Which Renaissance architect designed the dome of Florence Cathedral?

The Renaissance architect who designed the dome of Florence Cathedral was Filippo Brunelleschi.

Florence Cathedral, formally Santa Maria del Fiore, was begun in 1296, but its enormous octagonal crossing remained unfinished for more than a century. In 1418, the city held a competition to solve the problem. Brunelleschi won the commission, defeating or outmaneuvering rivals including Lorenzo Ghiberti, and construction of the dome began in 1420.

Brunelleschi’s solution used a double-shell structure, internal ribs, horizontal reinforcing chains, and a herringbone brick pattern. These techniques allowed the dome to rise without the massive temporary wooden centering that a project of this size would normally require. The dome was completed in 1436, although its lantern was finished later.

The cathedral itself was not designed entirely by Brunelleschi: Arnolfo di Cambio began the building, and other architects shaped later sections. The quiz asks specifically about the dome, which is why Brunelleschi—not the cathedral’s earlier architects—is the canonical answer. Donato Bramante was another major Renaissance architect, but he is not associated with this dome.