May 16th - Santo Spirito

The church of Santo Spirito, is among the finest works created by the Renaissance architect Filippo Brunelleschi. The exterior of the church is very simple, and does not reflect the architectural magnificence of the interior. In class, we learned that Brunelleschi had plans to create "wave-like" exterior walls, curving inward and outward in a series of concave and convex movements. However, these plans were halted for financial reasons and the walls smoothed over- had we not been told, we never would have known the artist's original intentions. Only one piece of wall exists, hidden in a far back corner, where you can see a piece of the original curvature.

The interior architecture, however, is just as grand as Brunelleschi had intended it to be. The walls are extremely sculptural, undulating and flowing the length of the church. It is interesting to note that Brunelleschi loved simplicity in buildings, and as such, hated all paintings and sculptures that would distract from his architecture. Creating these curving walls was a clever way to eliminate the space available for painting frescoes; however, his cleverness was thwarted as the walls were partially filled in to create a flat space to house art.

We also had the chance to experience first hand Brunelleschi's use of ratios in the composition of his buildings. The architect used the visible proportions 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, 1:6 (as well as several not visible to the naked eye) when creating his spaces. For example, in the main nave of the church, it can be split down the center into a ratio of 1:2. When you include the aisles to either side, the width can then be split into four equal pieces, which is a ratio of 1:4. These proportions help to create the harmonized, symmetrical form of architecture that Brunelleschi is most famous for.

"Santo Spirito Floor Plan"