The New York Times bestselling, award winning story of the construction of the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence and the Renaissance genius who reinvented architecture to build it.
On August 19, 1418, a competition concerning Florence's magnificent new cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore was announced: "Whoever desires to make any model or design for the vaulting of the main Dome....shall do so before the end of the month of...

The largest masonry dome on earth, Florence's cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, is a masterpiece of ingenuity and a source of mystery. Historians and engineers have long debated how its architect, kept the dome perfectly aligned and symmetrical as the sides rose and converged toward the center. To test the latest theories, a team of U.S. bricklayers will help build an experimental, mini-Duomo, using period tools and techniques.