Moments of perfection : a study of natural lighting in the Church of Santo Spirito

Abstract

Reliance on natural lighting in the Renaissance is put into context through the exploration of religious light symbolism and the explanation of the dependence on the solar path to measure the passage of time. Through systematic observation of the light distribution through out the year "moments of perfection" are identified. These are the times when the natural reinforces both the formal religious function and powerful geometry of the church. This thesis concludes that Filippo Brunelleschi used precise calculations with great deliberateness to manipulate light placement in the design of the church of Santo Spirito. This church is not an isolated incident but rather part of a larger, unexplored body of knowledge.