 Florence's Cathedral |
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It is often said that Florence's Cathedral is turned inside out: Its white, green and pink marble exterior boasts the famous dome and bell tower, while its interior is spare and almost barren.
Florence’s distinctive Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, or Duomo, is the result of six centuries of work. The city hired Arnolfo di Cambio to design a new Duomo to replace the tiny 6th century Santa Reparata in 1296 and numerous local artists continued to work on it during the following century and a half. The painter Giotto designed its sturdy bell tower (Campanile) in 1334. The massive octagonal cupola that dominates both the church and the city was the proud achievement of master architect and sculptor Filippo Brunelleschi in the 15th century, who ingeniously designed it to support itself both during and after its construction, while the neo-Gothic façade that completed it was completed in the late 19th century. |
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Italy > Firenze
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| The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, (commonly known as the Duomo) is at the center of the Piazza del Duomo, which also includes the Baptistery and Campanile. The interior of the cathedral has magnificent stained glass windows, rich woods, soaring arches and, of course, the fresco of the Last Judgment on the inner surface of the dome. |
| Photo: Giuseppe Pennisi |
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Italy > Firenze
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| The Duomo, a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture and structural design, is the third largest church in the world, behind St. Peter’s in Rome and the Duomo in Milan. The exterior boasts sculpted figures on a façade of white and green marble, forming intricate patterns and displaying the ornate beauty of Florentine art. |
| Photo: Giuseppe Pennisi |
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Italy > Firenze
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| The cathedral is built as a basilica, with a nave and two aisles, forming a Roman cross. The nave and the aisles are divided by wide pointed arches with composite pilasters, dividing the nave into four square bays. Donatello designed the stained-glass window (Coronation of the Virgin) in the drum of the dome (the only one that can be seen from the nave). |
| Photo: Giuseppe Pennisi |
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Italy > Firenze
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| In the back of the middle of the three apses is the altar of Saint Zanobius, first bishop of Florence. Its silver shrine, a masterpiece of Ghiberti, contains the urn with his relics. The central compartment depicts one his miracles, the reviving of a dead child. Above this shrine is the painting Last Supper by the lesser-known Giovanni Balducci. |
| Photo: Giuseppe Pennisi |
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Italy > Firenze
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| There are no lifts but 414 steps will take you to the top of the Campanile from its base at the Piazza del Duomo. There are rest areas every 100 steps or so and views from various heights. At the top, the vision before you will make you forget all the legwork as the ancient city with Brunelleschi’s dome and the Baptistery sprawl before you. |
| Photo: Giuseppe Pennisi |
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Italy > Firenze
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| Giotto’s Bell Tower, which along with the Cupola is the most striking feature of any view of Florence, is part of the Duomo dedicated to Santa Maria del Fiore. Florentine painter, sculptor and architect Giotto di Bondone (c. 1267 – 1337) designed the multicolored 269 ft. marble tower. |
| Photo: Giuseppe Pennisi |
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