More info
The Riddle of the Dome - XA001/AIP/01
The dome of Florence Cathedral is one of the Renaissance's greatest monuments, but also one of its greatest riddles. Six hundred years on, the riddle remains unsolved: how exactly did architect Filippo Brunelleschi build the dome?'The Riddle of the Dome' takes viewers on an unprecedented behind-the-scenes tour of the cathedral, delving deep into the dusty timber roof and arches in an attempt to solve the dome's riddle. Does the answer lie in the brickwork? Or is it the centring that allows the walls to curve? None of these solutions completely explain how the shape of the dome was preserved.
Architect Massimo Ricci has spent over ten years building a house-sized replica to understand how the original was engineered and through his model, 'The Riddle of the Dome' reveals the tricks used to create one of the world's greatest monuments. Six hundred years after its construction, the modern world has finally solved Brunelleschi's riddle.
There are three programmes in the 'Renaissance Secrets' series. Please see 'The Winter Garden' (XA001/AIP/02) and 'A Most Mysterious Marriage' (XA001/AIP/03).
The series won a Broadcast Award at the annual Educational Television & Media Association dinner in 2000, triumphing in the 'non-compulsory audience' category.
Publication Year: 1999
Length: 30mins
ISBN: 9780749233358