Aired
February 12, 2014
NOVA
NOVA
Great Cathedral Mystery #S41E15
The dome that crowns Florence’s great cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore—the Duomo—is a towering masterpiece of Renaissance ingenuity and an enduring source of mystery. Still the largest masonry dome on earth after more than six centuries, it is taller than the Statue of Liberty and weighs as much as an average cruise ship. Historians and engineers have long debated how its secretive architect, Filippo Brunelleschi, managed to keep the dome perfectly aligned and symmetrical as the sides rose and converged toward the center, 40 stories above the cathedral floor. His laborers toiled without safety nets, applying novel, untried methods. Over 4 million bricks might collapse at any moment—and we still don’t understand how Brunelleschi prevented it. To test the latest theories, a team of U.S. master bricklayers will help build a unique experimental model Duomo using period techniques. Will it stay intact during the final precarious stages of closing over the top of the dome?
Episode 15 of Season 41 from NOVA — available to stream in HD on any device.
Comments & Discussions
Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment
No comments yet
Be the first to share your thoughts!
Recommended
Because you liked NOVA
Trauma Room One
Trauma Room One
History's Greatest Warriors
History's Greatest Warriors
On the Roam
On the Roam
Major Crimes Unit
Major Crimes Unit
Palu Ailesi: Karanlık Sarmal
The Palu Family: Under a Dark Spell
In the Eye of the Storm: Chasers
In the Eye of the Storm: Chasers
K-Everything: A CNN Original Series
K-Everything: A CNN Original Series
The Nightmare Upstairs: What Happened to Ty and Bryn?
The Nightmare Upstairs: What Happened to Ty and Bryn?
The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch
The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch
Kevin McCloud's Listed Britain
Kevin McCloud's Listed Britain
Search for movies, TV shows, collections, manga, or people
Trending Now