Ospedale Degli Innocenti (Florence) 1426

Editor: Here we have Brunelleschi's "Ospedale degli Innocenti" in Florence, from 1426. It's incredibly striking! All of the symmetry makes it look really peaceful. What jumps out at you when you see this? Curator: Peaceful is a great word for it! I always feel a sense of calm and order looking at this building. Brunelleschi just invented Renaissance architecture as far as I'm concerned: rational, harmonic, and balanced. Editor: You're right, the Renaissance comes to mind immediately! The columns and arches…so classic. But is there something radically new about it, something people hadn’t seen before? Curator: Well, imagine stepping out of the late medieval world – all pointy arches, everything reaching for heaven. Suddenly, BAM! You’ve got perfect semi-circular arches resting on slender columns, the whole facade a series of modular bays, each a self-contained unit. The proportions! It's a manifesto of humanism! I feel giddy just thinking about it. What about you, what’s your takeaway? Editor: I get that, totally. I think I am beginning to see how groundbreaking Brunelleschi was. Thank you. Curator: Don't thank me just yet; think of those foundlings, children with no one to claim them. They would come here for sanctuary and care and Brunelleschi provided the stage for their new lives. Editor: So it's not just about pretty arches. The architecture and the social mission worked together, in a sense? That makes it even more special. Curator: Precisely! It all resonates, doesn't it?