The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is a beautiful Florentine temple, a magnificent example of Quattrocento architecture. Its slender campaignana and bright reddish-brown dome majestically rise above the rooftops of Florence.
Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore - "flower of St. Mary", a symbol of Florence, photo by michael hamburg69
The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore) is a beautiful Florentine temple, a magnificent example of Quattrocento architecture. The cathedral is visible in the city from afar - its slender campaignana and bright red-brown dome majestically rise above the roofs of the central part of Florence. The appearance of this building combines massiveness with lightness, grace with monumentality. "Flower of St. Mary" - this is how its name sounds in translation.
Stages of the construction of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore
The construction was started by laying the first stone in September 1296. The new church was intended to overshadow the grandiose Tuscan cathedrals of Siena and Pisa with its scale and beauty. According to the creators, 90 thousand people could fit in a huge building at once.
Sculptural plastic of the cathedral, photo by shebicycles
The original design of the cathedral belonged to Arnolfo di Cambio. The architect worked on the building until 1302. With his death, construction was suspended. Thirty years later, Giotto continued his work. He took up the construction of the bell tower and created sketches for decorating the facades of the cathedral.
In 1337, the great Giotto passed away. Soon, a plague broke out in Florence and construction was again delayed. Only by the beginning of the 15th century were monumental walls completely erected. The question arose of installing the dome. For the construction of such a structure at a height there were no suitable engineering solutions - fencing the building’s hull with scaffolding required incredible costs.
Dome, photo by oriana.italy
Architect Filippo Brunelleschi proposed his own version. He calculated the parameters of the structure and came up with the idea to raise the dome sections to a height through a unique console system. For the stability of the structure, six horizontal belts and twenty-four vertical stiffeners were used. The dome was crowned with an elegant lateral turret - it was installed by a friend of Brunelleschi - architect Michelozzo. Installation took 16 years, and all work on the complex construction was completed by 1461. The Brunelleschi dome became the epitome of the approaching era of the Italian Renaissance.
After that, the construction was again suspended - the facade and interiors remained unfinished. Work was resumed only in the 19th century and completed in 1887. There is historical evidence that the Russian industrialist Demidov donated money to decorate the facades of the cathedral. The coat of arms of our compatriot can be seen to the right of the entrance to the temple.
Facade decoration
Facade of the cathedral from the square, photo by scott dolman
The facades of the cathedral were completed by Emilio de Fabrice. He suggested using horizontal and vertical panels of multi-colored marble for decoration. A white, greenish and pink stone was brought from the quarries of Pratto, Siena, Carrara. Marble finish was in harmony with the wall cladding of the Campanile and the pre-existing baptistery. Fabrice created a magnificent openwork design of the facade. Some modern art historians consider his work too overloaded, however, it is these stone "lace" that give the cathedral a bright, unique look. The relief decor is dominated by the theme of the dedication of the Mother of God.
Facade decoration, photo by Felix-Haslimeier
Three-nave Cathedral is a Latin cross with a semicircular apse and two transepts. The length of the huge building is 153 m; maximum width - 90 meters. The top point of the lamp tower, completed by a copper ball, rises to a height of 90 m.
Campanila
Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Campanila Giotto, Baptistery of San Giovanni, photo mio-idgm
A slender rectangular campaign called the Giotto Tower is lined with white and green marble panels and mosaic inserts. Its exterior walls are decorated with numerous plot bas-reliefs, figures of holy prophets and patriarchs of the church. The observation deck is open on the tower, to which there is a staircase of 414 steps. Going upstairs, you can closely examine the main symbol of Tuscany - the Brunelleschi dome. From the site on the Campanile the best panoramic view of Florence opens.
Main entrance
Central portal, photo by oriana.italy
In the arch above the main portal of the cathedral you can see a polychrome fresco depicting the Madonna and Lily. The bronze gates are decorated with many relief images from the life of the Virgin. These doors are considered a significant work of neo-Gothic art. On the pediment of the central portal there is a bas-relief of the Mother of God sitting on the throne, by Tito Sarrocca.
The interior of the cathedral
Interior of Santa Maria del Fiore, photo by Exmam
Inside, the space of the cathedral seems huge. Superb outdoor décor contrasts with a sleek interior. The main element of the interior decoration is the 15th century stained-glass windows located in the arches of the naves and the drum of the dome. An unusual detail of the situation is the reverse clock, the work of Paolo Ucello (1443). The main sacred relic of the temple is the urn with the relics of St. Zinovia of Florence, the work of the sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti.
The interior decoration of the lower level of the building has an ascetic appearance, but the painting of the dome arches is striking in the brightness of the colors. The multi-tiered painting by Federico Zucchari and Giorgio Vasari depicts scenes of the Last Judgment.
Main nave, photo by Exmam
Watch, photo by Umberto Fedele
Crypt
The underground premises of the cathedral have been used for centuries as the tomb of Florentine priests. The tomb of the architect Brunelleschi is also located in the crypt - it is open for viewing.
Duomo complex
In the Duomo square near the cathedral, there is the Baptistery of San Giovanni, built in the 5th century - this is the oldest building in Florence that has survived to our time. The Baptistery is part of the Duomo complex. The grand Florentine cathedral, its campaignanus and the baptistery are included in the UNESCO register as an outstanding monument of world architecture.
Read about other sights of Florence in my guide here.
Working hours
Cathedral
Mon-Wed, Fri 10: 00-17: 00, Thu 10: 00-15: 30, Sat 10: 00-16: 45 (every first Saturday of the month until 15:30), Sun 13: 30-16: 45.
Dome of the cathedral
Daily 08: 30-19: 00, Sat 08: 30-16: 40 (the first Saturday of the month until 15:20).
Museum
Daily 09: 00-19: 30, Sun 09: 00-13: 45
Ticket price 10 euros
Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore)
Piazza del Duomo Firenze Italy
operaduomo.firenze.itTake C2 to the Duomo stop.
