Filippo Brunelleschi was born in Florence in 1377 and is considered the father of Renaissance architecture. He was a multifaceted artist who worked as a sculptor, goldsmith, mathematician, and engineer. Together with Donatello and Masaccio, Brunelleschi changed the history of art by introducing the study of linear perspective and classical canons.
After competing in the 1401 contest for the doors of the Florence Baptistery, he dedicated himself primarily to architecture. His most famous work is the Dome of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, begun in 1420. Brunelleschi invented a revolutionary technique to build the dome without using large wooden scaffolding, creating a double-shell structure that remains a masterpiece of engineering today.
Among his other major works are the Spedale degli Innocenti (Hospital of the Innocents), the Old Sacristy of San Lorenzo, and the Pazzi Chapel. He died in 1446 after forever transforming the urban landscape of Florence.
