From the Document to Knowledge: the Constructive History of the Wooden Ring of the Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore

Abstract

The paper presents the results of the research recently carried out on the chesnut chain of Santa Maria del Fiore dome, in Florence: probably the less investigated element of Brunelleschi's masterpiece. Thanks to the recent laser-scanner survey of the chain - carried out by the Opera del Duomo in Florence (studio Scaletti, Florence) - it has been possible to reconstruct the history of a really peculiar artifact (for materials and configuration) which always accompanied the debates on the stability of the dome, without ever becoming the protagonist. By comparing the results to historical treatises, the attempt was to date the different constructive elements of the wooden ring, thus enhancing the global knowledge on the dome. The analysis of the detailed notes drawn up by the workers led to localize the interventions on the chain. This allowed to distinguish the original technologies from the further interventions, thus mapping the technical advances that have taken place in the meantime during the centuries. In particular, the investigation carried out on a specific joint (E) aims to demonstrate the validity of a research method, which finds in the monument itself the first document of its complex history.