EASTERN VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE AND ALLIED DISCIPLINE

TACLOBAN CITY

ARCH 252 History of Architecture 2

Research No. 01- Renaissance Architecture

Prepared By:
Aidyl Kate A. Bernal
BSAR-2B

Presented To:
Ar. Claudette De Veyra, uap
Instructor

November 2020
 I. INTRODUCTION
Renaissance Architecture is an architectural style that that originated in Florence in
the early 15th century and spread throughout Europe, reflecting the rebirth of Classical
culture and replacing the medieval Gothic style. A resurgence of ancient Roman styles
existed, including the column and round arch, the tunnel vault, and the dome. Order was the
core design feature.

As in the Classical era, proportion was the most significant beauty factor; a balance
between human proportions and buildings was sought by Renaissance architects. This
concern for proportion resulted in clear, easily comprehended space and mass, which
distinguishes the Renaissance style from the more complex Gothic Renaissance architecture,
stylistically, came after the Gothic period and was followed by the Baroque. Architectural
ideas borrowed from classical antiquity were developed and used with greater surety during
the renaissance period.

The Renaissance movement, which began in the fifteenth century in Italy, spread over
what had become the Roman empire in the West from there to France, Germany, and
England, and throughout much of Western Europe. As the Greeks in the East, who had
become the most civilized people in Europe, were now collapsing before the Turks, the
Eastern empire did not come under its control.

Historians often use the following designations:

– Renaissance (ca. 1400–1500); also known as the Quattrocento and sometimes
Early Renaissance
– High Renaissance (ca.1500–1525)
– Mannerism (ca. 1520–1600)
Quattrocento – In the Quattrocento, concepts of architectural order were explored
and rules were formulated. The study of classical antiquity led in particular to the adoption of
Classical detail and ornamentation.

– Space, as an element of architecture, was utilized differently to the

way it had been in the Middle Ages. Space was organized by
proportional logic, its form and rhythm subject to geometry, rather
than being created by intuition as in Medieval buildings. The prime
example of this is the Basilica di San Lorenzo in Florence by Filippo
Brunelleschi (1377–1446)
 High Renaissance – During the High Renaissance, concepts derived from classical
antiquity were developed and used with greater surety. The most representative architect is
Bramante (1444–1514) who expanded the applicability of classical architecture to
contemporary buildings. His San Pietro in Montorio (1503) was directly inspired by circular
Roman temples. He was, however, hardly a slave to the classical forms and it was his style
that was to dominate Italian architecture in the 16th century

Mannerism – During the Mannerist period, architects experimented with using

architectural forms to emphasize solid and spatial relationships. The Renaissance ideal of
harmony gave way to freer and more imaginative rhythms. The best-known architect
associated with the Mannerist style was Michelangelo (1475–1564), who is credited with
inventing the giant order, a large pilaster that stretches from the bottom to the top of a facade.
He used this in his design for the Campidoglio in Rome. Prior to the 20th century, the term
Mannerism had negative connotations, but it is now used to describe the historical period in
more general non-judgmental terms.

II. ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

Evident distinctive characteristics of classical Roman architecture were adopted by

Renaissance architecture. However, as with the layout of towns, the forms and purposes of
buildings have evolved over time, which is mirrored in the resultant convergence of classical
and 16th century forms.

Churches of a type the Romans had never developed were among the first buildings of
the revived Classicism. There were no models for the sort of large city dwellings required by
wealthy 15th century merchants either.

The primary features of 16th century structures, which fused classical Roman technique with
Renaissance aesthetics, were based in several foundational architectural concepts: facades,
columns and pilasters, arches, vaults, domes, windows, and walls.
Facade – Façades are symmetrical around their vertical axis. Church facades are generally
surmounted by a pediment and organized by a system of pilasters, arches and entablatures.
The columns and windows show a progression towards the centre.

Cathedral of Pienza: This Cathedral demonstrates one of the first true Renaissance façades.

The columns and windows show a progression towards the center. One of the first true
Renaissance façades was the Cathedral of Pienza (1459–62), which has been attributed to the
Florentine architect Bernardo Gambarelli (known as Rossellino).

Columns and Pilasters – The Roman orders of columns

are used: Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian and
Composite. The orders can either be structural,
supporting an arcade or architrave, or purely decorative,
set against a wall in the form of pilasters. During the
Renaissance, architects aimed to use columns, pilasters,
and entablatures as an integrated system.

Arches – Arches are semi-circular or (in the Mannerist

style) segmental. Arches are often used in arcades,
supported on piers or columns with capitals.
Vaults – Vaults do not have ribs. They are semi-circular or segmental and on a square plan,
unlike the Gothic vault which is frequently rectangular. The barrel vault, is returned to
architectural vocabulary.

A. Plans

 The plans of Renaissance buildings typically have a square, symmetrical appearance

in which proportions are usually based on a module within a church Symmetry and
proportion of part to part carefully studied
 Simplicity of composition-fewness and largeness of elements used to make it appear
more in human scale.
 Towers were sparingly used, when used they occur in symmetry. The dome is the
predominant feature
 Interiors of churches were planned in Roman principles and covered with domes and
pendentives. The nave is subdivided into 3-4 parts.

B. Walls

 Lower part rusticated and upper tier constructed with ashlar masonry. Stucco and
plaster used as a facing material (where stone was unavailable)
 Gable ends of the churches and buildings generally were formed as triangular or semi-
circular pediments
 External walls are generally of highly-finished ashlar masonry, laid in straight
courses. The corners of buildings are often emphasised by rusticated “quoins”.
Basements and ground floors were often rusticated.
 Internal walls are smoothly plastered and surfaced with whitechalk paint. For more
formal spaces, internal surfaces are decorated with frescoes.
C. Openings

 Semi-circular openings for doors and windows. Influence of climate was taken into
account. In Italy smaller openings were used to counter the bright conditions. In
northern Europe larger openings were provided due to the dull climate. Door usually
have square lintels. They may be set within an arch or surmounted by a triangular or
segmental pediment.
 Openings that do not have doors are usually arched and frequently have a large or
decorative keystone.
 Windows may be paired and set within a semi-circular arch. They may have square
lintels and triangular or segmental pediments, which are often used alternately.
Windows are used to bring light into the building and in domestic architecture, to give
views. Stained glass, although sometimes present, is not a feature.

D. Roofs

 Vaults of simple Roman form without ribs. Domes had internal plastered soffit and
painted in colored frescoes. All roofs apart from domes were hidden in Italy (not in
England and Germany) Roofs are fitted with flat or coffered ceilings. They are not
left open as in Medieval architecture. They are frequently painted or decorated.

E. Decoration

 Frescoes and wall paintings over plastered surfaces. Limited use of stained glass. No
use of human figurines for proportion or reference (whatever statues used were larger
than human scale)
 Courses, mouldings and all decorative details are carved with great precision. –
 Studying and mastering the details of the ancient Romans was one of the important
aspects of Renaissance theory. The different orders each required different sets of
details.
 Mouldings stand out around doors and windows rather than being recessed, as in
Gothic Architecture.
 Sculptured figures may be set in niches or placed on plinths. They are not integral to
the building as in Medieval architecture
III. PROMINENT STRUCTURES DURING THE RENAISSANCE PERIOD

NOTABLE RENAISSANCE STRUCTURES IN FLORENCE

The Renaissance style of architecture emerged in Florence not as a slow evolution from
preceding styles, but rather as a conscious development put into motion by architects seeking
to revive a golden age. These architects were sponsored by wealthy patrons including the
powerful Medici family and the Silk Guild , and approached their craft from an organized and
scholarly perspective that coincided with a general revival of classical learning. The
Renaissance style deliberately eschewed the complex proportional systems and irregular
profiles of Gothic structures. Instead, Renaissance architects placed emphasis on symmetry,
proportion, geometry, and regularity of parts as demonstrated in classical Roman architecture.
They also made considerable use of classical antique features such as orderly arrangements of
columns, pilasters, lintels, semicircular arches, and hemispherical domes.

QUATROCENNTO

DOME OF FLORENCE CATHEDRAL

(The dome of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore by Filippo Brunelleschi)

Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446) is the person generally credited with developing the
Renaissance style of architecture. The massive brick dome that covers the central space of the
Cathedral of Florence was probably also the most important architecturally. The dome,
known as the Duomo, was designed by Brunelleschi to cover a stretch of the original
cathedral. The dome retains in its style the Gothic pointed arch and the Gothic ribs.

The dome is inspired structurally by the great domes of ancient Rome, such as the
Pantheon, and is sometimes identified as the first Renaissance structure. The dome is built of
red brick and, using a profound knowledge of the laws of physics and mathematics, was
ingeniously constructed without support. It remains the world's largest masonry dome and
was such an incredible success at the time that the dome later became an important feature of
church and even secular architecture.

PALAZZO RUCELLAI, FLORENCE:

Designed by Leon Battista Alberti between 1446–1451.

Another key figure in the development of Renaissance architecture in Florence was

Leon Battista Alberti (1402—1472), an important Humanist theoretician and designer, whose
book on architecture De re aedificatoria was the first architectural treatise of the Renaissance.
Alberti designed two of Florence’s best-known 15th century buildings: the Palazzo Rucellai
and the facade of the church of Santa Maria Novella. The Palazzo Rucellai, a palatial
townhouse built 1446–51, typified the newly developing features of Renaissance architecture,
including a classical ordering of columns over three levels and the use of pilasters and
entablatures in proportional relationship to each other.

SANTA MARIA NOVELLA:

Façade of Santa Maria Novella church in

Florence, designed by Alberti

The facade of Santa Maria Novella

(1456–70) also showed similar
Renaissance innovations based on
classical Roman architecture. Alberti
attempted to bring the ideals of humanist
architecture and proportion to the already
existing structure while creating harmony with the existing medieval facade. His
contributions included a classically inspired frieze decorated with squares, four white-green
pilasters, and a round window crowned by a pediment with the Dominican solar emblem and
flanked on both sides by S-shaped scrolls. While the pediment and the frieze were inspired by
classical architecture, the scrolls were new and without precedent in antiquity, and ended up
becoming a very popular architectural feature in churches all over Italy.

NOTABLE STRUCTURES IN ROME DURING THE HIGH RENAISSANCE PERIOD

Rome is widely regarded by scholars as the second Renaissance capital of Italy, after
Florence, and was one of the most important architectural and cultural centers during this
period. Roman Renaissance architects derived their main designs and inspirations from
classical models. The style of Roman Renaissance architecture does not greatly differ from
what may be observed in Florence Renaissance architecture. However, patrons in Rome
tended to be important officials of the Catholic Church, and buildings are generally religious
or palatial in function.
THE TEMPIETTO, C. 1502, ROME, ITALY
Designed by Donato Bramante, the Tempietto is considered the premier example of High
Renaissance architecture.

Donato Bramante (1444—1514) was a key figure in Roman architecture during the
High Renaissance. Bramante was born in Urbino and first came to prominence as an
architect in Milan before traveling to Rome. In Rome, Bramante was commissioned by
Ferdinand and Isabella to design the Tempietto, a temple that marks what was believed to be
the exact spot where Saint Peter was martyred. The temple is circular, similar to early
Christian martyriums, and much of the design is inspired by the remains of the ancient
Temple Vesta. The Tempietto is considered by many scholars to be the premier example of
High Renaissance architecture. With its perfect proportions, harmony of parts, and direct
references to ancient architecture, the Tempietto embodies the Renaissance. This structure
has been described as Bramante’s “calling card” to Pope Julius II, the important Renaissance
patron of the arts who would then employ Bramante in the historic design of the new St.
Peter’s Basilica .
PALAZZO FARNESE:
The Palazzo Farnese in Rome demonstrates the Renaissance window’s particular use of
square lintels and triangular and segmental pediments used alternatively

First designed in 1517 for the Farnese family, the building expanded in size and
conception from designs by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger when Alessandro Farnese
became Pope Paul III in 1534. Its building history involved some of the most prominent
Italian architects of the 16th century, including Michelangelo, Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola,
and Giacomo della Porta. Key Renaissance architectural features of the main facade include
the alternating triangular and segmental pediments that cap the windows of the piano nobile,
the central rusticated portal, and Michelangelo’s projecting cornice , which throws a deep
shadow on the top of the facade. Michelangelo revised the central window in 1541, adding an
architrave to give a central focus to the facade, above which is the largest papal stemma, or
coat-of-arms with papal tiara, Rome had ever seen.

RENAISSANCE ARCHITECTURE IN VENICE

Architecture in Venice and the Veneto was largely based on the work of Andrea
Palladio, who designed and completed some highly influential works, including Villas in the
mainland, Vicenza, Padua, and Treviso. Palladian architecture, in masterpieces such as Villa
Emo, Villa Barbaro, Villa Capra, and Villa Foscari, evoked the imagined grandeur of antique
classical Roman villas.
Palladio created an architectural movement called Palladianism, which had a strong following
in the next three centuries, inspiring a new generation of architects who completed several
works that echo Palladio’s aestheticism, including the first Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza.

CA’ D’ORO

Ca’ d’Oro façade overlooking the Grand Canal in Venice

In the Venato, the Renaissance ushered in a new era of architecture after a phase of
Gothic art, with the creation of important works including the Ca’ d’Oro and the churches of
Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari and of Saints John and Paul in Venice. This phase of
architecture demonstrates how Gothic and Byzantine influences lingered much longer in
Venice than they did in Florence or Rome during the Renaissance.
VILLA FOSCARI:
The front façade of the Villa Foscari features several neoclassical columns.

Later architecture in Venice and the Veneto was largely based on the work of Andrea
Palladio, who designed and completed some highly influential works, including villas in the
mainland, Vicenza, Padua, and Treviso. In Venice, he designed the Basilica of San Giorgio
Maggiore, the Il Redentore, and Zitelle on the island of Giudecca. Palladian architecture, in
masterpieces such as Villa Emo, Villa Barbaro, Villa Capra, and Villa Foscari, evoked the
imagined grandeur of antique classical Roman villas.

This aesthetic , established through Palladio’s publications, proved very popular and
underwent a revival in the neoclassical period. For instance, Palladian villas were designed so
that the owner visibly exerted control over production activities of the surrounding
countryside by structuring the functional parts, such as the porch, close to the central body. In
the case of Villa Badoer, the open barn, formed by a large circular colonnade enclosing the
front yard in front of the villa, created a space that recalled the ancient idea of the Roman
Forum , bringing all campaign activities to the front of the villa itself.
 Palladio created an architectural movement called Palladianism, which had a strong
following in the next three centuries. Palladianism inspired architects, some of them his direct
students, including Vincenzo Scamozzi, who completed several works that echoed Palladio’s
aestheticism, including the first Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza.
TEATRO OLIMPICO: SCAENAE FRONS OF THE TEATRO OLIMPICO.
The permanent background is elaborately decorated, and the large arch in the center is known
as the porta regia or “royal arch.”

MANNERISM:

ST. PETER’S BASILICA DOME

 Michelangelo – Michelangelo’s dome of Saint Peter was a masterpiece of design
using two masonry shells, one within the other and crowned by a massive lantern supported,
as at Florence, on ribs. For the exterior of the building he designed a giant order which
defines every external bay, the whole lot being held together by a wide cornice which runs
unbroken like a rippling ribbon around the entire building. Cupola
The St. Peter's Basilica Dome or the Cupola is one of the largest domes in the world.
The design of the Dome is attributed to Michelangelo; however, the construction of the dome
was completed only in 1590, by his pupil Giacomo Della Porta. The cupola has several
elements across six concentric circles, including 16 large windows, busts, frescos and
figurines of over 96 figures. You can climb 231 steps or take the elevator to reach the base
and climb up another 320 steps to reach the top of the cupola for unhindered views of the
Vatican and Rome.

IV. TERMINOLOGIES

PEDIMENT: A classical architectural element consisting of a triangular section or gable

found above the horizontal superstructure (entablature) which lies immediately upon the
columns.

PILASTER: A rectangular column that projects partially from the wall to which it is attached;
it gives the appearance of a support, but is only for decoration.\

RENAISSANCE ARCHITECTURE: Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the

period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe,
demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and
Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance architecture followed Gothic
architecture and was succeeded by Baroque architecture.

QUATTROCENTO: Term that denotes the 1400s, which may also be referred to as the 15th
century Renaissance Italian period.

ENTABLATURE: The part of a classical temple above the capitals of the columns; includes
the architrave, frieze, and cornice but not the roof.
PILASTER: A rectangular column that projects partially from the wall to which it is attached;
it gives the appearance of a support, but is only for decoration.

ROME: A city, the capital of the province of Latium and the seat of the Holy See during the
Renaissance.

VENICE: A maritime city and associated province in the Veneto, Italy.

Veneto: A region of northern Italy.

PALLADIAN ARCHITECTURE: Palladian architecture is a European style of architecture

derived from the designs of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). The term
“Palladian” normally refers to buildings in a style inspired by Palladio’s own work; what is
recognized as Palladian architecture today is an evolution of Palladio’s original concepts.
References
Turner, A. (2014). Renaissance Architecture. Retrieved from
https://www.slideshare.net/Angie_malik/renaissance-architecture-41080539

Reyeg, M. (2020). Renaissance Architecture. Retrieved from

https://www.coursehero.com/file/67127460/RENAISSANCE-ARCHITECTUREpdf/

Renaissance Architecture. Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/mfresnillo/renaissance-

architecture-30722138

St’s Peter’s Basilica. Retrieved from https://www.st-peters-basilica-tickets.com/st-peters-

basilica/

Module 7- Renaissance Architecture. Retrieved from

https://www.coursehero.com/u/file/20734961/Module7-Renaissance-Architecture/?
justUnlocked=1#question

Renaissance Architecture. Retrieved from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-

arthistory/chapter/renaissance-architecture/