The 15th Century Florentine Genius We Borrow From to This Very Day

If you ask any seasoned world traveler to namean internal skeleton and a hidden barrier wall, he
the most beautiful place they have ever visited,created a girdle of rings to hold the construction
they will most certainly include the Italian city ofwith much less weight. The result is the soaring
Florence at the very top of their list. Florence isopen cupola that from inside the Basilica seems to
one of the most desirable travel destinations inrise like a majestic gateway to the heavens.
the world. The city, like most of Italy, is aIn 1423 the eminences of Florence staged
veritable living museum of culture, art,another contest to encourage the invention of a
architecture, cuisine and style. To wander thelateral mechanical hoist. This device was deemed
streets, bridges, churches and museums of thisessential to completing the work on the dome as
glowing city is one of life's great treats.once construction materials were lifted to the high
Viewed from the Tuscan hills surrounding Florence,work platforms they had to be offloaded and
the ancient city hugs the banks of the Rivermoved to specific work areas. Brunelleschi
Arno, and the endless blanket of tiled rooftops ofsubmitted the winning design for a device that
the old town seem to flow as one singlewas called the "castello". This invention included an
undulating layer of colored matting. Conspicuously,ingenious series of gears and rails and is
the horizontal center of the city is stunninglyconsidered the progenitor of the modern "tower
pierced by the soaring dome of the Basilica Santacrane" used in building skyscrapers today.
Maria del Fiore. The dome dominates theIt is estimated that the Brunelleschi inventions
surrounding warren of streets densely packedhandled the movement of 70 million pounds of
with shops, churches, homes and public venues. Itconstruction materials in the 15th century creation
is one of the most famous visages in the world.of the dome of the Basilica Santa Maria di Fiore.
The construction of the dome was one of theThe lost Roman tradition of building on the
great architectural, mathematical and engineeringgrandest of scales was rediscovered by this son
accomplishments of the Middle-Ages. Theof Florence. Modern business and construction
techniques perfected to achieve the perfectprojects have benefitted in other ways from the
symmetry of the Basilica's dome are the basis ofmanagement skills perfected by Filippo Brunelleschi.
modern construction engineering. We owe muchFor instance, Brunelleschi was the first architect
to the design entrepreneur who gifted theknown to precisely draw to scale the detail of his
Florentine's and us, with the famous cupola.project specifications. He was the uncrowned
Filippo Brunelleschi was initially a master goldsmith.father of the blueprint. Before his utilization of
How he developed the unique architectural skills heprecisely plotted plans construction was
is most famous for is still a mystery. He wasundertaken using lines of sight, plumbs and stakes.
revered in the Florentine region for his metalBrunelleschi also was the first documented project
works, sculpture and relief pieces. He had also builtmanager known to write specific business plans
several mechanical clocks, one of which was saiddetailing the assumptions he based his budgets
to include an alarm.upon. Today no serious manager would start or
The nave and the sacristy of the Basilica Santaexpand an enterprise without crafting a detailed
Maria di Fiore had been completed for years.plan for use as a roadmap.
However, the center of the edifice was vacant,Filippo Brunelleschi filed the first known patent for
essentially a doughnut hole. The plan was alwayshis mechanical hoist. He was intent on protecting
to cover the space with a soaring dome. Massivehis invention and fully intended to enjoy maximum
construction was not unknown in the Middle-Ages.commercial benefits from its deployment and use
The ancient Romans had created the Forum, theby others. This man was the model for the
Pantheon and the Coliseum among manymodern inventor.
examples of grand scale building. The knowledgeBrunelleschi is credited with many other inventions.
and technical skills that the Romans had perfectedHe created the artistic concept of linear
15 centuries earlier had somehow been lost as theperspective. His military fortifications and
Great Plague and the Dark Ages had descendedshipbuilding improvements were considered unique.
upon the developed world.The world he left behind at death in 1446 was a
Brunelleschi and his close friend, the great artistmuch more progressive, beautiful place because
Donatello, had travelled to Rome and studied theof the contributions of this self-made genius.
many ancient ruins and buildings crafted when theEntrepreneurs, inventors, business people and
Empire was at its zenith. Upon returning toartists can learn much from the life and work of
Florence in 1418, he learned that there was aFilippo Brunelleschi. His curiosity led him to Rome
competition underway to reward the inventor ofand the study of lost, ancient construction
a novel mechanical hoist with a large cash prize.techniques. The ability to apply advanced
The hoist would be utilized to complete the domemathematical, engineering and architectural
of the Basilica by accelerating the lifting of greattechniques to seemingly intractable construction
tonnage of building materials to heights ofproblems has gifted the world with the crowning
hundreds of feet.glory of Florence, the Dome of the Basilica Santa
Brunelleschi submitted a detailed drawing of hisMaria di Fiore. Modern management tools such as
hoist machine. His work in building mechanicalthe protection of intellectual property by filing for
clocks had immersed him in the study of gearspatent protection and writing customized business
and bearings. The mechanical hoist that theplans were pioneered by this great Florentine and
inventor had designed was powered by two oxen.are utilized to this day. The perfection of
Ingeniously, Brunelleschi had invented a reversibleengineering plans by using plotting and blueprints
gear so that the oxen could continue to walk inenabled builders to project, budget and design
the same direction, and a simple levered gearmore advanced intricate construction.
could be engaged to lift or lower the hoist. ThisWe tend to think that modern ideas are always
made it possible to reload the carry platform, andthe most advanced. Studying history often
raise it, and lower it in about 10 minutes. He wonreveals that there is really not a lot that is truly
the prize and the commission to build the hoistnew, just refined and improved at the margins.
that would be instrumental in completing the domeGrand building projects are undertaken in modern
of the Basilica.times. However, a visit to Florence and study of
The mystery of how to support the great weightthe great buildings of the Renaissance provide
of the dome, especially at such great height, wasproof that great vision and craftsmanship of the
still to be solved. Brunelleschi's ingenious solutionpast stand up well to anything modern man can
required no centering construction, buttresses orconstruct, even allowing for the great leaps in
support walls. He used a herringbone pattern oftechnology we enjoy today. Men like Filippo
laying stone, thus dispersing pressure andBrunelleschi were the visionaries of their time and
diminishing the weight the lower levels of theI believe that he would be on the cutting edge of
building would have to support. In addition, rathercreativity if alive and working today.
than supporting the curvature of the dome with