The Feud That Sparked the Renaissance

If you are interested in the Italian Renassiance then this is a page turner. Really enjoyed it and was sorry when I came to the end. Covers the stories of both Brunelleschi and Ghiberti in some depth and really 'fleshes' their characters out. Excellent.

Filippo Brunelleschi and Lorenzo Ghiberti were Italian artists in the early 1400s. They were rivals, they competed for the same jobs, and sometimes they worked together. Their art marks the beginning of the Renaissance. The Feud That Sparked the Renaissance was often textbooky and I occasionally found my eyes to be glazing over as I read. But I learned so incredibly much. I’ve never been particularly into art so so much of it was new to me. I recommend reading this book to anyone interested in art and the early Renaissance.

Should be a must reading before a trip to Florence, Italy. Phenomenal book.

This is a great book. It reads like a wonderful adventure story but it is factual. The story begins with the events that lead to the onset of the Renaissance, a time of great human triumph. It shows us the human side of Filippo Brunelleschi. Young, up and coming goldsmith, Brunelleschi loses the competition for the Doors of the Florentine Baptistery. Defeat does not stop him. He goes on to become a larger than life Renaissance Architect accomplishing feats unimaginable at the time.This book is very well written. You will be surprised and inspired. I have read the book several times. Yes, it is that good.

If you are interested in history and architecture, you are likely to enjoy this book. It's filled with detail of the life and times of Florence during the early Renaissance, but it is never plodding.