The dome structure marks the advent of Renaissance architecture in Florence. The dome is one of the most well known Renaissance architectural styles. The Basilica Santa Maria del Fiore, commonly known as El Duomo, "the dome," is the central cathedral in Florence. The dome, and entire church, were inspired by and modeled after a dome created in the Gothic syle by Arnolfo di Cambio. The church blended both ancient Italian and modern Renaissance designs.
In Renaissance Florence, architects built buildings with a Gotchic style façade and a modern, Reniassiance interior. Known as an example of Florentine architecture, the church of Santa Croce is an ideal example. The front, sides and back of Santa Croce show off Gothic architecture, by Arnolfo di Cambio, full of archways and flying buttresses. However, the chapel within brandishes architectural designs by Brunelleschi -- whose careful use of proportions created classic styles. Inside the church are monuments, archways and tombs in the Florentine style.
An arcade is a popular Renaissance architectural structure featuring a series of arches supported by tall columns. The architect, Angelico, practiced linear perspective in his arcade design. By using a "vanishing point," or a point on the "horizon line," he created columns of longer and shorter lengths to produce a realistic feeling of distance and space.
The villa, a home built away from the city in a natural landscape, resurfaced as an architectural design in the Renaissance. Originally part of ancient Italian architecture, villas were intended for the wealthy and allowed architects go wild with lavish creativity. However, in the Renaissance architects started building villas nearer to the city for less wealthy Florentines. The central design always stayed the same: an idyllic setting to find respite from the city. The stately, palatial designs included archways, arcades, columns, pathways, gardens and giant courtyards.