Biography

Long-term academic appointee at Villa I Tatti, art historian Margaret Haines (PhD Courtauld Institute) has concentrated on sculpture and the decorative arts and on the publication and interpretation of documentary sources for the Florentine Renaissance, with special attention to the workings of corporate patronage and the management of the worksite of the Florentine cathedral. Resident in Florence, she has held visiting faculty appointments at Princeton and Harvard and has directed and curated the online edition of the sources of the Archive of the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, The Years of the Cupola 1417-1436.
 

Project Summary

The choice to cover Brunelleschi’s monumental dome with interlocking terracotta tiles was surprisingly made only after its construction was completed in 1436. The cathedral’s administrative board had reserved its right to indicate other materials and colors, from white marble to green or whitened lead or other substances to waterproof the vast expanse of the cathedral’s crossing. New research reveals that the roofing decision was first tested on the three tribute vaults radiating around the dome’s octagonal base and finally entrusted at a fixed price to the temporarily unemployed head architect, Brunelleschi. His solution of light and manageable roofing to be mounted in the eight segments delineated by the massive and structurally essential white marble ribs is another example of the architect’s ongoing ability to combine innovation, practicality and courageous solutions to the challenges of the mandated structure and its unforgettable iconic profile.

I Tatti Appointments

Fellow: 1975-1976
Research Associate: 1987-2003
Senior Research Associate: 2003-2015
Senior Research Associate Emeritus