How did Brunelleschi build the dome? episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 24, 2026 · 13 MIN

How did Brunelleschi build the dome?

from History for Kids / History's Not Boring: The Kids History Podcast · host SCL

Gasp! Imagine a massive church with a giant, gaping hole in the roof for over 100 YEARS! That’s what happened in Florence, Italy, way back in 1420! Nobody knew how to cover it up—it was impossible! Enter Filippo Brunelleschi, a goldsmith who probably wasn't supposed to be an architect, but he had a SECRET plan to win the building contest! How did he do it?! He invented brand new giant cranes that looked like giant wooden dinosaurs and figured out how to stack FOUR MILLION bricks in a crazy, cool herringbone pattern without any wooden supports! It’s still the BIGGEST brick dome ever built 600 years later! Join Mira and Finn as they uncover the secrets of this impossible building project. Get ready for history that is definitely NOT boring!

Gasp! Imagine a massive church with a giant, gaping hole in the roof for over 100 YEARS! That’s what happened in Florence, Italy, way back in 1420! Nobody knew how to cover it up—it was impossible! Enter Filippo Brunelleschi, a goldsmith who probably wasn't supposed to be an architect, but he had a SECRET plan to win the building contest! How did he do it?! He invented brand new giant cranes that looked like giant wooden dinosaurs and figured out how to stack FOUR MILLION bricks in a crazy, c...

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How did Brunelleschi build the dome?

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This episode is 13 minutes long.

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This episode was published on March 24, 2026.

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Gasp! Imagine a massive church with a giant, gaping hole in the roof for over 100 YEARS! That’s what happened in Florence, Italy, way back in 1420! Nobody knew how to cover it up—it was impossible! Enter Filippo Brunelleschi, a goldsmith who...

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