Brunelleschi's Cupola: Past and Present of an Architectural Masterpiece

Fascinating research done at a level which may be foreign to many art history lovers. If I may here, recommend this as a part of a trio of books that when read together, would give the reader a fantastic overview of the completion of Santa Maria del Fiore.First read "The Feud That Sparked the Renaissance: How Brunelleschi and Ghiberti Changed the Art World" by Paul Robert WalkerThis beautifully examines the means in which the building of the cupola came to be. It gives you a good understanding of the cultural setting of the project, and what it did for human History.Then read Ross King's "Brunelleschi's Dome" His story telling is second to none, and he goes into great detail about the secondary projects of Brunelleschi during the build, in particular the machines and devices that he designed to assist in the build.Finally, this book. The scientific and mechanical understanding of the building is second to none. It's as if the author was there for the build itself. Especially interesting are his uses of modern day technology to understand how the structure works, where load bearing is at its greatest, and the strains it supports.

Nice historical picture of a particular time in Italy's history/

Very nice and informative book. Great shipping service.

superb!!!

brilliant scholarship! Fascinating history from an engineering point of view because the technology to build the dome had to be invented. Its an impressive feat that takes your breath away. Excellent book!!!

The book is divided into two parts and in the middle are several very good photographs and drawings of the cupola both interior and exterior including the area between the two domes.The first part covers the history of the building, where the materials were gathered, how Brunelleschi came up with the design, how he oversaw the construction and workers to complete the project. A detailed chronology of the various repairs and modifications that have taken place since it's completion in 1436 is also examined. Part one concludes with a discussion of the Cupolas greater role in Florence and its impact and perception among artist, architects, writers, and others.Part two is entirely devoted to examining the structure from an engineering perspective. This part may be very challenging for non-engineer types to really understand, as the analysis becomes quite technical and assumes the reader understands things such as bending moments, tensile stress, laws of elasticity, and more. That being said it does a great job in covering in detail the structural deformation of the cupola, the current tensile loads creating cracks above the four piers, a finite element analysis of the structure in its both cracked and un-cracked states, and methods for reinforcing the cupola so that structural integrity in maintained.The information in part two alone justifies the purchase of this book, especially for engineering students and practicing engineers who also share an interest in history.

I bought one of these books in paperback form at the museum store in Florence, Italy and ordered more from Amazon when I saw the description specified "hardcover." The books I received were the same as I had bought in Florence...paperback. Yes, the cover is a heavier-than-usual card stock, but it is NOT hardcover as we have come to think of a hardcover binding.That said, if you have ever seen Brunelleschi's cupola in person, been awestruck by its detail and managed to survive the climb of hundreds of steps to the top for the spectacular views, you will find this book fascinating and instructive. It also makes a terrific gift for the architect or builder in your life.

The story of this fascinating building project is told with the help of extraordinary images. Great book.

This is a great book! It is well written and has lots (and I mean lots) of great illustrations - photos,paintings, diagrams, drawings - with maybe the majority in colour. If at all interested in the subjectyou will not be disappointed. In addition it is very well produced: well printed on decent thick paper andproperly sewn bound so will not fall apart in use. It is only paperback but given the overall quality I'dhave liked to give it seven stars out of five (And I'm fairly fussy when giving my stars out!). The priceis also extremely reasonable.

It has many photos, designs and details about the construction of the cupola. Very nice edition.