Brunelleschi's Dome: Engineering Florence Cathedral

In 1420, Florence began raising the world's largest masonry vault over Santa Maria del Fiore. Follow the system behind Brunelleschi's dome: twin shells, ribs, herringbone brickwork, reversible hoists, suspended work platforms, and the institutional labor that turned a goldsmith's design into masonry. The episode also separates archival evidence from later stories, including the rivalry with Ghiberti and the failed Badalone marble shipment. Sources include the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, WIPO materials, archival scholarship, and peer-reviewed construction research. This episode is a researched narrative summary. Historical records may be incomplete, translated differently, or interpreted differently by scholars. We distinguish documented facts, estimates, disputed interpretations, and later stories where material. Corrections are logged and incorporated into future editions.