Brunelleschi, properly Filippo di Ser Brunellesco 1377-1446
Italian architect, goldsmith and sculptor

Born in Florence, he began as a goldsmith. He is said to have turned his talents to architecture after defeat by Ghiberti in the competition for the Florence Cathedral baptistery doors in 1402 (the competition panels entered by both men are in the Bargello Museum). He designed the dome of the cathedral in Florence: erected between 1420 and 1461, it is (measured diametrically) the largest in the world and served as the model for Michelangelo's design for Saint Peter's in Rome. Other well-known buildings by him in Florence include S Spirito, S Lorenzo, and the Spedale degli Innocenti (Foundling Hospital). The wooden crucifix in the church of S Maria Novella was designed by him in private competition with Donatello. He was one of the figures responsible for the development of the Renaissance style in Florence, and is also to be noted for his innovations in the use of perspective.

Bibliography: Antonio Manetti, The Life of Brunelleschi (1970)