Which of the following is Brunelleschi's dome on the Florence Cathedral?

• A. Bernini
• B. Michelangelo
• C. Brunelleschi
• D. Donatello

Answer: (C)

Brunelleschi's dome on Florence Cathedral showcases a bold architectural solution to a daunting structural challenge. He needed to cover the huge octagonal drum without the cumbersome centering that would have been required at the time. The answer was a double-shell dome: an inner shell and an outer shell, tied together by internal ribs and a meticulous brick pattern. The bricks were laid in a herringbone arrangement to resist outward thrust, while a system of supports and scaffolding allowed the structure to rise safely until the final layers could bear the weight. Completed in 1436, this dome became famed as the largest masonry dome built without modern metal framework, signaling a shift toward engineering-driven design in the Renaissance.

The other names listed are associated with different works and periods: Bernini with Baroque sculpture and architecture, Michelangelo with later Renaissance achievements and a dome of his own, and Donatello as a pioneering sculptor of the early Renaissance. The Florence Cathedral dome is intrinsically Brunelleschi’s achievement because he conceived and made a workable plan to realize it.