Santa Maria Novella (façade)
Alberti, 1456-70
RenaissanceReligious ArchitectureFlorence
Overview
About This Work
Santa Maria Novella Façade is an architectural work by the Renaissance master Leon Battista Alberti (1404–1472), designed and constructed between 1456 and 1470 on the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. The work is revolutionary in multiple respects. It is the only large-scale church façade completed in Florence during the Renaissance—a fact that itself demonstrates its exceptional status in the architectural history of the period. The church building itself had been under construction since approximately 1276, having accumulated a lower façade section in the Tuscan Romanesque style (begun 1350), complete with six embedded tomb niches (avelli), three Gothic portals, and an existing rose window. Alberti's commission from the wealthy wool merchant Giovanni Rucellai required him to complete the façade while preserving all existing elements—a daunting constraint that inspired Alberti's most profound artistic solution. What makes the Santa Maria Novella façade extraordinary is not merely its beauty (though it is undeniably beautiful), but rather the sophisticated proportional system underlying its design. The entire façade fits within a single square (width equals height), subdivided according to Pythagorean ratios (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 2:3, 3:4, etc.)—mathematical relationships derived from the principles of musical harmony. Alberti believed, following Neoplatonic philosophy, that the same numerical ratios that govern musical consonance also govern visual beauty. Every element of the façade—from the overall composition to the smallest decorative detail—is governed by these mathematical relationships. The façade thus represents a synthesis of Tuscan Romanesque tradition (in its bichrome marble patterning) with newly recovered classical principles (in its proportional system and architectural orders). It demonstrates how Renaissance architects could revive classical ideals while accommodating medieval traditions, creating harmony between old and new through the power of proportion and geometry.
Visual Analysis
Composition
The most fundamental characteristic of the Santa Maria Novella façade is its geometric simplicity and mathematical rigour. The entire composition fits within a single square (its width equals its height). This square can then be subdivided into progressively smaller squares, each maintaining proportional relationships governed by whole-number ratios.
Horizontally, the façade divides into two major registers (the lower and upper sections). The lower register is exactly half the height of the overall square—expressing a 1:2 ratio, which Alberti identified with the musical octave, the most perfect musical harmony. The upper register takes up the remaining half, but is further subdivided, with the central section (containing the pediment) occupying one-fourth of the total façade height. Thus the ratio of lower to upper is 1:2 (an octave), and the ratio of upper section to central pediment is 2:1 (doubling the smaller unit).
This system extends throughout the composition. Individual portals, pilasters, columns, and decorative panels all express ratios of 1:2, 2:3, 3:4, and other Pythagorean relationships. Every element of the façade is governed by this unified proportional system, creating what Alberti called "concinnitas"—the harmony of proportions that creates beauty.
The lower section of the façade displays three grand arched portals. The central portal is largest and most elaborate, with a prominent coffered arch recalling Roman monumental architecture. Two smaller symmetrical portals flank it on either side, creating a clear hierarchical organization. To integrate these medieval elements, Alberti extended the bichrome marble pattern throughout the entire façade, maintaining visual continuity, and imposed a classical architectural framework through the use of large pilasters at the corners and engaged columns across the façade carrying an entablature.
Most striking are the two large S-shaped scrolls (or volutes) positioned at the outer edges where the upper section meets the sloping roofs of the side aisles. These curved architectural elements are among Alberti's most brilliant innovations—they solved a longstanding architectural problem: how to elegantly transition from a wide base to a narrower upper section. The curved form of the volute echoes the spiral form found in classical orders (Ionic and Corinthian capitals), linking them to classical tradition while solving a contemporary architectural challenge.
Colour & Light
The choice of white Carrara marble and green marble from Prato (technically serpentinite, not true marble) creates one of the most visually distinctive features of the façade. The alternating white and green colors create powerful visual contrast while the geometric patterns—stripes, squares, rectangles, circles—create a complex linear mesh covering the entire surface.
This bichrome approach is not classical (ancient Roman buildings were typically monochromatic), but rather derives from Tuscan Romanesque tradition, particularly the Baptistery and San Miniato al Monte. Alberti's choice to maintain this tradition demonstrates his historical consciousness: rather than imposing a purely classical vocabulary, he created a synthesis respecting Florentine architectural heritage. Yet the geometric precision and mathematical organization of the patterns demonstrate Renaissance rationality and classical aspirations.
The material choice also carries cultural significance. The specific colors and patterns become a visual statement of Florentine identity, distinguishing the city's architecture from other Italian regions. The green marble from Prato—a Florentine territory—asserts the building's rootedness in Florence.
The white and green bichrome pattern creates visual rhythm and complexity across the entire façade. The geometric patterns—circles, squares, rectangles, linear designs—are created entirely through the color contrast of the marble, with no carved relief or sculptural ornament. This approach is fundamentally different from classical Roman architecture, which emphasized carved relief and three-dimensional sculptural form.
The dark green pilasters at the corners and the engaged columns provide visual emphasis through their solid color and rounded projection. These elements appear to project forward from the plane of the façade, creating subtle three-dimensionality despite the overall flatness of the encrusted marble surface.
Materials & Technique
The upper section of the façade represents a classical temple front. Four large pilasters carry an entablature topped by a triangular pediment—the fundamental elements of classical Greek and Roman temple architecture. Within the pediment sits a large circular window (oculus) that is pre-existing from earlier construction. Above the oculus, Alberti placed a white marble sun disk representing the symbol of the Dominican Order (the sun as symbol of the Incarnation and divine justice).
The S-shaped scrolls are not merely decorative; they are structurally necessary to cover the sloping roofs of the side aisles. Yet through their beautiful curved form, they transform a practical requirement into an aesthetic triumph. The organic, flowing curves of the volutes create a smooth visual transition, preventing the composition from appearing abruptly divided into two contradictory sections.
Between the lower and upper registers runs a prominent horizontal entablature decorated with the Rucellai family emblem—a diamond ring motif repeated regularly across the band. This inscription identifies the patron and serves as a visual separator between the two distinct sections, creating a pause that emphasizes the hierarchical organization of the composition.
Alberti's design philosophy was rooted in the concept of "concinnitas"—a Latin term he used to describe the harmonious proportion of all the parts of a building to create beauty. He wrote: "Beauty is a form of sympathy and consonance of the parts within a body, according to definite number, outline, and position, as dictated by concinnitas, the absolute and fundamental rule in Nature."
Most importantly, Alberti connected visual harmony to musical harmony. Pythagorean music theory, inherited from ancient Greece, taught that musical intervals were governed by simple numerical ratios: the octave (1:2), the perfect fifth (2:3), the perfect fourth (3:4), and others. Alberti proposed that the same ratios apply to visual proportions—that a building whose dimensions express these ratios would create beauty as undeniable as musical harmony.
Historical Context
Context
Santa Maria Novella is a Dominican church whose construction began around 1276 in the Gothic period. For nearly 200 years, the church remained under construction. By the 14th century, the lower façade section was begun (starting in 1350), displaying the characteristic Tuscan Romanesque bichrome marble pattern of white and green. Six avelli (tomb niches) were embedded in the façade, intended to house the sarcophagi of noble Florentine citizens. Three Gothic portals provided entrance, spanned by medieval arches. The building reached a state of functional completion, yet the upper façade remained bare and unfinished—a common condition for Florentine churches, including Santa Maria del Fiore and San Lorenzo, which had elaborate interior decoration but plain exterior faces.
In 1456 (or possibly 1458), the wealthy wool merchant Giovanni Rucellai commissioned Leon Battista Alberti to design the upper portion of the façade. Rucellai's patronage was a matter of both piety and prestige—commissioning a monumental architectural work was one of the greatest ways a Renaissance merchant could assert his importance in the civic hierarchy and secure remembrance for his name.
The patronage agreement included a crucial constraint: the Rucellai family stipulated that the portions of the façade already constructed must remain in place. The existing tombs could not be removed, the existing portals could not be altered, and the existing rose window was immovable. This constraint—seemingly limiting—became the occasion for Alberti's greatest artistic and architectural achievement.
Alberti's response demonstrates architectural genius. Rather than treating the medieval lower façade as an embarrassment to be hidden or minimized, he integrated it into a unified composition through the application of mathematical proportion. He did not merely add a classical upper section; instead, he created a proportional system governing the entire façade—a system that accommodated and elevated the medieval elements through the power of geometric harmony.
This solution reveals Alberti's sophisticated understanding of the Renaissance relationship to the past. Unlike some Renaissance figures who viewed medieval architecture as barbarous and wished to erase it, Alberti recognized the value of continuity and historical consciousness. He could honor the existing Romanesque elements (particularly their bichrome marble decoration, which he connected to the revered San Miniato al Monte) while simultaneously asserting Renaissance classical ideals through proportion and geometry.
Key Themes
Connection to Renaissance
Exam Focus Points
Critical Perspectives
Explain how the entire façade fits within a single square (width equals height) and how this relates to Pythagorean ratios. Describe the 1:2 ratio governing lower and upper registers (Alberti's 'octave') and its connection to musical harmony. Discuss the concept of 'concinnitas'—harmony of proportions—and how it reflects Neoplatonic philosophy. Explain Alberti's two-part strategy for integrating medieval elements: extension of bichrome pattern and imposition of classical framework. How did the S-shaped scrolls solve the structural problem of connecting wide base to narrow upper section? Analyze how Alberti synthesized Tuscan Romanesque tradition (bichrome marble) with classical principles (proportional system). Discuss Giovanni Rucellai's patronage and how the constraint of preserving existing medieval elements inspired Alberti's creative solution. Compare the façade's approach to the influence of San Miniato al Monte and the Baptistery of Florence. Explain the significance of the façade as the only large-scale Renaissance church façade completed in Florence during this period.