The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore or more commonly referred to as the Duomo is the cathedral of Florence and
although its construction began in 1296, it was not until 1434 that the
cathedral had its dome built and was not finished until 1436. The cathedrals name means the Lily which is the symbol of Florence and it is nicknamed the Duomo for its enormous dome on its east end. The
building of the Duomo was a great challenge to both engineers and architects at
the time because of their refusal to use flying buttresses to support its
massive weight so the design would look more Roman instead of Gothic. The architect Filippo Brunelleschi came up with the solution to actually make it with two domes and use different materials for the outer and inner domes. Filippo Brunelleschi is seen as one of the most influential renaissance architects because of his work on the cathedral. The Duomo has great cultural significance
because it was built in Florence during the birth of the Renaissance and its
architecture and art reflects this. It
is still the largest building in Florence and can be seen from all around the city, it also attracts huge numbers of tourists every year.
McCarthy, P. (0). Retrieved from http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/media/duomo/?ar_a=1
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mega.it/eng/egui/monu/buq.htm
McCarthy, P. (0). Retrieved from http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/media/duomo/?ar_a=1
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mega.it/eng/egui/monu/buq.htm