Ospedale degli Innocenti
Title
Ospedale degli Innocenti
Description
Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446), one of the most prominent architects of early Renaissance, designed Ospedale degli Innocenti. The "Hospital of the Innocents" was built in mind for infants who had been abandoned by their parents and is one of the most notable examples of early Italian Renaissance architecture (Wiesner-Hanks 153).
With Ospedale degli Innocenti, Brunelleschi meticulously sought to achieve balance and harmony. The design is a visual representation of the transition from the Byzantine Era to the Renaissance. The planning includes rounded arches, windows with equal proportions, detailed carvings of religious figures, and elements that are placed according to geometric and mathematical calculations. The height of the columns, for example, is the same length as the space between each column ("Arcade").
Besides being an important work of art, what makes this Brunelleschi's design with Ospedale degli Innocenti significant in the big picture is the fact that the cultural and artistic transition started finding its place in the lives of ordinary people. The return to classical antiquity was beginning to physically manifest itself in the built space of societies.
References:
"Arcade, Architecture." Encyclopædia Britannica. Accessed November 18, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/.
Wiesner-Hanks, Merry E. Early Modern Europe 1450-1789. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2016.
With Ospedale degli Innocenti, Brunelleschi meticulously sought to achieve balance and harmony. The design is a visual representation of the transition from the Byzantine Era to the Renaissance. The planning includes rounded arches, windows with equal proportions, detailed carvings of religious figures, and elements that are placed according to geometric and mathematical calculations. The height of the columns, for example, is the same length as the space between each column ("Arcade").
Besides being an important work of art, what makes this Brunelleschi's design with Ospedale degli Innocenti significant in the big picture is the fact that the cultural and artistic transition started finding its place in the lives of ordinary people. The return to classical antiquity was beginning to physically manifest itself in the built space of societies.
References:
"Arcade, Architecture." Encyclopædia Britannica. Accessed November 18, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/.
Wiesner-Hanks, Merry E. Early Modern Europe 1450-1789. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2016.
Creator
Filippo Brunelleschi
Source
https://www.europeana.eu/portal/en/record/9200369/webclient_DeliveryManager_pid_6349043_custom_att_2_simple_viewer.html?q=Ospedale+degli+Innocenti
Date
1419
Contributor
Kaan Taskintuna
Rights
Unrestricted online access (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Original Format
Photograph
Citation
Filippo Brunelleschi, “Ospedale degli Innocenti,” HIST 139 - Early Modern Europe, accessed April 26, 2026, https://earlymoderneurope.hist.sites.carleton.edu/items/show/39.