During the Renaissance the ideals of art and architecture became unified in the acceptance of classical antiquity and in the belief that humanity was a measure of the universe. The Renaissance began in Italy, where there was always a residue of Classical feeling in architecture. A Gothic building such as the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence was characterized by a large round arch instead of the usual Gothic pointed arch and preserved the simplicity and monumentality of Classical architecture. The Renaissance might have been expected to appear first in Rome, where there was the greatest quantity of ancient Roman ruins; however, during the 14th and early 15th centuries, when the Italians were impelled to renew classicism, the political situation in Rome was very unfavourable for artistic endeavour. Florence, however, under the leadership of the Medici family, was economically prosperous and politically stable.

Brunelleschi spent the period between 1402 and 1418 alternately in Florence and Rome. During this time he studied mathematics intensively and formulated linear perspective, which was to become a basic element of Renaissance art. At the same time, Brunelleschi investigated ancient Roman architecture and acquired the knowledge of Classical architecture and ornament that he used as a foundation for Renaissance architecture. He was also influenced by the local Florentine tradition, which had flowered in the 11th and 12th centuries in the so-called Tuscan proto-Renaissance style found in churches such as San Miniato al Monte. Brunelleschi's great opportunity came in 1418 with the competition for the completion of the duomo, or cathedral, of Florence. The medieval architects had intended a great dome over the crossing of the cathedral, but it had never been created, and no one knew how to accomplish it. Winning the competition, Brunelleschi began the great dome in 1420 (the finishing touches were not applied until the 1460s and '70s, after his death). The Florentine dome still belongs within the Gothic tradition, as it was built with rib construction and a pointed arch form, but the introduction of a drum, which made the dome more prominent, was to become characteristic of the Renaissance dome.

The traditional plan for medieval churches was the Latin cross plan, as at San Lorenzo; the longer arm of the cross formed the nave of the church. During the Middle Ages this plan was considered a symbolic reference to the cross of Christ. During the Renaissance the ideal church plan tended to be centralized; that is, it was symmetrical about a central point, as is a circle, a square, or a Greek cross (which has four equal arms). Many Renaissance architects came to believe that the circle was the most perfect geometric form and, therefore, most appropriate in dedication to a perfect God. Brunelleschi also worked with the central plan.

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