ENGINEERING IN THE

RENAISSANCE AND THE AGE OF

ENLIGHTENMENT
RENAISSANCE

The study of classical antiquity, the

writing, and architecture of Greece and
The term “Renaissance” which means
Rome, became the trend. However,
rebirth, applies to Western Europe in
many other sweeping changes also
the 15th through 16th centuries. In a
were taking place: the Reformation,
narrow sense, the name refers to the
world exploration, the downfall of the
revival of learning that took place in
old astronomy that put Earth at the
that period.
center of the universe, and the creation
of systems for innovation.
 ENGINEERS IN THE RENAISSANCE

ENGINEERING AGAIN GREW TO BE RESPECTED, AND ENGINEERS

BECAME FAMOUS AND, SOMETIMES, WELL PAID. THEY WERE NO
LONGER ANONYMOUS CRAFTSMEN; THEY PROMOTED
THEMSELVES AND WERE NOT SHY ABOUT ARGUING WITH
EMPLOYERS OR RIVALS.
ENGINEERS IN THE
RENAISSANCE

ONE OF THE EARLIEST ENGINEERS OF THE

RENAISSANCE WAS FLORENTINE FILIPPO
BRUNELLESCHI. HE MASTERED PERSPECTIVE
DRAWING AND BUILT THE FAMOUS DOME
CATHEDRAL OF SANTA MARIA DEL FIORE,
THIS CATHEDRAL IS NOW CALLED THE
FLORENCE CATHEDRAL.
FLORENCE CATHEDRAL

BRUNELLESCHI FIRST COMPETED FOR THE

AWARD IN 1407, RECEIVED THE ORDER TO
BUILD IN 1419, WAS ACTUALLY STARTED IN
1420, AND FINISHED THE TASK IN 1436.
THE ENTIRE CATHEDRAL IS 351 FEET HIGH,
AND THE DOME IS 105 FEET HIGH
(APPROXIMATELY TEN STORIES) AND 143
FEET IN DIAMETER.
THE HERRINGBONE BRICK PATTERN
BRUNELLESHI’S
ACHIEVEMENTS
THE CITY OF FLORENCE ALSO
GAVE BRUNELLESCHI THE
FIRST KNOWN PATENT, FOR A
CANAL BOAT FITTED WITH
CRANES CAPABLE OF MOVING
HEAVY CARGO. HE SERVED
BOTH AS A CIVIL AND
MILITARY ENGINEER.
 ENGINEERS IN THE RENAISSANCE
MOST EARLY RENAISSANCE ENGINEERS ACHIEVED FAME THROUGH WORD OF MOUTH.
LATER IN THE 15TH CENTURY, THE PRINTING PRESS HELPED TO DISSEMINATE
ENGINEERING KNOWLEDGE.
AN ITALIAN ENGINEER/ARCHITECT/PAINTER/PHILOSOPHER/MUSICIAN/POET, LEON
BATTISTA ALBERTI, WROTE A BOOK IN LATIN ON RULES OF THUMB FOR THE
PROPORTIONS OF STRUCTURES, SUCH AS BRIDGES. THIS WORK ORIGINALLY WAS
PUBLISHED IN 1452 AND CIRCULATED IN MANUSCRIPT FORM AMONG ALBERTI‘S
FRIENDS.
ALBERTI’S RULE

HE EXPLORES THIS THROUGH THREE FOCUSES:

FIRST IS THE STABILITY AND USEFULNESS OF A STRUCTURE.

NEXT ARE THE AESTHETIC ELEMENTS OF LINES, ANGLES, AND PROPORTIONS.
FINALLY, ARE THE ELEMENTS OF BEAUTY AND ORNAMENTATION.
 IN THE 1580S, ANDREA PALLADIO, WHO HAD PERFECTED
ENGINEERS IN THE THE BRIDGE TRUSS, WROTE ABOUT THAT SUBJECT AND
RENAISSANCE OTHERS IN ―I QUATTRO LIBRI DELL‘ ARCHITECTURAL (THE
FOUR BOOKS OF ARCHITECTURE).