the bricks were laid according to a formula that added something special to the building. I decided to draw in my bricks exactly as the builders of the Rucellai had, copying placement size and number of bricks per square inch. Since I did not want to change the visual impact of this masterpiece, I figured that employing my mathematical skills to make my drawing as precise as possible was the smartest way to go. By means of a number of academic highways and byways, boys travel along Via Fiorentina to reach the desired pedagogical destination, a refined comprehension of one of Florence’s architectural treasures. The boys’ classes in math, art, and English; in technology, humanities/ research and humanities/history; and of course in humanities/art history supply them with the ideas and information as well as the knowledge and know-how they need not only to
accomplish the goals of the project but also to converse with architecture. With an understanding based on critical and creative analysis, the boys cross the Arno River and stroll Florence’s cobblestone streets now able to hear the extraordinary stories that the city’s splendid architectural wonders have to tell. The connection to other courses exists; the connection bet ween individual and group evolves; and the connection between group and building endures. In Italy, groups often ask when they will see their building. While all roads may lead to Rome, the interdisciplinary roads of Via Fiorentina lead to Florence and its architectural gems.? M Nancy Iannicelli is Chair of the History Department at Saint David’s School. She teaches humanities/art history and technology.
Left: Courtyard of San Marco by Graham Higgins ’05. Top: Il Duomo by Kennett Werner ’07.
14? •? Saint David’s Magazine