Gothic Transformation

Facade of Santa Maria Novella, photo courtesy
of Wikipedia Creative Commons

            The architect Leon Battista Alberti was commissioned in 1456 to redesign the façade of the Gothic style Church of Santa Maria Novella by the Florentine Rucelli family.  Alberti’s design reflected the high Renaissance classical spirit both physically and mathematically; but was also considered Romanesque in style, mainly in the arch and capitals.  The architect was influenced by the Church of San Minato al Monte for his Romanesque design.  The façade of Santa Maria Novella originally had six marble encased tombs, which were immovable, and are now situated under the six arches, located on each side of the entrance.

            Alberti’s plan borrowed classical techniques for design, including the pilasters, Corinthian capitals and a large tympanum.  As the first to seriously study the Treatise of Vitruvius from ancient Rome, Alberti became the first architect in the Renaissance to fully understand classical architecture, utilizing this knowledge to create a mathematically balanced façade.  Completely symmetrical, the dimensions of the different sections in this façade are bound together by the ratio of 1:2.  Each section can be broken down individually, but Alberti’s goal was for them to only exist harmoniously together. 

The bottom section, a rectangle, is twice the length of the square above it, and boasts four Roman pilasters and six Romanesque arches.  Reflecting classical temples, the square and tympanum sit atop a pediment.  The sun, which sits inside the tympanum, is the emblem of the convent of Santa Maria Novella.