Florence Travel Guide

The Cathedral of Florence

The Cathedral of Florence, dedicated to S. Maria del Fiore, is the result of the devoted work of the many artists who collaborated in its building for several centuries.

In 1294 the Corporation of the Guilds asked Arnolfo di Cambio to create new Cathedral, to replace the existing church of Santa Reparata. The cathedral workshop grew up around and inside the church, which continued to be used for decades, until 1375.

Work on the new Cathedral, or Duomo, began on the 8th of  September 1296 and continued under many famous “capomastri”, or directors of works, such as Giotto, Andrea Pisano, Francesco Talenti, until 1375, when Santa Reparata was torn down and part of Arnolfo's project was altered.

The Dome had to wait until 1420, the year in which Brunelleschi won the competition for the building of this enormous structure. In 1434 work was terminated and two years later the church was consecrated, 140 years after it had been begun. The lantern was started in 1445 and finished in 1461 with the gilded sphere. The facade is in 19th-century Gothic style.

The facade and the interior of The Duomo

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