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Architect?
Brunelleschi
Where are examples of harmony & perfect proportion seen?
Centre of chapel = centre of circle below the dome.
Dimensions all exact - square of chancel below the dome was half the total width.
Space = precisely organised in terms of cubes, half cubes & hemispheres.
How is a serene atmosphere created in the Pazzi Chapel?
Precise treatment of wall surfaces - decorative bands on walls, arches & floor in a darker tone to show proportions.
Dark colour = pietra serena (local grey stone).
Contrasts calmly with white plaster of walls.
Features of dome?
Umbrella dome - 12 segments, reflects 12 disciples.
Bulls eye windows - symbolised eyes of God.
What supports the dome?
Arch of barrel vault supports the dome.
What appears in the centre of the dome?
Oculus
Importance of roundels?
4 roundels symbolise 4 evangelists
Features of the pendentives?
Pendentives transition between the dome, barrel-vaults & rectangular central chamber.
Where is the Pietra Serena seen?
Pietra serena pilasters divide walls into bays.
Mouldings in pietra serena mirror each other & round-headed arched windows.
What do the interior walls highlight?
Articulation of the interior walls highlights geometric divisions of the floor.
Where are repeated forms seen?
Modular tiled floor measurements of sections - replicated in the bays of the walls in ratio.
What does the square in the centre of the floor represent?
A perfect square
What had Brunelleschi completed before beginning the Pazzi chapel?
The Old Sacristy in San Lorenzo for Giovanni de Bici de Medici.
What travel exposed Brunelleschi to measurements etc.?
He went to Rome to study ruins & measurements and the Order.
Who did he go with? What did he see?
With Donatello in 1402.
Saw the Colosseum, Arch of Constantine & The Pantheon.
What travel exposed Brunelleschi to Byzantine architecture?
Believed he went to Venice & as far as Constantinople.
He would’ve been exposed to Byzantine architecture e.g. Hagia Sophia
What was Brunelleschi responsible for generating?
The Early Renaissance style
How did Brunelleschi’s career begin?
Originally a goldsmith & sculptor
But he didn’t win the competition for the Baptistry Doors.
What were Brunelleschi’s iconic and earliest projects?
Foundling Hospital
The Old Sacristy
What did these projects establish him as?
Established his reputation as Italy’s premier architect at this point.
How did it reflect Humanism?
the balanced and harmonious nature
What virtues is it associated with?
Cardinal and Theological virtues
What did the Pazzi family use the Pazzi chapel for?
Private chapel & burial place for Pazzi family
Who else used the Pazzi Chapel?
It was the chapter house for the Franciscan Monks of the Church of Santa Croce.
Where was the Pazzi Chapel’s location in relation to Santa Croce?
Was located adjacent to the large church at a right angle to its cloisters.
What was every design feature intended to reflect?
The concept of Imago Dei
What does Imago Dei mean?
The image of God
How did it reflect Imago Dei?
Sacred geometry
Proportional planning - organised around the dimensions of the idealised human body.
Harmony & balance
Why was the proportional planning organised around the dimensions of the idealised human body?
Way of representing God’s creation in symbolic form - results in intense harmony & balance.
What was the rectangular plan dictated by?
By the position in the corner of the cloisters of the adjoining church of Santa Croce.
Who were the Pazzi rivals with, give an example?
Medici family
Pazzi would plot to kill Lorenzo & Giuliano.
Only successful in murdering Giuliano in the Duomo.
What building did the Pazzi Chapel want to compete with? Why?
The Old Sacristy in San Lorenzo (1429), Brunelleschi.
Burial place of the Medici
Where was the Pazzi coat of arms visible?
Beneath each roundel in the pendentives of the dome.
What was the intention behind this?
Generate civic pride
Florence believed herself to be daughter & creature of Rome.
How did the Pazzi Chapel show the Pazzi family’s wealth?
Elaborate craftsmanship & extensive materials.
Showcased Brunelleschi - along with Alberti was Italy’s premier architect of the time.
How did it make a bold statement regarding Florentine roots in antiquity?
Referred to ‘The Pantheon’ & ‘The arch of Constantinople’ in the use of the triumphal arch motif.
What innovative structure/form is seen in the Chapel?
Trabeation = Triumphal arch of the loggia
Arceation = Interior
What displays proportional planning?
Tiled floor with white marble divisions - highlights individual modules.
Also highlights central square above - raised the dome.
What was the shape of the plan and how did Brunelleschi compensate for it?
Rectangular - he highlighted the central square and the circular dome
