Pazzi Chapel

The Pazzi Chapel is an outstanding architectural monument of the Italian Renaissance. The building was designed by the architect Filippo Brunelleschi in 1442-1460, it is located in the monastery courtyard of the Franciscan church of Santa Croce in Florence. This is another gem of Florence that locals recommend visiting.

History of creation

In the Middle Ages, fire safety was not strictly monitored, so many monuments of architectural art were destroyed much faster than planned by their creators. For example, in 1423, fire almost completely destroyed the Basilica of Santa Croce. The rich families of Florence decided to restore the church, but funds for the revival of the ancient building were received extremely irregularly.

Then a very wealthy member of the ancient family, Andrea Pazzi, offered his help. In exchange for funding, he demanded to add a new building to the church and call it his name, or rather his surname. The basis for the design of the Pazzi Chapel was created by the then quite famous architect Filippo Brunelleschi. He was faced with a difficult task: to build a chapel into the complex space of a medieval temple. But the architect coped well with the proposed conditions, arousing the admiration of his compatriots. Historians are still arguing about what served as the prototype for the charming building: the Basilica of St. Lawrence or the Church of Santa Maria Novella.

Description of the Pazzi Chapel

Unlike the pompous buildings of that time, the Pazzi Chapel has a surprisingly simple and laconic appearance. From a short distance it becomes clear that the building was built much later than the buildings nearby, but at the same time it does not spoil the overall impression. The cube-shaped base is decorated with a cute umbrella-shaped dome with a large number of windows that allow natural light to penetrate into the building. The facade is decorated with charmingly light columns and a graceful arch.

The Pazzi Chapel is difficult to classify as a Gothic temple or a classical Roman building; it organically incorporated both of these styles, allowing the creation of an incredible structure that amazes with its grace and lightness. Additional charm is given by the combination of vertical and horizontal forms, the clarity of the structures and the antique simplicity of the building itself and the interior decoration. The architect successfully combined traditional arches, pilasters, columns with metal modules and complex geometric formulas. For example, a dome in the form of a circle is also the center of a rectangle. It is believed that the Pazzi Chapel originally had a slightly different appearance, which proves that the portico with six columns was added after Brunelleschi's death.