Brunelleschi's Dome

While walking through Piazza di Porta San Giovanni during the day, one can easily overlook, or take for granted the architectural marvel that is the church of Santa Maria del Fiore. It is easy to get caught up in the ebb and flow of the piazza; ducking tourists, cautiously guarding one’s wallet from pickpockets, and weaving in and out of souvenir vendors. Thus, the best time to visit the dome is in the dead of night. The tourists have left and one can usually share the piazza with as few as a dozen other night owls. The silence suits the hulking cathedral as it no longer has to compete for our attention with the hustle and bustle of Florentine daily life. The darkness too complements the dome as it serves to quiet the too busy façade, and lets the elegant lines of the cathedral and dome, speak for themselves. But, truly the best time to visit the Duomo is when the city of Florence is covered under a thick blanket of fog. The façade becomes even more faded, and Brunelleschi’s dome reaches up to the heavens in a dreamlike state; it’s form ethereal and uncertain. It is as though you are seeing the Dome through Brunelleschi’s mind’s eye before construction was even thought of. It becomes easier too, to envision the dome how it must have looked while building was still in progress and was rising into the sky circle by circle as a skeletal, uncertain structure. After having such a vision, it is hard not to be completely in awe of both the skill that went into it’s construction, as well as the risks that were undertaken. That there was always the chance of collapse, and the method of construction was altogether unproven by previous buildings. Regardless however, the workers and the opera put their faith in Brunelleschi and continued to let the dome climb. The dome now stands as a testament to their courage in the face of such an enormous and daunting task.