Chapter 407 Cultural Prosperity
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In the city center of Ancyra, the archbishop is holding a completion ceremony for the newly built church.
The new cathedral cost 100,000 lei and nearly 7 years to complete, and was built by architects hired from northern Italy. It's all worth it now.
Brunelleschi was also very proud that this was his first work since becoming an architect. The whole building is in Orthodox and Romanian style, with columns supporting the interior to make the space appear spacious.
The Church of Anatolia was so pleased with the church that Brunelleschi lived on the construction site for several years while he completed the masterpiece. Fortunately, the government is powerful and there are abundant funds and raw materials, which allowed him to create such a good work.
“Thanks to Brunelleschi’s design for contributing such a magnificent building to the church.”
"No, I would also like to thank the Empire and His Majesty the Emperor for giving us this opportunity."
Brunelleschi really had the Empire to thank for the opportunity he had given him, as he entered the competition to design a new bronze door for the Baptistery of San Giovanni in Florence, only to lose to a young goldsmith named Lorenzo · Ghiberti. It happened that Rome needed to rebuild the churches of Anatolia, and a large number of architects went to the East. With such expectations, he came to Rome and won Ancyra's cathedral project with his design draft and his eloquence.
Now everyone is very satisfied, and his talent has finally been put to use. While thinking about whether he should go to Constantinople, Brunelleschi took a bottle of wine and went to his friend's house.
When Brunelleschi came to the other party's home, he saw that his friend was knocking on a stone in the messy studio. While knocking, he was also looking at the manuscripts for comparison. The yard is filled with stone waste.
"Filippo, forgive me for not going to the completion ceremony of the church today. I received a big order. The other party is willing to pay me 4,000 lei for a statue of his father. Now time is very tight and I have to speed up the progress."
Brunelleschi could understand the other party's nervousness. He was a sculptor and understood that such a list was not easy to come by. Artists also need to eat, and only when these dignitaries invest in art can it prosper, and their works can last forever.
"I understand you, Donatello. After all, you need a chance to prove yourself now, otherwise you wouldn't have come here from Florence."
"You don't have to give in too much, but we are not the only ones who are here. It is said that there are many scattered throughout Rome. It is easy to forget only one work. We must have many works."
At this time, Donatello was only 22 years old. The economy in Florence was really screaming, and there were many opportunities in Rome, so they came to live in Ancella. On the way, they also came to Athens and saw the Parthenon. Such a magnificent building naturally fascinated them. And they also listened to a group of people's speeches at the theater ruins and felt the charm of ancient Greek culture.
Both Brunelleschi and Donatello wanted to visit the capital, Constantinople, but their financial strength could not afford the expenses in the capital. They could only save money first, or let the nobles see their strength. , and then take them to the capital.
"There is a party tonight, do you want to go?"
Brunelleschi asked Donatello, who thought for a moment and agreed.
Tonight is a literary salon sponsored by the local nobleman Count Mihalakai. Anatolia's economic recovery has led to a local cultural renaissance, and a large number of artists have come here. Mainly from Northern Italy.
Artists here can talk to each other about their thoughts and experiences, and at the same time find some interested sponsors. Only by attracting sponsors can they continue to create.
Brunelleschi was the first to become famous among the artists. His cathedral incorporated many ancient Roman styles and added Romanian style, which resulted in this work. So the most dazzling person today is him.
Some later artists wanted to talk with the idol, and some nobles wanted him to design their official residences. His reputation had already spread in the local area, and almost all orders wanted him to handle it.
Donatello just looked on with envy. Of course, he also gained business in making several busts, but the most important thing was to deal with that one well and not to destroy the sign.
"Hey, Filippo, you're famous today. I went to see the church. It's so beautiful. Not even Florence is as beautiful as this."
"You praise me so much, Larus. We came here from our hometown of Florence just to spread our works to the world. Now, I have finally completed part of it."
"Haha, I can do this anytime. Recently a businessman asked me to paint a portrait of his daughter, but nothing else."
"Don't be discouraged, as long as you are patient, you will get through one day."
The two of them chatted with other Florentines about various information. Their group of Florentines is the fastest growing art school in Anatolia, including architecture, sculpture, painting, etc. Due to the high demand, They also receive the most sponsorship.
"Brunelleschi is in the limelight today, although his work is indeed beautiful."
"It doesn't matter. As long as we persist, there will always be people who appreciate our works. If not, we will become a bard."
The people speaking here are all from France. They left their hometown and came here because they wanted to avoid a series of wars. Including small nobles, small landowners, businessmen, and common people, their backgrounds are complex, but they are gathered together because of a common direction, which is literature.
Due to their location in Rome, they were all written in Romanian. They were involved in prose, novels, and poetry. Among them, sonnets were very popular, so they were written in large numbers.
In addition to these two, there are also artists from Aragon, Naples, Poland, and HRE. Local dignitaries also want to make their homes artistic, so they hire a large number of such people to create, so that in the future Marriage can also gain the favor of higher nobles.
What happened in Ancyra is not an exception. In the Balkans, this cultural atmosphere is even stronger, and the capital Constantinople has become a cultural center. Art and literature from the East also changed Roman culture, and the policy of tolerance towards specific religions also allowed the other party's culture to merge with Roman culture. For the first time, the University of Constantinople added the art department as a subject, enrolling only 30 people each year and taught by the best artists in person. Mainly in terms of literature and painting, this greatly promoted the development of Roman culture, while the original Renaissance Italy was greatly weakened and could no longer exert its original influence.