RENAISSANCE
ARCHITECTURE
I. INFLUENCES
GEOGRAPHICAL
IT MUST BE REMEMBERED THAT FLORENCE WAS MORE THAN A CITY, BEING, IN
FACT, ONE OF THE POWERS OF ITALY, ALTHOUGH ITS DOMINIONS INCLUDED ONLY A SMALL
PART OF CENTRAL ITALY. THE ACTIVITY AND INFLUENCE OF THE FLORENTINES CAUSED A POPE
TO DECLARE THAT THEY WERE THE FIFTH ELEMENT.
GEOLOGICAL
THE QUARRIES OF TUSCANY SUPPLIED LARGE BLOCKS OF STONE AND MARBLE,
WHICH, BEING NEAR THE SURFACE, WERE EASILY OBTAINED FOR BUILDING PURPOSES, AND
THE MONUMENTAL CHARACTER AND MASSIVENESS OF THESE MATERIALS CONSIDERABLY
INFLUENCED THE STYLE OF THE ARCHITECTURE.
CLIMATE
AMONG OTHER CAUSES WHICH AFFECTED THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE STYLE, THE
BRIGHT AND SUNNY CLIMATE RENDERED LARGE OPENINGS FOR LIGHT UNNECESSARY.
RELIGION
AT THIS PERIOD FLORENCE PRODUCED THE GREAT DOMINICAN PREACHER,
SAVONAROLA, WHOSE REFORMING ENERGY DIVIDED THE CITY, AND SWAYED ITS POLICY. HE
LOOKED TO THE FRENCH KING TO CALL A GENERAL COUNCIL ' TO REFORM THE CHURCH. IN
ART HE TENDED TO THE PURITAN THEORY, AND ALTHOUGH SUPPRESSED BY THE POPE, HIS
INFLUENCE ON THE MINDS OF HIS GENERATION WAS NOT LOST, THE SISTINE FRESCOES
BEARING WITNESS TO HIS POWER OVER MICHAEL ANGELO.
SOCIAL AND POLITICAL
IN ITALY GENERALLY THERE WAS A WAVE OF NATIONAL ENTHUSIASM AND
PATRIOTIC FEELING AND AN ENDEAVOR TO ASSIMILATE THE OLD ROMAN MAGNIFICENCE IN ART.
THE MEDICI DYNASTY, SO INTIMATELY CONNECTED WITH THE RISE OF FLORENTINE ART, WAS
FOUNDED BY JOHN OF MEDICI (DIED 1429), WHO TOOK THE POPULAR SIDE AGAINST THE
NOBLES, GRADUALLY USURPING SUPREME AUTHORITY OVER THE STATE.
HISTORICAL
FLORENCE COMMENCED TO GROW IN IMPORTANCE ON THE REMOVAL OF THE
INHABITANTS OF FIESOLE TO THE BANKS OF THE ARNO IN 1125. IN 1801, AS THE
REPUBLIC, AND AFTERWARDS AS THE KINGDOM OF ETRURIA, IT ENJOYED POLITICAL FREEDOM
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE YEARS 1807-1814, DURING WHICH TIME IT WAS
INCORPORATED WITH FRANCE, BUT IN 1860 IT WAS UNITED TO THE KINGDOM OF ITALY.
I . ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
• THE MASSIVE BLOCKS OF RUSTICATED MASONRY IN THE LOWER STORIES OF THE
FLORENTINE PALACES GIVE TO THESE BUILDINGS THAT CHARACTER OF SOLIDITY AND
RUGGEDNESS FOR WHICH THEY ARE REMARKABLE.
• THE GENERAL ABSENCE OF PILASTERS, AS DECORATIVE FEATURES, IS ESPECIALLY
NOTICEABLE IN THE DESIGN OF THE PALACES, WHICH ARE THEREFORE CALLED "ASTYLAR."
• THE SPARING USE OF CARVED DETAIL, AND IN FACT OF FEATURES OF ANY KIND, GIVES A
MARKED CHARACTER OF SIMPLICITY TO THE STYLE.
• THE TYPES OF DOORS AND WINDOWS MAY BE DIVIDED INTO THREE GROUPS.
• THE ARCADE TYPE, USUAL IN THE HEAVILY RUSTICATED EXAMPLES, CONSISTS OF A ROUND
ARCH, IN THE CENTER OF WHICH IS A CIRCULAR COLUMN SUPPORTING A SIMPLE PIECE OF
TRACERY; AS AT THE STROZZI, PITTI, AND RICCARDI PALACES.
• THE ARCHITRAVE TYPE IS THAT IN WHICH MOULDINGS INCLOSE THE WINDOW, AND CONSOLES
ON EITHER SIDE SUPPORT A HORIZONTAL OF PEDIMENT CORNICE, AS IN THE COURTYARD OF
THE PANDOLFINI PALACE' AND IN THE PALAZZO RICCARDI.
• THE ORDER TYPE IS THAT IN WHICH THE OPENING IS FRAMED WITH A PILASTER OR COLUMN
ON EACH SIDE SUPPORTING AN ENTABLATURE ABOVE, THIS BEING THE FINAL DEVELOPMENT,
AS EMPLOYED IN THE' PANDOLFINI PALACE, ASCRIBED TO RAPHAEL.
I I. EXAMPLES
ST PAUL'S CATHEDRAL
CHATEAU DE CHAMBORD
IV. COMPARATIVE
PLAN
THE UTMOST SIMPLICITY AND COMPACTNESS, A STYLE OF PLANNING ADAPTED
TO TOWN, RATHER THAN COUNTRY BUILDINGS. STAIRCASES ENCLOSED BY WALLS WERE
VAULTED BY ASCENDING BARREL-VAULTS.
WALLS
THE STYLE OF FENESTRATION AND RUSTICATED QUOINS. THE ASTYLAR
TREATMENT, WHICH DISPENSES WITH ORDERS AND MAKES EACH STORY COMPLETE IN ITSELF,
WHILE SUBORDINATED AS A WHOLE BY THE GREAT TOP CORNICE WAS ADOPTED.
OPENINGS
OPENINGS ARE SMALL, WIDE-SPACED, AND SEVERE IN TREATMENT. THE TYPICAL
OPENING IS AN ARCHWAY IN RUSTICATED WORK, DIVIDED BY A COLUMN CARRYING TWO MINOR
ARCHES, FORMING A SEMI-TRACERY HEAD.
ROOFS
FLAT PITCH TILED ROOFS ARE SOMETIMES VISIBLE. RAKING VAULTS TO
STAIRCASES, AND SIMPLE CROSS OR WAGON-VAULTS IN HALLS, GENERALLY FRESCOED.
COLUMNS
EARLY EXAMPLES DO NOT HAVE THE ORDERS, THOUGH COLUMNS WERE USED
TO ARCADES, THE ARCHES SPRINGING DIRECT FROM THE CAPITALS.
MOULDINGS
MOLDINGS ARE FEW AND SIMPLE. THOSE BETWEEN STORIES WERE REDUCED TO
THE MINIMUM, TO GIVE FULL EFFECT TO THE GRAND CROWNING CORNICE, THE DETAILS OF
WHICH WERE BASED ON CLASSIC EXAMPLES.
ORNAMENT
THE REVIVAL OF FRESCO PAINTING AND ITS APPLICATION TO BUILDINGS BY THE
ARTISTS OF THE GREAT SCHOOLS OF ITALIAN PAINTING HAD AN IMPORTANT DECORATIVE
EFFECT ON ALL THE SCHOOLS. SCULPTURED ORNAMENT TO FRIEZES CARVED WITH INFANT
GENII, SCROLLS, FRUIT AND MASKS, WAS ABUNDANTLY USED IN THE THREE SCHOOLS.
