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Because of my husband Jim’s previous occupation, I’ve always been fascinated with architecture and design, a topic which is addressed in ‘Filippo’s Dome, a children’s book about Filippo Brunelleschi’s design and construction of the dome of the Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy during the Renaissance. Today, over 500 years later, the dome, often referred to as Il Duomo de Firenze, still stands and remains as the largest brick dome ever constructed.
This picture book, published in 1967 and no longer in print, presents the historical context for the construction of the magnificent church and tells the story of Brunelleschi’s life, as he prepared for this great undertaking. In doing so, the author also explains the techniques for structural detail using pictorial enhancements resembling block prints and drawings. Although the technical aspects of the dome’s construction might seem quite detailed and intricate, Anne Rockwell, the author of this book, succinctly explains the key points of its design, so that even children might understand how extraordinary and brilliant this architect’s ideas were.
I was especially thrilled to find this book awaiting my discovery on my bookshelf, since my dearest friend visited this dome last month. That context further enhanced my appreciation of this children’s book, and I enjoyed learning more about Renaissance history, as well as the engineering feat achieved by Brunelleschi in the early 1400’s. ( )