The story of the Dome of Santa, Florence Maria del Fiore

Ross King writes:-
The octagonal dome that was to crown Santa Maria del Fiore, the cathedral begun in Florence in 1294, presented the most daunting architectural puzzle of the age: how to raise the highest and widest vault ever attempted. The cupola was to have a span greater than the Roman Pantheon – the world’s largest dome – and vaulting higher than any Gothic cathedral. The logistical problems were enormous. How could this enormous octagonal structure be made self-supporting? How could the tons of masonry be raised more than 200 feet in the air and laid into place with micrometric accuracy? This illustrated lecture examines the procedures developed by Filippo Brunelleschi as he worked on the dome between 1420 and 1436, successfully executing what is still the world’s largest masonry dome.

Who is Ross King?

Ross King is the bestselling author of books on Italian, French and Canadian art and history. Art Friends Warwickshire are delighted he is visiting us again. He has spoken to us three times before covering Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling, Leonardo and The Last Supper (Governor General’s Award, 2012), Claude Monet and the Painting of the Water Lilies.

His newest book, published in April 2024, is The Shortest History of Italy. Covering 3,000 years of Italian history and culture from Ancient Rome to COVID-19, it has been praised as a ‘miracle of compression’, a ‘densely packed volume of tantalizing details’, and ‘a splendid companion to a holiday in the bel paese’.

In tandem with his writing, Ross is an active fundraiser for the arts and a passionate lecturer and tour guide. He serves on the Council of Academic Advisors for Friends of Florence (FoF), the fundraising charity that ensures the survival of Florence’s art and architectural treasures. He has participated in numerous FoF study tours throughout Italy, including in Rome, Assisi and Milan. He is a regular participant in the Italian Renaissance seminars at the Aspen Institute, and has given Impressionist tours of Paris, Normandy, Brittany and Provence. He is both a Smithsonian Expert and an Accredited Lecturer with The Arts Society. He has lectured in many American museums, including at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Frick Collection, and the National Gallery.

Find out more from his website https://www.rosskingbooks.com/