RENAISSANCE 2

      ]Artists at that time of renaissance free themselves from the guild rule and could accept any commission they wished. They become recognized same as a thinkers, a discoverers or inventors and start to play utterly important role in the city.

We can’t forget about one fact what happen in Florence in around 1417.

The important project, designed by Arnolfo does Cambio one hundred and twenty years earlier, Cathedra of Florence, was almost finish but was cover with tiles on temporary wooden frame. The dome had never been build, because diameter was enormous -138 feet. Comparable dome was only on Hagia Sophia in Constantinople 100 feet across, but that one had collapsed partially and alarmed Florentines about the danger. The other one was on Pantheon, but was build by Romans in 117-128 AD. There were great difficulties to build that kind of dome and not many solutions were available, maybe only flat roof or tent like covering. Many, even foreign architects were called for help with the design, but no one had any good ideas and plans for it. When Brunelleschi, not a member of architectural Guilt, propose his two copulas design and tried to present it as feasible and correct, at the first was ask to leave the meeting, then was drug to the street and pointed “ there goes the madman”. Finally, the syndic let Brunelleschi to present his vision but they did not understand the report and description of the dome what he propose. Brunelleschi, because was inspecting ruins in Rome for 12 years, study and measure the ancient design, specially closely focusing on Pantheon, (because only Pantheon escape destruction) could only understand the technicality and innovation of the project. Finally, he and Ghiberti were appointed for the job. In 1423 after syndic realize superiority of Brunelleschi, they made him sole overseer and superintendent for life of entire building. In 1436 finally project was completed and was evident to all that the dome is the most impressive project ever build. Even later Michelangelo dome of ST.Peter’s would not surpass the size. Batista Alberti said that was big enough to hold all the people of Tuscany in its shadow. Dome becomes symbol of Florence and “Florentines abroad instead of saying they were homesick, said they were sick for the dome” (175). Even today, it is known as the largest masonry dome in the world and as best design in the renaissance.

The renaissance started in Florence spread to all over Italy and particularly flourish in two other major cities: Rome and Venice, because there were wealthy people who could spend their disposable income on learning and arts. However, Renaissance affected only cities and especially rich people. Most people lived in villages and hamlets and never were even touched by renaissance and the possibility of learning and even see art and the most people were poor .The attitude of the rich to the poor were dominated by the duty of Christian charity but the true is that poor were kept under total control by the authorities. There was one major revolt in 1378 in Florence when poorer employees of the Wool guild sough to have some say in the government of the city. They took over the palace fortress where the law officers resided ,then they invaded the other palace where the city was governed, and they elected Michael did Lando as Lord of Florence ,but his lordship lasted only two days. In other cities never even happen this kind of uprising of the poor because there were brutal execution to discourage potential rioters. We can argue that renaissance, same as other movements trough all history affected only the most fortunate and rich.