Chapters 11 and 12 Summary

Chapter Eleven begins with the moment when the wardens needed to meet again to decide if Filippo should be allowed to complete the dome without centering. They decide to allow him to continue without centering but make an amendment saying that parts of the cupola would be built using a variety of differently-shaped bricks in a fishbone pattern. As with everything, Filippo is very specific about the quality of these bricks, as well as the mortar used to hold them together. Typical mortar took awhile to dry and would keep the bricks in place at the angles at which they are set, so it can only be speculated that the drying process is sped up, possibly by the ancient Roman cement called pozzolana.

Besides the quality of materials, Filippo is also very concerned with the safety of the workers; he builds...