The Dominican Church of Santa Maria Novella is one of the defining monuments of the Italian Renaissance in Florence, Italy. The fifteenth-century marble façade was designed by Leon Battista Alberti and paid for by the merchant Giovanni Rucellai. In this video, we consider how Alberti combined classical Roman forms with local Florentine architectural traditions, using innovative forms to unify the church’s uneven Gothic structure into a balanced and elegant design. Rich with symbolic references to the Rucellai family, the Dominican Order, and Florence’s civic identity, the façade reflects the close relationship between artistic innovation, religious devotion, and elite patronage.

Speaker: Dr. Heather Graham