When I feel that depression takes over, I go back to Florence to look at Brunelleschi’s Dome: if the genius of man has gone so far, then I too can and must try to create, act, live
Franco Zeffirelli
Many people have tried in vain to copy it, the simplest man and the most cultured man are impressed in front of so much beauty, for centuries it has been the symbol and pride of an entire city … the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, better known as the Duomo of Florence!
Begun in 1296 on a project by Arnolfo di Cambio, it was continued between 1349 and 1370 by Francesco Talenti and completed, after various interruptions, only in 1436, the year of the consecration by Pope Eugene IV. Its neo-Gothic marble facade recalls the polychromy of the bell tower, but dates back to the end of the 19th century.
The magnificent bell tower, begun by Giotto, was brought forward by Andrea Pisano and completed by Francesco Talenti in 1359. It is covered with white, green and pink Tuscan marble and terracotta panels with bas-reliefs that tell the story of human activities.
The majestic Dome, the work of Brunelleschi, was built by replacing the usual wooden armor with an inner shell and is covered with bricks of various sizes, self-supporting and arranged in a herringbone pattern, a technique that Brunelleschi had copied from the Pantheon in Rome.
The more daring can reach the top of the Dome by climbing 463 steps inserted between the two caps, from there the show is simply unique. Come to Florence and discover the true beauty of this timeless masterpiece, you can admire its genius from multiple angles: from the outside, from the inside and even from above, from one of the many terraces of the neighboring buildings.
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