I felt this extra content was necessary, and it's here in Rockwell's book. With the proper backstory and context, the ridicule seems even more unjust. In Pippo the Fool, we only get the dismissed and mocked Filippo. Filippo's impressive and wonderous work as a goldsmith is depicted and described, as is his backstory. This is the stronger, more complete, probably more accurate of the two books, and is definitely for an older reader - the illustrations (dove tail joints, bridging sutures, etc.) are technical rather than entertaining. (I would recommend Pippo the Fool for the 4 to 6/7 year old audience - this book, Filippo's Dome demands greater attention spans, interest in the minutia of engineering and architectural details and historical background). That context further enhanced my appreciation of this children’s book, and I enjoyed learning more about Renaissance history, as well as the engineering feat achieved by Brunelleschi in the early 1400’s.Speed-read it, since I know the abridged story from Pippo the Fool, which is far less detailed. I was especially thrilled to find this book awaiting my discovery on my bookshelf, since my dearest friend visited this dome last month. Although the technical aspects of the dome’s construction might seem quite detailed and intricate, Anne Rockwell, the author of this book, succinctly explains the key points of its design, so that even children might understand how extraordinary and brilliant this architect’s ideas were.
In doing so, the author also explains the techniques for structural detail using pictorial enhancements resembling block prints and drawings. This picture book, published in 1967 and no longer in print, presents the historical context for the construction of the magnificent church and tells the story of Brunelleschi’s life, as he prepared for this great undertaking.
Today, over 500 years later, the dome, often referred to as Il Duomo de Firenze, still stands and remains as the largest brick dome ever constructed.
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