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Here in 1994 is the famous dome of the Florence cathedral. Designed and built by Brunelleschi, it was one of the foremost architectural achievements of the Renaissance. The cathedral complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The dome posed major technical challenges which Brunelleschi managed to resolve. Construction was from 1420 to 1436.
Masaccio, who lived from 1401 to 1428, was the first great painter of the Quattrocento period of the Italian Renaissance. Because few of his works survive, I was eager to see his famous frescoes here in the Brancacci chapel in Florence in 1994. Masaccio is famous for being the first painter, with the possible exception of Giotto, to paint the human figure as three dimensional, using perspective and placing his figures in proper proportion to their surroundings. His innovative work had a strong influence on other painters despite his brief career. Seeing these frescoes was a high point of our Italian vacation.
This unique bridge, the Ponte Vecchio, was only one of many interesting things to see in Florence, which we visited in 1994. The bridge, dating from the medieval period, is noteworthy for continuing to have shops contained within it, as was once common. The shops were originally butcher shops, but today are mainly jewelers, art dealers and sellers of souvenirs.
This building, the Cappella dei Pazzi, photographed in Florence in 1994, is considered to be a gem of the Italian renaissance. It is a small domed chapel designed by Filippo Brunelleschi and built between 1442 and 1461. The dome and portico were completed in conformity with his plans after his death in 1448.
Here is the Palazzo Vecchio which was built at the end of the 13th Century and became the home of the Medici family in the 17th Century. The statue to the left of the building is of Cosimo de'Medici. His grandson Lorenzo became famous as a patron of the arts during the Italian Renaissance.
