The Pazzi Chapel (Italian: Cappella dei Pazzi) in Florence is considered to be one of the masterpieces of Renaissance architecture. It is located in the “first cloister” of the Basilica di Santa Croce. Though funds for the chapel were assembled in 1429 by Andrea Pazzi, head of the Pazzi family, whose wealth was second only to the Medici, construction did not begin until about 1441. The chapel was completed in the 1460s.
Once thought to be a work ...
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The Pazzi Chapel (Italian: Cappella dei Pazzi) in Florence is considered to be one of the masterpieces of Renaissance architecture. It is located in the “first cloister” of the Basilica di Santa Croce. Though funds for the chapel were assembled in 1429 by Andrea Pazzi, head of the Pazzi family, whose wealth was second only to the Medici, construction did not begin until about 1441. The chapel was completed in the 1460s.
Once thought to be a work of Filippo Brunelleschi, it now seems that he most probably was responsible for the plan, which is based on simple geometrical forms, the square and the circle, but not for the building's execution and detailing. A façade that he had begun, and of which only the lower register can be seen, was partially obscured by the addition of a porch.
The size of the chapel was predetermined by existing walls, creating an unusual situation, however, where the space was not square as in the Old Sacristy, which was the model for this building, but...
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