THE DUOMO OF FLORENCE: SANTA MARIA DEL FIORE. FIRENZE, FLORENCE, FLORENZ, FLORENCIA

Filippo Brunelleschi's design for the dome of the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence remains one of the most towering achievements of Renaissance architecture. Completed in 1436, the dome remains a remarkable feat of design and engineering. Its span of more than 45,5 meter exceeds St Paul's in London and St Peter's in Rome, making it the largest dome ever constructed using bricks and mortar. The dome remained the largest masonry dome in the world.

Interior of the Duomo of Santa Maria del Fiore, Firenze. The construction of the Duomo, the Cathedral also called Santa Maria del Fiore, was started by Arnolfo di Cambio on the 8th September 1296. When Arnolfo died in 1310, there was a delay in the works. The works however were started again in 1331, when the Guild of Wool Merchants (i mercanti dell'Arte della Lana) took over the construction of the church. In 1334 Giotto was appointed 'capomastro' of the works. He mainly attended to the building of the campanile and died three years later. There were several interruptions until 1367, when a competition was held and a final model for the church by four architects and four painters was accepted. The vault of the nave was finished in 1378 and the aisles were completed in 1380. Between this year and 1421 the tribunes and probably the drum of the dome were built. The octagonal dome, consisting of two concentric shells linked together, was completed in 1434. A competition was held for the dome in 1418 and, after many doubts, Filippo Brunelleschi's project was accepted in 1420. The church, dedicated to Santa Maria del Fiore (fiore referring to Florence) was consecrated on the 25 of March, 1436. The remarkable differences in the various parts of the Cathedral show the evident changes in taste during the long time passed between the foundation of the church and its completion. Outside the shape of the round blind arches is a Romanesque vestige. The whole interior, with its huge arches, doors and windows, is Gothic . The dome is a masterpiece of the Renaissance. The fade, though in Gothic style, is from the 19th century. On the north side of the Cathedral, the Porta della Mandorla, dating from the 15th century, shows a Gothic influence both in the architectural design and decoration. The interior, in the shape of Latin cross, consists of a nave and two aisles. The church was the largest in Europe when it was completed in the XV century (153 metres long, 90 wide and 90 metres high).