ARCHITECTURE

Santa Maria Novella

Santa Maria Novella

Introduction

Renaissance was the cultural movement which began in 14th century and kept flourishing till 17th century. During this period, every aspect of life was transformed into more sophisticated and cultural forms. It influenced the art, culture, literature, science hence every façade of the intellectual properties. Italian Renaissance is said to be the earliest appearance of the European Renaissance. Great changes in culture and accomplishments were started in Italy during that period. It was a transition from Medieval Ages to the Early Modern Europe. The architecture of that time is also influenced by the changes occurred during Renaissance. It represents the revival of Classic Roman and Greek art with exceptional mathematical proportions along with science and portraying of emotions. It was first developed in the city of Florence, Italy and was soon spread to the whole country. Later the style was adopted by France, Germany, Russia, England and different parts of the Europe. Santa Maria Novella is also one of the most famous and exceptionally created buildings of Renaissance. Many artists of that time contributed in its making such as Brunelleschi, Leon Battista Alberti, Giuliano da Sangallo and others. It took centuries to be build and many alterations were done till the last century.

Discussion

Renaissance

By the end of the 14th century AD, Italian scholar declared that a new age has started and the unenlightened and barbarous “Middle Ages” is over. The new age was called “Rinascita” which means rebirth of literature, art, knowledge and learning. That period of rebirth is called Renaissance. The intellectual European life was profoundly affected by the Renaissance which was a cultural movement. It was started in Italy and by the 16th century it was spread to the rest of the Europe. It influenced philosophy, art, literature, music, religion, science, politics hence every aspect of intellectual inquiry. Scholars of Renaissance period searched for human emotion and realism in art and also used humanist method in research and study.

The Renaissance Architecture

The art of Renaissance period is the most proportional and harmonized form of art which also included architecture of Italy. The theories and practices of Italian Renaissance Architecture were based on the examples of Classical Roman. The revival of Classical Rome in architecture during the Renaissance was as important as it was in literature. Just like the Classical world, harmony, balanced measurements and mathematical proportions can be observed in the Renaissance architecture (Burckhardt 1990, pp. 125). These measurements and proportions were based on the human scales. Architects of the Renaissance period were trained and raised as humanists to increase the status of their profession by becoming artists from skilled laborer. They strived to create structures that could attract people emotionally and rationally. Filippo Brunelleschi, Leon Battista Alberti and Andrea Palladio are said to be the key figures of the Renaissance Architecture.

Brunelleschi

Flippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446) is said to be the first architect of Renaissance period. He travelled all around Rome to study the historical buildings. He was the first person of ancient times who used Doric, ...