarola was a force to behold with his lightning bolts of apocalyptic doom. He profoundly affected Michelangelo and Botticelli who heard him speak, but Martines has stained orthodox whitewash with the blood of historical realism, showing us that Savonarola was more vital and complex and his contribution more positive, than that of just a preaching terrorist who infuriated Rome and encouraged the `bonfire of the vanities'.

After reading April Blood and Fire in the City, the enigma of Florence is much better understood. We patiently wait for his next publication, to read again where it will lead.

Another view.......2006-11-11

I had read enough about Savonarola to have a vague idea as to what he was about, but this book gave me a very different perspective. Savonarola was much more complicated, and less a mad man than I had thought. The destuction of the "vanities", which was the most lamentable of all his actions from our perspective, is better understood after reading this book. Obviously, the value of the destroyed art in Savanarola's context is quite different than it is in ours, and Mr Martines made the point very well. It is a great read, full of history, and I enjoyed it very much.

Florence Comes Alive.......2006-08-03

This is a must read for anyone planning a vacation to Florence, or for those wanting to experience the place and time without the expense, as Martines reaches far beyond the story of a single man and into Renassiance Florence. Readers will find this gripping and complex historical drama impossible to put down. "April Blood" (the Pazzi conspiracy against the Medici) sets the stage for this great book, and Martines combines expert scholarship with dramatic narrative skill in both works.

Very Strange.......2006-07-19

I was interested in learning more about Savonarola because "The Palace" by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro is set in Renaissance Florence at the time of Savonarola, who plays a part in the novel. Now I love history and read a lot of history books, unfortunately, this book was a big dissapointment. Contrary to the blurb on the back cover this book is hardly riveting nor is it much of a thriller. It only covers the last few years of Savonarola's life but it is more about the political history of Florence than on Savonarola himself. Actually the book does not really seem to have a direction or a point and I could not figure out why the author wrote this.

I would suggest that if you are interested in this book that you find a copy in a book store and read it before you buy otherwise you risk being dissapointed.

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Beautiful book!
Explaining Florence

Renaissance Florence (Perspectives)
Richard N. Turner
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0131938339
Release Date: 2005-09-12

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful book!.......2002-09-21

The book is very well done. The photographs are of high quality; the coverage complete. I purchased the volume as background information for an art history survey course I'm enrolled in (I already hold a post-grad degree), and found it to be an excellent supplement to the cursory review my textbook offered.

Explaining Florence.......2000-08-23

As an art lover and architect, who has been reading extensivelly about Italy and spent three weeks exploring the city, I define this book as comprehensive, delicious to read and excellent in contents. Turner explains how the city has achieved such a moment in human civilization, not only by its art, but by its economics, technology, geography, historic context, social behavior. This book is one to fall in love with, and I would put it as a must read together with Kenneth Clark's Civilization.

The Renaissance Hospital: Healing the Body and Healing the Soul

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The Renaissance Hospital--TMI? (too much information)

The Renaissance Hospital: Healing the Body and Healing the Soul
John Henderson
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0300109954

Book Description

In this fascinating and richly illustrated book, John Henderson takes us into the Renaissance hospitals of Florence, recreating the enormous barn-like wards and exploring the lives of those who received and those who administered treatment there. Drawing on an exceptional range of visual and documentary evidence, Henderson overturns the popular view of the pre-industrial hospital as a hellish destination for the dying poor. To the contrary, hospitals of the era developed specialized, professional care; became important centers of artistic patronage; and served a large patient population, only ten percent of whom died during their stay. The book explores the civic role of Renaissance hospitals, their beautiful architecture and interior design, and their methods of medical treatment that continue to influence healthcare practices today.

Customer Reviews:

The Renaissance Hospital--TMI? (too much information).......2007-01-11

Anyone buying this book who expects a compelling fast read will be dissappointed. This is a scholarly text with great detail and of interest to an individual who wishes factual background material about the subject. This is not a book for someone who expects a Ross King historical novel! I, as a physician and art historian, found the information interesting, but certainly not something to read for pure pleasure.

Average customer rating:

great book!!!

Michelangelo: The Medici Chapel
James Beck , Antonio Paolucci , and Bruno Santi
Manufacturer: Thames & Hudson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0500236909

Book Description

When Michelangelo left Florence for Rome in 1534, the Medici tombs were unfinished, but there was never any question of another sculptor being brought in to finish them. They were already icons of artistic perfection, which it would be sacrilege for anyone else to touch. That eminence they retain to this day. The two seated Medici dukes and the reclining figures of Night, Day, Dawn, and Dusk are among the most famous sculptures in the world, endlessly copied and universally recognizable. Yet however familiar these images are, this superb collection--160 pages of exquisitely printed photographs by a master photographer--makes it a revelation to see the originals. We are able to appreciate their forms and dwell on their details in an unprecedented way. Particularly now, since the tombs have been cleaned and restored, it is possible to imagine Michelangelo's chisel at work, and to marvel afresh at the sheer physical power that for his contemporaries made him almost superhuman. Accompanying essays by Bruno Santi, Director of the Medici Chapel from 1982 to 1992, and by the art historians Antonio Paolucci and James Beck, provide the historical background to the Chapel, essentially the Medici family's mausoleum, and explain how the concept changed over the fifteen years when Michelangelo was working on it. Originally envisaged as commemorating four members of the family, including Lorenzo the Magnificent, with a huge freestanding tomb, it was eventually confined to only two--who might now be totally forgotten but for their monuments. The little building that contains them is as important in the history of Mannerist architecture as the figures are in that of sculpture: indeed, no other location, not even the Sistine Chapel, captures the essence of Michelangelo's genius so intensely. 201 duotone illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

great book!!!.......2007-01-03

it's an amazing book!!! i've been to the medici chapel a few years back, and this book just made me miss that place so much!!! it's like going back there retracing the steps of the greatest artist of all times!!!

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Portrait of the Golden Age of Florence
Dry
excellent overview of Renaissance Florence
Delightful!

Renaissance Florence, Updated edition
Gene A. Brucker
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0520046951

Customer Reviews:

Portrait of the Golden Age of Florence.......2005-07-12

This book chronicles the golden age of Florence, from the 1300's through the 1500's. Brucker does an excellent job of using the ample primary source materials located in Florence itself: his text is chock full of merchant's account books, diplomatic letters and funeral arrangements. His treatment compares favorably with Hibberts book on the Medici, which covers much the same ground but with little or no use of primary sources.

At the same time, the tone of the book is conversational. Brucker doesn't let his sources get in the way of readability. This book is one of Norman F. Cantor's "Core 150" books on Midevial studies and Cantor himself edited it as part of the "Historical Cities" collection. Although "Renaissance Florence" was written in the mid 60's, it still feels vibrant and up to date. I think this quality is attributable to his reliance on primary, rather then secondary source material.

"Renaissance Florence" is broken into six chapters: the renaissance city, the economy, the patricate, politics, the church and the faith and culture, with an epilogue "the last years of the republic". This approach provides a cohesive portrait of the Florentian golden age without unduly emphasizing the painting and sculpture of the fiftteenth century.

I found the sections on the economy and politics more interesting then the section on culture, which is a testament to Mr. Brucker's fine scholarship.

Dry.......2004-08-19

I purchased this book because I wanted an overview of Florence during the Renaissance and the reviews I read about this book were all positive. Though I did learn things from this book I did not enjoy reading it. It was very dry and it didn't talk about what I expected it would - the artistic side of the Renaissance. It did start to go into it towards the end, but not in any sort of depth. Let's put it this way - I was a history major and expected this book to be somewhat academic, but I also expected the author to make the history come alive. Many historical books I have read make me excited to turn the page and see what comes next, this one did not.

excellent overview of Renaissance Florence.......2000-09-21

Picking up a book on Renaissance Florence, you would expect to get a book almost solely devoted to art and culture. However, this book is fascinating in its analysis of all aspects of life in Renaissance Florence. Covering the period between about 1300 and 1500, Brucker divides the book into six subjects, including the economy, politics and the church. Through a lot of use of contemporary (and unpublished) documents, Florence comes across as a pretty chaotic place, with 40 religious holidays per year, public executions, workers' riots, plagues, wars with Milan and Naples plus a booming population (the fifth largest in Europe at the time). How a huge cultural revolution emerged from all of this seems like a miracle, but Brucker argues that it was the confluence of several factors: the even influence of the Greco-Roman-Christian tradition and the vernacular tradition, being stuck between feudalism and capitalism, the flexible social structure and, last but not least, Dante.

Brucker also traces the decline of Florence in the late 1400s and early 1500s as the city grew conservative and public patronage of the arts declined with the rise of the Medicis. Finally, he does devote a good chunk of the book to describing the achievements of Giotto, Michelangelo et al., making this an important read for any student of the Renaissance.

Delightful!.......2000-04-15

Gene Brucker sets new standards for World Historians! When you think about your purchases, think very hard before you walk away, so to speak, without a copy of Renaissance Florence. 'Cause if you do, you'll leave with a hole in your spiritual and cultural life.

Medici Money: Banking, Metaphysics, and Art in Fifteenth-Century Florence (Enterprise) (Enterprise)

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The Birth of Renaissance
Medici Lite
Informative book that also makes for a good read
Brilliant History of the Rise and Decline of the Medici
All In The Family

Medici Money: Banking, Metaphysics, and Art in Fifteenth-Century Florence (Enterprise) (Enterprise)
Tim Parks
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0393328457

Book Description

The remarkable story of the Renaissance's preeminent financiers. "A swift and brilliant synthesis of finance, politics, and history."—Ben Sisario, New York Times Book Review

Their name is a byword for immense wealth and power, but before their renown as art patrons and noblemen the Medicis built their fortune on banking—specifically, on lending money at interest. Banking in the fifteenth century, even at the height of the Renaissance, meant running afoul of the Catholic Church's prohibition against usury. It required more than merely financial skills to make a profit, and the legendary Medicis—most famously Cosimo and Lorenzo ("the Magnificent")—were masterly in wielding the political, diplomatic, military, and even metaphysical tools that were needed to maintain their family's position.

In this brisk and witty narrative, Tim Parks uncovers the intrigues, dodges, and moral qualities that gave the Medicis their edge. Vividly evoking the richness of the Florentine Renaissance and the Medicis' glittering circle, replete with artists, popes, and kings, Medici Money is a brilliant look into the origins of modern banking and its troubled relationship with art and religion. 14 illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

The Birth of Renaissance.......2007-09-05

It is a very well-written book. Tim Parks has a golden pen, from which words flow easily and beautifully. The superb language makes it quite easy to follow the history of the Florentine Bank of Medici from 1397 to 1494.

And the history is thrilling. Medici is the most powerful family in Florence, one of the first modern states, with investment banks, international trading and a parliament. Parks focuses his analysis on the business and politics of Florence, and in particular on the different patriarchs of the Medici family.

The 15th century Florence was a keystone in the Renaissance, and the Medicis played an important role in the development. They were sponsors of new art and new architecture, at the same time translating the works of Aristotle and Plato to Latin. Some of the Medicis were important in defining the powers of the state and that of the church.

Parks story would be even easier to follow if the book had paid more attention to the chronology. I also missed a better bibliography. But in all: well worth the read.

Medici Lite.......2007-03-28

Entertaining, light-hearted summary of the Medici family fortunes at their height in Florence, in a most non-academic style. Definitely for anyone interested in the Renaissance and especially art patronage who doesn't want to plough through a heavy piece of work of the era. Also thought the book provided hints of other aspects of Florence and its personalities to explore, especially about business entrepreneurs turning their fortunes into art collections.

Informative book that also makes for a good read.......2006-07-26

Parks' book encompasses the lives of the five heads of the Medici family, and simultaneously through the history of the city of Florence. Through the eyes of the city of Florence, we see Italy, and through slightly foggier lenses, all of Europe.

Parks clearly has a deep love and respect for the more medieval (as opposed to Renaissance) parts of his tale. If you are expecting a hagiographical account of Lorenzo the Magnificent and his great contributions to art, architecture and learning, this isn't the right book.

I picked this book up because I had an interest in the economic side of the Renaissance. For me, one of the more fun sides of history is following the dollars and cents to find an alternative rationale behind the traditional story. And in the first half of this book, Parks provides the goods.

Without talking down to the reader, he makes VERY complicated financial transactions seem simple enough that with a little extra care and attention, they are not only able to be followed, but able to be understood. The multiple types of profitable banking transations are complicated enough for a non-finance major, but when added to the necessity of covering their tracks to avoid falling afoul of Florentine law, Church law, the laws of England, Germany (and even Poland!), personal ethics and morals, and even the taxman, it is amazing that I finished the book, nonetheless enjoyed it and remember it.

The book is more or less chronological. He concentrates on five Medicis, and the chapters covering the first two, Giovanni and Cosimo, are by far the best. And if you are going to study the Medicis as bankers and politicians, rather than as art patrons, poets, and humanists, this makes sense; but it does mean that the book ends weakly. It does read a bit like "The Rise and Fall of the Medici Family", and he spares little when describing the fall. Much of the blame is placed on Lorenzo's unwillingness to learn the family trade (banking), considering it almost beneath him.

A surprise bonus in this book is the detailed account of Florentine politics during these 100 years. Parks is almost as gifted describing the complicated nature of a republic illegally ruled by an autocratic family as he is a bank illegally profiting from interest bearing loans. He falters slightly when inserting his personal opinions and when unable to refrain from making occasional comparisons to modern politics, but all-in-all, his description of the political situation is just as fascinating (and complicated) as the economic portions.

Brilliant History of the Rise and Decline of the Medici.......2006-06-23

This is mainly a history of the Medici banking enterprise, and it is fascinating to learn just how the bank declined. The problem was the passing of generations of bankers who loved banking. Their successors, unfortunately, were more interested in the social aspects of belonging to the Medici banking family. This lead to their spending more time being friends with royalty and other high potentates than on the bank itself. Consequently, the Medici banking house went into decline that ultimately proved terminal.

The fate of the Medici bank has been repeated over and over in history as there are all too often cases of virtuous and hard working founders whose creations were ultimately wasted away by relatively lazy successors.

In event, this is a great book that sheds new light on a subject that had already been heavily written about.

All In The Family.......2006-05-03

I read this book the same week I watched the fifth season of the Sopranos. The combination was serendipitous. Cosimo Medici has more style and class than Tony Soprano, but in many other ways they are remarkably alike. They're such family guys!

Tim Parks is an excellent writer, a witty and companionable guide to a time and place not nearly as remote from our modern age as we would like to imagine.

Parks successfully and succinctly portrays the Medicis, their contemporaries, their passions, and their flaws. Medici Money has everything: money, power, religion, war, politics, even a little sex.

You'd have to attend a Washington, D.C. power prayer breakfast with a herd of hungover lobbyists, a few calculating Pentagonistas, some self-satisfied lawyers and several jackleg congressmen to find a similarly fascinating and amusing engagement of these themes.

Yes, in many ways we're really not that different from those Florentines of five centuries ago. Sadly, some of the ways in which we are different do us no credit.

The art in the meeting room of the Marriott where these modern notables meet to pray and greet will consist of risible facsimiles of real paintings produced by an assembly-line gallery incorporated in Delaware. The breakfast itself will feature chewy scrambled eggs, unconvincing croissants and mock-designer coffee. Later, they'll go to work in boxy offices in boxy triumphalist buildings, and at night they'll drive their boxy SUVs to their boxy lairs in boxy D.C. suburbs. Their dinners will come out of (you guessed it) boxes.

One of the delights of this book is the author's loving depiction of some of the extraordinary works of painting, tapestry, sculpture, and other art commisioned by the Medicis and their contemporaries and rivals. And aaaah! The food of 15th century Florence! The architecture! The music!

The rich we have with us always. But they're far more tolerable when they choose to display their wealth and power with great works of art instead of Hummers, plasma TVs, and McMansions.

One of the charming sub-themes of Medici Money is that if you're going to hell, you might as well go in style and enjoy the good things of life along the way.

Happily, those of us who not only lack the financial resources to go to hell in fabulous style but can barely afford to indulge our book addictions are able to enjoy a few good things of life, too.

This book is one of them.

Ba-da-bing!

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