Besides the theoretical interest of the question for Leonardo and his_ Trattato and besides the taste for domes prevailing at that time, it seems likely that the intended erection of some building of the first importance like the Duomos of Pavia and Como, the church of Sta.  Maria delle Grazie at Milan, and the construction of a Dome or central Tower (Tiburio) on the cathedral of Milan, may have stimulated Leonardo to undertake a general and thorough investigation of the subject; whilst Leonardo’s intercourse with Bramante for ten years or more, can hardly have remained without influence in this matter.  In fact now that some of this great Architect’s studies for S. Peter’s at Rome have at last become known, he must be considered henceforth as the greatest master of Dome-Architecture that ever existed.  His influence, direct or indirect even on a genius like Leonardo seems the more likely, since Leonardo’s sketches reveal a style most similar to that of Bramante, whose name indeed, occurs twice in Leonardo’s manuscript notes.  It must not be forgotten that Leonardo was a Florentine; the characteristic form of the two principal domes of Florence, Sta.  Maria del Fiore and the Battisterio, constantly appear as leading features in his sketches.

The church of San Lorenzo at Milan, was at that time still intact.  The dome is to this day one of the most wonderful cupolas ever constructed, and with its two smaller domes might well attract the attention and study of a never resting genius such as Leonardo.  A whole class of these sketches betray in fact the direct influence of the church of S. Lorenzo, and this also seems to have suggested the plan of Bramante’s dome of St. Peter’s at Rome.

In the following pages the various sketches for the construction of domes have been classified and discussed from a general point of view.  On two sheets:  Pl.  LXXXIV (C.A. 354b; 118a) and Pl.  LXXXV, Nos. 1-11 (Ash.  II, 6b) we see various dissimilar types, grouped together; thus these two sheets may be regarded as a sort of nomenclature of the different types, on which we shall now have to treat._

1.  Churches formed on the plan of a Greek cross.

Group I.

Domes rising from a circular base.

The simplest type of central building is a circular edifice.

Pl.  LXXXIV, No. 9.  Plan of a circular building surrounded by a colonnade.

Pl.  LXXXIV, No. 8.  Elevation of the former, with a conical roof.

Pl.  XC.  No. 5.  A dodecagon, as most nearly approaching the circle.

Pl.  LXXXVI, No. 1, 2, 3.  Four round chapels are added at the extremities of the two principal axes;—­compare this plan with fig. 1 on p. 44 and fig. 3 on p. 47 (W.  P. 5b) where the outer wall is octagonal.

Group II.

Domes rising from a square base.

The plan is a square surrounded by a colonnade, and the dome seems to be octagonal.