David Battistella

David Battistella is an Italian-Canadian filmmaker, who moved to Florence in January 2011 to make a feature film on Filippo Brunelleschi's building of Florence's dome.

Articles by the author

ART + CULTURE

My secret doors: filming the restoration of Pisano’s masterpiece

I’ve been keeping a secret for three years. In April 2016, I started to document the conservation process of the magnificent South Door of the Florence Baptistery. The embargo was ...

ART + CULTURE

The making of “The Innocents of Florence”

Filmmaker David Battistella gives us a behind-the-scenes look at his latest film, "The Innocents of Florence: The Quest to Save 600,000 Children".

ART + CULTURE

Digitalizing the Duomo

Filmmaker David Battistella moved to Florence from Canada in 2011 to pursue his dream: writing and producing a feature film based on Ross King’s 2000 book Brunelleschi’s Dome, about the life of Filippo Brunelleschi and the building of Florence’s Cupola. This column, which began

ART + CULTURE

Leaving their marks

Not long ago, I wrote about the lantern that sits atop the Cupola. I spoke about the fact that it took twice as long to build as the Cupola itself and Brunelleschi never saw it finished.   Now and again, I climb the Cupola. Mostly, I do so to take

ART + CULTURE

Made by hand

Filmmaker David Battistella moved to Florence from Canada in 2011 to pursue his dream: writing and producing a feature film based on Ross King’s 2000 book Brunelleschi’s Dome, about the life of Filippo Brunelleschi and the building of Florence’s Cupola. This column, which began

ART + CULTURE

Adopting tenacity

In the early days of May, strains of guitars, violins and accordions accompanied by drumbeats, are heard in the streets of Pistoia’s mountain villages. Joyous voices ring out, announcing the official arrival of spring.   When I started writing this column, I was on a four-month journey

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Tribute to Filippo

April 16 is a special day in Florence, and it has become a special day for me, too. It is the anniversary of the death of Filippo Brunelleschi, a day on which I, along with the rest of the city, remember the life of a person who has, in some

ART + CULTURE

Topping the dome

Filmmaker David Battistella moved to Florence from Canada in 2011 to pursue his dream: writing and producing a feature film based on Ross King’s 2000 book Brunelleschi’s Dome, about the life of Filippo Brunelleschi and the building of Florence’s Cupola. This column, which began

ART + CULTURE

Eight Veils

The Cupola is a marvel. An eight-sided marvel. As round as it looks from a distance, up close we can observe that it was built on an octagonal base. Its eight sides are referred to as ‘veils' or in Italian, vele, like the sails of a ship. It

ART + CULTURE

The Brunelleschi arch

Filmmaker David Battistella moved to Florence from Canada in 2011 to pursue his dream: writing and producing a feature film based on Ross King's 2000 book Brunelleschi's Dome, about the life of Filippo Brunelleschi and the building of Florence's Cupola. This column, which began with TF 149,

ART + CULTURE

Light and silver

Filmmaker David Battistella moved to Florence from Canada in 2011 to pursue his dream: writing and producing a feature film based on Ross King's 2000 book Brunelleschi's Dome, about the life of Filippo Brunelleschi and the building of Florence's Cupola. This column chronicles the pursuit of his

ART + CULTURE

From dream to film

Filmmaker David Battistella moved to Florence from Canada in 2011 to pursue his dream: writing and producing a feature film based on Ross King's 2000 book Brunelleschi's Dome, about the life of Filippo Brunelleschi and the building of Florence's Cupola. This column, which began with TF 149,

ART + CULTURE

Calcio Storico: A hair-raising game

  Being born in Canada means having ice hockey in your veins. It’s a little understood sport in which fist-fighting is considered a normal part of the game. In hockey, ...

ART + CULTURE

Clocks, sunsets and towers

Filmmaker David Battistella moved to Florence from Canada in 2011 to pursue his dream: writing and producing a feature film based on Ross King's 2000 book Brunelleschi's Dome, about the life of Filippo Brunelleschi and the building of Florence's Cupola. This column, which began with TF 149,

ART + CULTURE

Joy and wonder

Filmmaker David Battistella moved to Florence from Canada in 2011 to pursue his dream: writing and producing a feature film based on Ross King's 2000 book Brunelleschi's Dome, about the life of Filippo Brunelleschi and the building of Florence's Cupola. This column, which began with TF 149,

ART + CULTURE

Eye in the sky

Filmmaker David Battistella moved to Florence from Canada in 2011 to pursue his dream: writing and producing a feature film based on Ross King's 2000 book Brunelleschi's Dome, about the life of Filippo Brunelleschi and the building of Florence's Cupola. This column, which began with TF 149,

ART + CULTURE

Contemplating the divine

Filmmaker David Battistella moved to Florence from Canada in 2011 to pursue his dream: writing and producing a feature film based on Ross King's 2000 book Brunelleschi's Dome, about the life of Filippo Brunelleschi and the building of Florence's Cupola. This column, which began with TF 149,

ART + CULTURE

Hidden spaces, unseen places

Filmmaker David Battistella moved to Florence from Canada in 2011 to pursue his dream: writing and producing a feature film based on Ross King's 2000 book Brunelleschi's Dome, about the life of Filippo Brunelleschi and the building of Florence's Cupola. This column, which began with TF 149,

ART + CULTURE

Silk ceilings, wooden spoons

Filmmaker David Battistella moved to Florence from Canada in 2011 to pursue his dream: writing and producing a feature film based on Ross King's 2000 book Brunelleschi's Dome, about the life of Filippo Brunelleschi and the building of Florence's Cupola. This column, which began with TF 149,

ART + CULTURE

Enter mystery

Filmmaker David Battistella moved to Florence from Canada earlier this year to pursue his dream: writing and producing a feature film based on Ross King's 2000 book Brunelleschi's Dome, about the life of Filippo Brunelleschi and the building of Florence's Cupola. This column, which began with TF

ART + CULTURE

Sunday Lunch

Filmmaker David Battistella moved to Florence from Canada earlier this year to pursue his dream: writing and producing a feature film based on Ross King's 2000 book Brunelleschi's Dome, about the life of Filippo Brunelleschi and the building of Florence's Cupola. This column, which began with TF

ART + CULTURE

The story of a man

Filmmaker David Battistella moved to Florence from Canada earlier this year to pursue his dream: writing and producing a feature film based on Ross King's 2000 book Brunelleschi's Dome, about the life of Filippo Brunelleschi and the building of Florence's cupola. This column, which began with TF

ART + CULTURE

Follow the money

Filmmaker David Battistella moved to Florence from Canada earlier this year to pursue his dream: writing and producing a feature film based on Ross King's 2000 book Brunelleschi's Dome, about the life of Filippo Brunelleschi and the building of Florence's Cupola. This column, which began with TF

ART + CULTURE

Home to dome

TF's new column is by filmmaker David Battistella, who moved to Florence from Canada earlier this year to pursue his dream: writing and producing a feature film based on Ross King's 2000 book Brunelleschi's Dome, about the life of Filippo Brunelleschi and the building of Florence's

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