BRUNELLESCHI, Filippo
(b. 1377, Firenze, d. 1446, Firenze)

San Lorenzo: View of the nave toward the entrance

begun 1419
Photo
Piazza di San Lorenzo, Florence

Brunelleschi built two large basilical churches in Florence, both completed after his death but showing the development of his style in his later years, and both of them became patterns of the Latin cross type of plan. The earlier of the two is San Lorenzo, the parish church of the Medici family. This was begun in 1419, when a plan was drawn up for rebuilding a much older church on the site. Many chapels were necessary since it was a monastic foundation, and Brunelleschi therefore adapted the type which had been established in the last years of the thirteenth century at Santa Croce.

The later basilical church by Brunelleschi was the Santo Spirito, which is basically very similar to San Lorenzo, and the two churches between them became exemplars of the Brunelleschian style.

The picture shows a view from the altar.

View the section and ground plan of San Lorenzo.




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