There's a narrow space between to the two shells of the dome. That's how they built it. The brick layers built up one side that overlooks the tiled floor far below, hanging to the great space. A row of bricks on that, then turning around to lay a row of bricks on the other, leaning over the piazza, far below, where horses trod, and wagons rolled in with their pallets of brick.
A stairway still runs between the two shells. It's dark, and narrow. Your shoulders brush against one shell then another.
One summer I in there, I discovered that I was clautrophobic.
I had been through the thing years before, but this year crowds had arrived. There was a long line of people ahead of me, and a long line ahead. Everything was fine, until the line stopped. Stopped in that dark narrow place. I had a panic attack. It was being in the presence of others that triggered it, not knowing why the long line had stopped, not knowing. how long we would be in there.
I announced my panic as politely as a could, and squeezed my way back down, belly by belly to the first landing. Everyone was understanding. I was grateful for that. When the line started moving through that dark crevice again. I re-joined the procession to the top.
Roy Scarbrough My claustophobia has more to do with being in position of possible escape being impeded by the presence of other people who would be needing that too. My worst fear is being in a building with others that collapses around us and having to spend days in the rubble.
E. Writer That is a terrifying feeling. I think of that awful event that happened in Switzerland this month, a New Year's Eve party I think it was. That huge tragedy.
Roy Scarbrough Filipo Brunelleschi was an irascible man. I think the Florentines enjoyed goading the rivalry between he and his rivalry of his rival Lorenzo Ghiberti. Some years earlier Giberti won the commission to build the gilded baptistery doors, which up to then was probably the biggest single commission any artist was every awarded.
For they competed for the commission by producing a single panel depicting the scene of a Bible story, the sacrifice of Isaak.
The two men could not be more different in personality. Ghiberti had a sense of humour and was likely fun to be around, although he was slow to complete projects, and was unreliable in that way. Brunelleschi was not as easy to get along with, and did not enterain suggestions or directives with grace.
When the time came to award the commission for building the dome, Brunelleschi won. He won based on the plans he submitted. And yet, the committee awarded the commission to both Brunelleschi and Ghiberti, as co-masters of the project, requiring the two men to split the payment. They must've known that would infuriate Brunelleschi.
As the project continued, Brunelleschi made no effort to share the plans or discuss construction methods.
So at one critical point in the project, Brunelleschi feigned illness and stayed home. The work crews required some direction on how to proceeded to the next phase. They went to Brunelleschi for guidance. His response was, "I'm an not well. Ask Lorenzo." Lorenzo, of course had no idea.
The ruse paid off in that it was then established that Filipo would be the sole master of the project going forward.
E. Writer That was a shrewd move on Brunelleschi's part. Just as there is only one chef in a kitchen, an artistic project of this magnitude should only have one master.
Roy Scarbrough Shrewd. Lorenzo was a better artist, but he did not know diddly squat about engineering. Bruneleschi and Donatello traveled to Rome where they measured all the Roman ruins. He had a pretty good idea how to build structures that would bear a lot of weight. He invented machines that could lift tons of building materials to the top of the structure where the work was being performed. So ingenious where these cranes that for a along time Leonardo was credited with the designs that many years later Leonard drew in his note books. The machines themselves predate Leonardo, but he likely knew of them, so he drew them.
Pack animals were harnessed to a turnstile at the base of the crane tower to live the brick and block. It was equipped with a geared transmission so that it could be lowered back to the ground without having to unharness the animals.