132

HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE.
Book I.
13^6,
his ck'sign for tlie campanile was carried out by Tadileo Gaddi, who died 1366.
In 1355
Francisco
Talenti, as capomaestro, was ordered to make a model to show liow
the chapels in the rear were to be disposed correct without any defect. On June 19,
1357 the foundations of a new and larger church were begun by Talenti. Andrea
Orcagna,
IJucozzo, Taddeo Gaddi and other architects of talent were consulted in turn,
and in 1376 the last of the four arclies was completed
;
the central tribune with its five
chapels were
completed H07 ;
and in H21 the armatures (centering?) of the last tribune
were taken down {The Times, May 12, 1887).
This edifice, though conmenced before
the revival of the art-;, is one of particular interest and instruction in the liistory of archi-
tecture, and one wherein is found a preparation for changing the style then pre\alent into
one sanctioned by the ancient principles of the art. Fig. 163. shows the plan, and^<;. 164
SANTA MAHIA DEf, Vl
the half section and half elevation of it. The walls are a'most entirely cased with
marble. The whole length of it is 454 feet
;
from the pavement to the summit of the
cross is nearly 387 feet
;
the transept is nearly 334 feet long
;
the height of the nave
153 feet, and that of the side aisles
96j.
In 1407 Brunelleschi was consulted with others
as to the dome, but was not appointed until 1420; he nearly completed the drum at his
death in 1446. The church was consec-ated March 25, 1436, and the works ceased in
1474. The facade, destroyed in 1588, was rebuilt from a design by E. de Fahris, and
imveiled in May 1886. The revival of architecture is so connected with tho life of
Brunelleschi, that a few passages in the latter will assist us in giving information on the
former. He was born in 1377, and was intended by his father, Lippo Lippi, a notary of
Florence, to succeed him in his own profession
;
but the inclina'ion of tlie youth being
bent towards the arts, the parent with reluctance placed him with a goldsmith, an occu-
pation then so connected with sculpture that the greatest artists of the time applied
themselves to the cliasing and casting ornaments in the precious metnls. Brunelleschi
became skilful as a sculptor, but determined to devote himself to architecture, in which
the field was then unoccupied. In company with Donatello he therefore visited Rome,
and applied himself with ardour to the study of the ruins in tlie Eternal City, where he
first began to meditiite upon the scheme of uniting by a grand cupola the four arms of the
Duomo at Florence. During his residence he settled in his mind the propor.ions of the
orders of architecture from tlie classic examples which the city alforded, and studied the
science of construction as practised by the ancients
;
from them he learnt that perfect
accordance which always exists between what is useful and what is beautiful, l)oth of
which are reciprorally subordinate to each other. Here he discovered the jirinciples of
that nice eqi.ilibrium, equally requisite for the beauty no less than lor the solidity of
an edilice. He returned to Florence in 1407. In this year the citizens convoked
an assembly of architects and engineers to deliberate upon somo plan for finishing
the Duomo. To this assembly Brunelleschi was invited, and gave his advice for raising
the base drum or a'tic story upon which the cupola should be placed. It is not im-
portant here to detail the jealousies of rivals which impeded his project; nor, when the