Masterpieces of Architecture: Colosseum, Notre Dame, Condottiero & Dome
The Colosseum
The Colosseum is a grand amphitheater located in the heart of Rome. Its construction took place between 70 AD and 80 AD. Its purpose was to host various public spectacles, such as gladiatorial combats and reenactments of battles. With a seating capacity of 50,000, it remained in use for 500 years. Today, it stands as one of Rome’s most significant monuments.
Roman art and architecture, distinct from Greek styles, created unique spaces and vaulted domes. Roman architecture prioritized functionality, evident in its public works and civil architecture (influenced by Etruscan traditions). The Colosseum’s construction incorporated travertine, brick, and tuff stone, with marble also featuring prominently.
The Colosseum showcases several technical hallmarks of Roman art, including the introduction of new materials, innovative building techniques, and a larger building typology. During inclement weather, a large velarium (awning) named “velarium” was deployed to cover the Colosseum. Notably, beneath the arena’s sand lay a network of passages that facilitated the movement of gladiators, animals, and stage elements.
The Colosseum’s facade achieves visual harmony through its arrangement of columns. These columns represent the Doric order, characterized by cushion-like capitals and a frieze alternating between triglyphs and metopes. The Colosseum’s exterior incorporates all three architectural orders (Doric on the first floor, Ionic on the second, and Corinthian on the third). To further enhance its appearance, the entire exterior was once covered in marble sheets. Lastly, the arena’s wooden floor was situated above an underground area.
Notre Dame Cathedral
Notre Dame de Paris is undeniably one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. While not the largest cathedral in France, it stands as a remarkable example of Gothic art. Its west-facing facade overlooks the Place de Notre Dame. The cathedral measures 130 meters long, 48 meters wide, and 69 meters high.
The construction of Notre Dame served as the residence of the Bishop of Paris. It shares common construction elements with other grand cathedrals of its time. The cathedral features a Latin cross plan, divided into five naves and crowned by a slender spire that accentuates its verticality. It also includes an ambulatory apse and radiating chapels.
Innovative construction techniques are evident in Notre Dame’s design, such as ribbed vaults, flying buttresses, and pinnacles. The facade is divided into three sections and three levels, emphasizing rhythm and geometric proportions. The first level houses the main entrance, an ideal location for sculptural decoration. The second level features a rose window and flanking windows with tracery. The third level showcases an arcade of arches that adds rhythm and movement to the facade.
Gothic architecture is characterized by its verticality and luminosity, achieved through advancements that allowed for the replacement of walls with stained glass and the dominance of the arch over the wall.
The Condottiero
is a monumental sculpture of the round, held in 1453 for the plaza of the basilica of San Antonio de Padua (Italy). The material helps put the outdoor sculpture as it resists indemencias time. It is a bronze sculpture confined by the technique of casting. The characteristics are naturalism and realism in the study and represnetacion horse in his trappings and details of the armor of the knight. In the play there is a tendency to monumentality, size and perspective responds to where it is located.It is made comptempada pra pra be worldwide and from PLASA. so, men and horses are not represented in exact proportions, but if you look from the perspective of the viewer. be seen moving content and peaceful. Among the features are its balancing between the antomia and proportion etc. .. The classic reference can be found in clothing tb Roman knight. Stylistically this relates to the Roman eCulture, as is inspired by the sculpture of Marcus Aurelius. naturalism as well as the srenidad rider and the horse are typical of the Quattrocento. T his is a portrait and glorify the purchase made represnetado character, in this case is tb highlight the virtues of the soldier, who leads the horse GSTO austere without violence but with authority. The position of the cane gives importance to the gentleman who has the pose of someone important. The knight moves slowly into the plaza, in a march of conquest, together with the horse advances firemen and without excitation. condottiero’s face is that of a man advanced in years. can be seen perfectly rigid body. the condottiere is on a kind of wall or niche constructed with marble. Finally Renaissance sculpture is characterized by the great naturalist of the works, the study of human body .. (Anthropocentrism) etc.
DOME OF SANTA MARIA DE LAS FLORES: it is a pointed dome and topped by a lantern, with a structure made of brick, on an octagonal base made of two shells prarelelos. both interior and exterior are pointed. with the inner layer, having a smaller radius, closes antesla width of the second layer increases with height. between the two layers is able to air the nerves and rings that form the structure of the dome. Was used in the foundation stone of the inner and outer layers. The dome is made up of 24 nerve blocks in the form of a fishbone. The eight who use the vertices of the dome are the Nervis prioncipales qe and collect the weight of the structure. The lantern with its 16 meters high is a key piece in the architectural complex., Is open to the wind and is designed for a pointed dome. The dome is built on an octagonal dome and subdivides their weight. Note that the dome of Florence is one of the few monuments that since its construction have been considered perfect. The interest is the hemispherical dome, contrastrando the stress of the same. Brunelleschi tube that resort to this since the diameter was very large and contrstuyendo a dome is deplomaria inward socurriendo hubirae been the same if only targeted. one thing to note is that the cupola is influenced towards the dome of the Pantheon in Rome. finally the characteristics of Renaissance sculpture are sigueites: symmetry, the canon, the study of perspective. Use of classical Tecina etc.