Cathedral Cathedral Ticket Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore, designed by Arnolfo di Cambio, is the third largest church in the world (after St. Peter's in Rome and St. Paul's in London) and was the largest church in Europe when it was completed in the 15th century. It is 153 metres long, 90 metres wide at the crossing, and 90 metres high from the floor to the bottom of the lantern. The third and last cathedral of Florence, it was dedicated to Santa Maria del Fiore, the Virgin of the Flower, in 1412, a clear allusion to the lily, the symbol of the city of Florence. It was built over the second cathedral, which early Christian Florence had dedicated to St. Reparata. The numerous different styles that we encounter in the building bear witness to changing tastes over the long period of time that elapsed between its foundation and its completion. The first stone of the façade was laid on 8 September 1296 to a design by Arnolfo di Cambio.

Arnolfo worked on the cathedral from 1296 to 1302, designing a basilica with classical volumes based on three broad aisles converging in a vast choir hosting the high altar, itself surrounded by tribunes subsequently crowned by a dome. Arnolfo's design was substantially different from the church's current structure, as we can see from the outside. If we look at the northern and southern sides of the building, we will note that the first four windows on each side are lower, narrower and closer together than those to the east of them, which are part of an extension built by Francesco Talenti who was master of the works in the mid-14th century. Arnolfo managed to complete two bays and half of the new façade. His sculptures were to be removed to the Opera's Historical Museum in 1586 because Grand Duke Francesco I de' Medici had ordered the construction of a new façade. Work on the building site slowed down when Arnolfo died in around 1310, only resuming for good in 1331 when the magistrates of the Arte della Lana, or Guild of Wool Manufacturers and Merchants, took over responsibility for the building.

Giotto was appointed master of the works in 1334, devoting most of his time to the erection of the bell tower but he died three years later. His post was filled by Andrea Pisano until 1348, the year of the Black Death which slashed the city's population from 90,000 to 45,000. Work continued, despite constant interruptions, until a competition was finally run in 1367. The competition was won by four architects and four painters, including Andrea di Bonaiuto, Benci and Andrea di Cione, Taddeo Gaddi and Neri di Fioravante. Francesco Talenti held the post of master of the works from 1349 to 1359, completing the bell tower and preparing a new design with the assistance of Giovanni di Lapo Ghini (from 1360 to 1369). The nave was fully vaulted by 1378 and the side aisles by 1380. The tribunes, and possibly also the drum for the dome, were built between 1380 and 1421.

The marble cladding and the decoration of the side entrances continued apace in the meantime, leading to the erection of the Porta dei Canonici to the south and the Porta della Mandorla to the north, the latter being crowned by a relief of the Assumption of the Virgin (1414–21), a graceful work by Nanni di Banco. The other two doors are no less elegant: the door of the bell tower to the south, in the second bay, has relief work by the school of Andrea Pisano, while the Porta della Balla to the north was named after an old gate in the city walls leading out to the Borgo di Balla (now Via dei Servi) where the Arte della Lana had its drying sheds. The cathedral's dignified east end consists of three large tribunes lit by Gothic two-light windows. Four exedrae, or blind tribunes, adorn the base of the drum. 19th century intervention – consisting primarily of new choir lofts and the simplification of Bandinelli's choir, from which the entire columned superstructure and the statues on the altar were removed – completed the decoration of the cathedral.

But the most important operation of all was the construction of a new façade by Emilio De Fabris and his assistants between 1871 and 1884 in imitation of the decorative Florentine style of the 14th century that we find on the bell tower and the side doors of the cathedral. Opening times The Duomo in Florence, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy Florence's Duomo Inside Florence's Cathedral, the Duomo Florence's cathedral stands tall over the city with its magnificent Renaissance dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, with the baptistery right across. The cathedral named in honor of Santa Maria del Fiore is a vast Gothic structure built on the site of the 7th century church of Santa Reparata, the remains of which can be seen in the crypt. The cathedral was begun at the end of the 13th century by Arnolfo di Cambio, and the dome, which dominates the exterior, was added in the 15th century on a design of Filippo Brunelleschi. A statue to each of these important architects can be found outside to the right of the cathedral, both admiring their work for the rest of eternity.

Can you imagine it took two centuries for the cathedral to be deemed finished? Did you know? Florence's cathedral is the 4th largest in the world, after St. Peter's in Rome, St. Paul's in London and the Duomo in Milan. The church was consecrated as soon as the dome was in place although the façade (front of the church) was only half finished by then. It was just decoration, and thus remained unfinished up until the 19th century. At that point, it was actually redone by the likes of the time and finally finished! The exterior is covered in a decorative mix of pink, white and green marble. The interior, by contrast, is pretty stark and plain but quite enjoyable on warm summer days since the temperature inside tends to be cooler. The mosaic pavements are certainly its main attraction within. Please note the clock above the entrance on the inside of the church. It was designed in 1443 by Paolo Uccello in accordance with the ora italica, where the 24th hour of the day ended at sunset... and it still works!

The biggest artwork within the cathedral is Giorgio Vasari's frescoes of the Last Judgment (1572-9): they were designed by Vasari but painted mostly by his less-talented student Frederico Zuccari by 1579. Visiting the cathedral Entrance into Florence's cathedral remains free and for this reason you'll at times find a long line to get in. Don't worry, the line moves pretty quickly! But in an effort to reduce the line, the cathedral administration is trying to increase the number of visitors allowed at any one time into the church as long as noise level remains low. The solution has been to require any group of over 4 visitors to rent either the radio or audio guides (cost is 2-2,50 euro per person) so that the level of noise inside the church remains low and larger amounts of people can be allowed inside at any one time. Large groups of students will receive 50% discount on the cost of the audio guide. If you're with a tour group, you'll likely already have the earphones and don't have to worry about this recent change.

Another way to visit the Duomo is to do so with a tour guide, who can get you into special areas and fill you in on all the details, legends and curiosties within. One of our favorites, included an exclusive visit to the roof top terraces . Climbing to the top of Brunelleschi's Cupola Don't forget to climb up to the very top of the cupola: read more details here . Are you playing Ingress by Niantic Labs @Google? When you play our mission around the Duomo, Baptistery and belltower you'll earn our badge! Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore – ItalianRenaissance.org Search Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore was the major church in Florence in the Renaissance period, but it was a building which was largely built in the fourteenth century (thus pre-dating the Renaissance). The origins go back to the Middle Ages, when Italian cities competed to build larger and greater cathedrals. Pisa began its cathedral in 1063, and Siena built its cathedral by around 1260 (Giovanni Pisano later designed the facade).

In the late thirteenth century, Florence began work on its own, new cathedral to replace the smaller church of Santa Reparata which had stood in the city center in front of the Baptistery of San Giovanni. Florence was a wealthy medieval city on account of its textile trade, and Florentines of this time thought of themselves as a city similar to that of ancient Rome. They therefore decided that in order to compete with other Tuscan cities, they would build the grandest church in the regions. They wanted it to be able to fit all 100,000 people who lived in the city, which would have been an enormous structure in any period of history. Although they fell short of this goal (they were only able to fit about 30,000 people in the final church), they managed to create an extraordinary building for their great city. Arnolfo di Cambio was hired as the first architect of the church, construction of which began in or around 1296. The exterior is notable for the geometric patterning of its revetment (face), made from encrusted marble.

It mimics the Tuscan Romanesque style of the revetment on the baptistery, which can also be seen on the Florentine church of San Miniato. It should be noted that the facade of the cathedral does not date to the Renaissance, but instead to the nineteenth century. Unlike in countries to the north, facades in Italy were considered to be lesser in importance and were put on at the end – and in this case, several centuries after the rest of the church was already built. We can also see how the revetment was carried over into the campanile (bell tower) which stands next to the cathedral. The campanile, which was designed by Giotto in 1334, was built to look like it came in sections. It is altogether separate from the rest of the church, which was typical in Italy at the time but which was different from the integrated tower-in-facade approach in countries to the north. Interior of Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence. Inside, the original plan originally called for a timber truss roof, but in the mid-1300s this was changed to a ribbed groin vault.

Flying buttresses were also called for in the original plan, but they were later scrapped. One of the notable features here is the size of the bays, which are quite a bit larger than the size of those found in Gothic churches being build in the thirteenth century to the north. The large arches used to create these bays meant that the church was much more open between its nave and side aisles, and visually the side aisles appear to be somewhat shallow. Together with the long, prominent molding above the arches, there was an emphasis in this church on horizontal elements. This is something that was typical of Italian tastes, and it differs from the tastes of those in places such as Germany and France where the great Gothic cathedrals were built with so much emphasis on their vertical elements. Another difference between Santa Maria del Fiore and the Gothic churches to the north was the size of windows. Here, the windows are smaller. The desire to disintegrate walls in favor of “sheets of glass”, such as found in the Chapel of Sainte Chappelle in Paris, was clearly not present in Florence. There is also willingness in Florence to leave blank spaces on the walls of the cathedral. Plan of the Florence Cathedral.

Note the large crossing which would be covered by Brunelleschi’s dome in the fifteenth century. Perhaps the most important part of this church, however, was the part that was not built with the rest of the church. This was the enormous dome which covers the crossing, a dome so large and notable that after it was built, its name came to be synonymous with the church itself (“Il Duomo”). When the church was designed, it was done so by builders who did not know how they could surmount the space of the crossing with a covering. They assumed that it would be covered at a later date as technology or human ingenuity rose to the challenge, but until that happened it remained uncovered for many years. It was not until Filippo Brunelleschi, one of the greatest Renaissance minds, devised a plan to build the dome around 1425 that the crossing was finally covered.

Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo of Florence) - Florence, Italy - ItalyGuides.it Santa Maria del Fiore - Giotto's Bell tower- With its huge, almost outsized, bulk, the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore makes its presence felt, framed by the spectacular surroundings of the religious center of the city, complete with the Baptistry and Giotto’s bell tower. When it was finished, in the 1400s, it was the largest church in Europe, and today it is the fifth largest, behind Saint Peter’s, Saint Paul’s in London, the cathedral of Seville and that of Milan. It’s the result of 170 years of work as well as the combined, impassioned efforts of many generations of artists and architects. What you see today is the product of an endless series of transformations: enlargements, additions and modifications that have given life to one of the most exciting stories ever in the history of art. At the end of the 13th century, Florence is the main actor in a story of expansion without precedent, backed by a rich and enterprising middle class. The population grows quickly and the city has five times the square area of its ancient walls.

With the construction of the Palazzo Vecchio, a new civic center is taking shape, and in the religious center of town, the final decoration work is being finished on the Baptistry of Saint John. But the city still doesn’t have a cathedral worthy of its prestige: the old church dedicated to Santa Reparata can’t bear the comparison with the nearby Baptistry and anyway, it’s become too small to contain the numerous population of the faithful. So, on September 8, 1296, in front of a festive crowd, the first stone is solemnly placed and the new construction site is begun. The work has been entrusted to Arnolfo di Cambio, the great architect who is redesigning the new face of Gothic Florence . As Giorgio Vasari wrote, “Nothing of importance was considered without his consent”. Arnolfo was directing both the building site of Palazzo Vecchio and that of the church of Santa Croce at the same time. He certainly must have been held in great respect since, for his contributions to the city, Florence decided to waive tax payments from him.

His project is an ambitious one: a church rich with marble and decorations – and of dimensions that would make the eternal rival cathedrals of Siena and Pisa pale in comparison. It is the Florentine people who are footing the bill: a medieval cathedral is a symbol of a city’s power, in which the civic virtues of this industrious community are celebrated. As with all the other great European cathedrals, this too, is dedicated to the Madonna, with the name “Santa Maria of the flower”: the attribute refers not only to the cloverleaf floor plan, with the three large chapels opening onto the apse, but is an homage to Christ, the “flower” growing from the divine “stem” and, naturally, is also a reference to the flower that is the symbol of the city, the fleur-de-lis. At Arnolfo’s death, the work stops but, with the discovery under the old cathedral of a reliquary containing the remains of the venerated bishop Saint Zenobius, the building site gets a fresh dose of enthusiasm.

The direction of the works passes to Giotto – also responsible for the bell tower – then to Andrea Pisano and on until another great architect, Francesco Talenti, will finally determine the definitive look of the church. The worksite headed by Talenti is a dynamic community in feverish activity: workers and foremen labor in teams, animatedly discussing solutions and, when Talenti leaves the premises, the workers even resort to threats to get him back onsite. The cathedral finally takes shape: for the sumptuous exterior decorations —white marble from Carrara, green from Prato, red from Siena . The design takes up the theme of the Baptistry and the Bell tower and, though it may appear simplified, it is only to limit the extraordinary expenses. Inside, the spectacle has no equal: the nave is an enormous empty space that widens with the slow succession of its massive pillars. The dimensions are astounding: the height alone at the top of the dome is 90 meters, as high as a thirty-storey building.

The gigantic size of the construction is the cause of an infinite series of structural problems: the weight of the vaults made it necessary to add flying buttresses along the sides that, not pleasing to the Florentines, had to then be hidden behind extensions rising from the exterior walls. With Talenti’s death, the building had only just begun: the naves were finished at the end of the 1300s and the three chapels of the apse would have to wait until the beginning of the next century. In the meantime, the solution still remained to be found for the biggest problem of all: construction of the enormous dome. 125 years would pass from the beginning of the works and, of course, the addition of Brunelleschi’s genius, before Florence could be adorned by its unmistakeable outline. It was built in sixteen years and still today is the largest masonry-built dome anywhere. The church reveals a mix of civic and religious meanings: the cathedral’s decorations as a whole aim at celebrating the spiritual greatness and dignity of the human being.

In the side naves, man’s civic virtues find sober expression in two famous frescoes, the equestrian portraits of John Hawkwood by Paolo Uccello, and of Niccolò da Tolentino by Andrea del Castagno. There are also busts of Giotto and Brunelleschi, besides that of Dante holding the Divine Comedy in his hand. An ideal path, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, goes from pole to opposite pole through the church: the assumption of Mary to Heaven is both in the mosaic over the main entrance as well as in Donatello’s work in the round window of the main altar. The Duomo of Florence is the richest church in Italy in terms of stained glass windows: out of a total of 55 windows, there are a good 44 that are magnificently decorated and are among the most important works of their kind in Italy. They were based on designs of the principal artists of the period – among them Donatello, Lorenzo Ghiberti, Paolo Uccello and Andrea del Castagno. In all, the church’s interior look was inspired by the ideal of rigorous austerity that mirrored the intense spirituality of the great religious Florentines.

Cathedral of Florence Cathedral of Florence Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore was completed in 1434 and is the most important landmark in Florence, as well as being the fourth largest church in the world. The typical Italian Gothic building, the Cathedral of Florence, is dedicated to "Santa Maria del Fiore". The church was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio (c1245-1302) who considerably enlarged the existing religious structure. Finished around 1367, the Cathedral was completely covered by coloured marbles like the earlier Baptistery, except for the façade that remained unfinished and was terminated only in the 19th century. The project left unfinished also the Dome, since in 1421 only the frame (polygonal base) had been erected. Two architects, Lorenzo Ghiberti (1368-1445) and Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446) won the competition although it was the latter who actually built the dome, showing a great mastery of technical knowledge, in 1436.

One of the most remarkable features of the outside of the building is the socalled "Porta della Mandorla"(north) (della mandorla = almond) that was given this name because of the large aureole around the figure of the Virgin sculptured also by Nanni di Banco (1380/90-1421) among others. Its interior preserves very important works of art: on the left side we find the first two detached frescoes showing the "Condottiero Giovanni Acuto"and "Niccolò da Tolentino" painted respectively by Paolo Uccello in 1436 and by Andrea del Castagno in 1456. Paolo Uccello also frescoed the clock on the inside wall, showing four vogorous "heads of saints". The many sculptures made specifically for the cathedral (many of which have now been moved to the "Museo dell´Opera del Duomo"), comprise also the "Lunettes" by Luca della Robbia above the doors of the Mass Sacristies. The large "Pietà" by Michelangelo (c.

1553) has instead been removed and transferred to the "Museo dell´Opera del Duomo". Most of the splendid stained glass windows were made between 1434 and 1455 to the designs of famous artists like Donatello, Andrea del Castagno and Paolo Uccello. The wooden inlays on the Sacristy´s cupboards were designed by Brunelleschi and other artists, including Antonio del Pollaiolo. The internal walls of the dome, which have recently been restored, were frescoed between 1572 and 1579 by Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) and Federico Zuccari (c. 1990-1609) who represented a large scene of the "Final Judgement". The bell tower by Giotto remains, together with the huge dome one of the most striking views of the town. The famous painter, Giotto, was in fact also the architect of the project for the bell tower, although by the time of his death (1337) only the lower part had been completed. The works continued under the direction of Andrea Pisano (c.

1290-1349) and Francesco Talenti (not. 1325-1369) who completed the project. Mosaic on the left door by Nicolò Barabino Florentine artisans, merchants and humanists paying homage to the Faith Fresco on the left wall by Domenico di Michelino Dante and the Three Kingdoms The painting was made in 1465 to commemorate Dante's 200th birthday. It dipicts scenes of Dantes Divine Comedy: the hell, the mountain of purgatory and the earthly paradise with Adam and Eve. Above the main door is the colossal clock face with fresco portraits of four Prophets or Evangelists by Paolo Uccello (1443). This liturgical clock shows the 24 hours of the hora italica (ltalian time), a period of time ending with sunset at 24 hours. This timetable was used till the 18th century. This is one of the few clocks from that time, that still exist and are in working order.

Inside the cupola: 3600 m2 of frescoes, created by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari, who worked there from 1572 to 1579. The restoration of these ceiling frescoes began in 1978 and was completed in 1994. Sir John Hawkwood, an English Mercenary Commander-in-chief of the army of Florence in the war at the end of the 14th century against the expansion of Gian Galeazzo Visconti of Milan (fresco) Lamb with crossed flag symbol of the Guild of wool merchants (Arte dellla Lana) The Arte della Lana was the wool guild of Florence during the late Middle Ages and in the Renaissance. Was nominally responsible for the building and decoration of the most important edifice in the city, namely the Cathedral. On the right side of the square: Brunelleschi is still looking up at his work. Statue by Luigi Pampaloni - 1830 When Brunelleschi proposed to build the dome, people thought he was crazy and visionary. Nobody at that time (1436) thought it was possible that one could build such a large dome.

To convince the Florentines Brunelleschi designed a model on the piazza in the same scale of the later dome. With this work, he became one of the greatest architects of all time. The reliefs of the lower row of the Campanile by Giotto and Andrea Pisano Now in the Cathedral Museum Santa Maria del Fiore - Architecture of the World - WikiArquitectura Santa Maria del Fiore Most parts of this article have been translated using the Google automatic translate engine. Please excuse any mistakes this translation might have and feel free to correct them if you wish to collaborate with our project. Contents 9.2 Recent photos (#santamariadelfiore) Introduction It is the cathedral of Florence . Santa Maria de las Flores (Santa Maria dei Fiori) is a Gothic cathedral, begun in 1296 by architect Arnolfo di Cambio and continuously since 1331 by Giotto, who made ​​her beautiful campanile free, and later by other architects. The cathedral has a Latin cross with three naves.

As is typical of Italian Gothic, it tends to the horizontal and polychrome stone by inserting rows and marble.Se took 25 years to complete the dome when the cathedral took 130 years under construction. After completing the work, it proved to be the largest cathedral in Europe, with a capacity for 30,000 people. Today is only surpassed in size by Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, St Paul's Cathedral in London , the Cathedral of Seville and the Cathedral de Milan History The new church was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio in 1296 to be the world's largest Catholic church. He designed three wide naves that died under the dome octagonal, with the central nave covering the surface of Santa Reparata. However due to prosperity in which the city was plunged Florence famous for its trade with wool and silk was decided to expand the project by Arnolfo. For any modification or extension in the design or structure are not introduced simply the scale of the original plan was changed. Nobody noticed at that time, due to the euphoria and wealth that invaded the city in the technical difficulties that entail the central space orthogonal cover that after the change of scale was 42 meters.

After the death of Arnolfo di Cambio the works slowed down and came to a halt until Giotto was appointed in 1334 as master builder. He assisted by Andrea Pisano continued the design of Arnolfo di Cambio. His biggest triumph was the construction of the bell, but he died in 1337, leaving the work unfinished. Andrea Pisano continued to work until they had to be abandoned because of the Black Death in 1348. Overcome the epidemic of Black Death European population was halved so that people who before had so fatal event saw some power increased, as their wealth. Simply there was less to go around. Some come to more merchants who accumulated great wealth began to lend their money creating what we might call the first pew. It was these wealthy families who sought the funds to convene the contest to fill the cathedral of his city. The competition for the dome In 1418 he was called the contest to fill the cathedral city. Several proposals some totally wild occurred but were the only solution conceived by some of the architects of the period to cover a similar light.

It was proposed to place a column Central to sustain dome or even fill the earth Cathedral then be molded and used to support the construction of the dome. According to the author of this proposal once the work the poor of the city would be responsible for emptying the sand Cathedral because during the stuffing coins would be mixed with the soil. It is believed that Brunelleschi had already been working on this project pending the contest eventually be convened and was the only one able to present a firm proposal with a plan of action studied. To him they were given the award with the condition imposed by guilds who shared the management of the work with Ghiberti. Brunelleschi very shrewdly accepted the condition. Some years later and during the execution of the works Brunelleschi pretended to fall ill for several weeks leaving Ghiberti in charge of the work. The more obvious the absence of Brunelleschi's inability extended Ghiberti was done to make a success of the project and that was a section giving the address 1423 Brunelleschi's work exclusively. The competition for flashlight In 1440 with the dome nearing completion decides to convene a new contest to decide how the work should be crowned.

Brunelleschi is offended by this and presents a model of his proposal that eventually resulted also winning. Location Santa Maria del Fiore is the Piazza del Duomo, in the historic center Florence , Italy . Faced with the Baptistery of San Giovanni and guarded by the Campanile in the square converge numerous shopping streets in the center, such as Via del Servei, Via Ricasoli, Via Martelli, Via Ginon laying reaches the Basilica of San Lorenzo and Via Calzaiuoli, one the major commercial arteries of the city. Florence is one of the Renaissance jewels of Tuscany, in Italy . Concept The facade Front door in front of De Fabris The original facade, designed by Arnolfo di Cambio and usually attributed to Giotto, was actually begun twenty years after Giotto's death. The first front is due to the collective effort of several artists, including Andrea Orcagna and Taddeo Gaddi, and was only completed in its lower part, after it was abandoned.

In 1587-1588 the architect of the Medici court Bernardo Buontalenti, demolished by order of Grand Duke Francesco I de 'Medici, as it seemed to be popular in Renaissance times. The competition for a new façade finished with a major corruption scandal. Several new designs were proposed in later years but the models were not accepted. The facade was left therefore discovered until the nineteenth century. In 1864 a competition was opened to design a new facade was won Emilio De Fabris (1808-1883) in 1871. Work it began in 1876 and was completed in 1887. This neo-Gothic facade in white, green and pink marble form a unit in harmony with the cathedral, Giotto's bell tower and the Baptistery , but it is excessively decorated. The Dome Although from the beginning the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore was destined to be one of the largest constructions of history and despite the transcendental which resulted in construction work was intended to integrate with the rest of the city.

Terracotta tiles and snow breaks Well you would have chosen to clearly differentiate it from the other buildings, which otherwise would not have been difficult because of its size. However we chose terracotta tiles cover it like the other buildings in the city, from public buildings to the most humble homes. Thus the cathedral becomes another piece of the city, important though, but more to the end of the day. Perhaps this fact can relate to the situation of the society of the time where some merchants of humble origin had achieved great wealth and great power (the same who had finaciado mercadres the work of the cathedral). They became important people in society as it was the cathedral city wing pair being larger building, but did not stop being a neighbor's. Flashlight The lantern with its 16 meters high and weighing approximately 10% of total dome is a key part of the architectural ensemble. Until then lanterns were small or nonexistent. It is inspired by the circular temples Rome Imperial and open to the winds. It is designed as the indispensable effort to dome targeted and is a kind of vanishing point of the perspective of the cathedral. You could say that the flashlight is a summary of everything that happens underneath.

It's like a complete model of the cathedral, with its buttresses, designed in Gothic style, with octagonal and dedicated to Santa Maria de las Flores as well as the cathedral. Finally with the building designed by Brunelleschi's lantern dome it happens to have the same dimension sectional plan, the same height as width, the same way for men to God. Construction Holes where the scaffolding is anchored during construction The triumph of Brunelleschi over its competitors was due in large part to its implementation plan concocted in which he took into account even the smallest detail. Also introduced a system of construction without formwork: the dome could not get up with the technical means available (remember that one dome under construction had to be held up to the key vault, with large wooden structures who knew not build). Obviously, when the Trecento the drum was built was in Florence carpenters able to assemble formwork of this size, but ended the period of large buildings and the trend towards decorative refinement, he had lost the office to carry out work of this scale.

Brunelleschi had been trying to retrieve a forgotten art, but chose to invent a new technique, but not to build formwork for self sustain dome during construction: the dome was closing as I went up. The scaffolds are anchored to own stretch of dome already built to go soaring. Initially scaffolds were placed on the inner side while from a third of the total height approximately began to be placed on the outside. The holes needed to anchor the scaffolding would serve later to allow ventilation and light to enter. Structure Octagonal dome It is a dome targeted and topped by a flashlight, with a structure made ​​of bricks, on an octagonal and shells composed of two parallel base. Both the interior and exterior are targeted following an arc with a radius of 6/7 the diameter of the octagon inscribed on its base. As the inner layer, having a smaller radius, it closes before the width of the second layer increases with height. The difference in radii of curvature helps the forces are distributed along a curve called petal flower with a point of maximum tension in which a reinforcement ring with wooden beams to withstand the stresses placed. Between the two layers is the layer of air with nerves and rings that form the structure of the dome.

This depletion layer lightens almost a third the total weight of the dome, and the existence of two galleries that allow access to the torch through a spiral staircase in some sections, with narrow stairs and other vertical, adding 636 steps up to the balcony of the torch. The combination of the three layers and the pointed shape allows a weight reduction of nearly 45% compared to a dome hemispherical. From a mechanical point of view and dynamic layers act as one. The dome consists of 24 ribs bricks arranged in a herringbone pattern. Walking the eight vertices of dome, are the major nerves, and collecting the weight of the structure. Two more face nerves help distribute the weight of the dome. This total of 24 nerves start from a ring of stone and brick at the base of the dome, which reflects their efforts and transmitting the drum. Parallel to the base ring, there are eleven rings formed by arches brick between nerve and nerve which tangential forces distributed uniformly and transmit the weight of the nerve structures. The eight stone and marble nerves who are abroad are decorative and do not fulfill any structural function, since the nerves that hold the dome not seen either from outside or from inside the cathedral.

They serve to define the eight triangles that make up the dome and lend, breaking the uncertainty of dome monochrome, volume and consistency. otherwise, they would have been stumped. Materials Brick, stone and marble are the materials used primarily though the dome also features wooden beams and metal anchors. Drawings Original plant and plant overlapping end Section Dome Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower in Florence, | Expedia Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower, current page Previous image, 11 total items. Next image, 11 total items. Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo) The “Saint Mary of the Flower” cathedral and its towering dome have come to symbolize Florence. The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is also known as the Duomo, which is an Italian term for cathedral. Dominating the Florence skyline is the Duomo’s magnificent dome, considered by many to be the most important architectural achievement of the Renaissance. Inside the cathedral, you’ll find stained-glass windows and frescoes by Italian masters, and one of the oldest examples of an hora italica clock in the world. For many, the most impressive part of a visit is a close-up view of the building itself.

Plans for the cathedral were first drawn up in 1294 by the architect Arnolfo di Cambio and construction started two years later. The building was consecrated in 1436, following contributions from several different architects. Arguably the most significant was Filippo Brunelleschi, who designed the dome. At 149 feet (45.5 meters) in diameter, it was the largest structure of its kind anywhere in the world, and remains the largest brick and mortar dome in the world today. Climb the 463 steps (there’s no lift) of the dome for a superb panorama of the city. There is a fee to visit the dome. Join the crowds in the Piazza del Duomo and pause to take in the cathedral’s impressive exterior. The pink, white and green marble of the façade was actually a late addition to the cathedral and completed in the late 1800s. The 44 stained-glass windows depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments are among the highlights inside the cathedral. Don’t miss the giant clock above the entrance on the inside of the church.

Designed in 1443, this clock is one of the last working examples of an hora italica timepiece, a 24-hour clock on which the last hour falls at sunset. Santa Maria del Fiore is open daily, except for January 6 (Epiphany). Entry is free. While the lines to enter can be long, they generally move fast. If you are traveling in a group of more than four you may be required to take an audio or radio guide. Explore More of Florence

Question: The Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral is in which European city?
Answer: Florence