This past Friday I climbed all 463 steps to the top of the Duomo. The Duomo (Santa Maria del Fiore church) is one of the largest churches in Florence known for its distinctive Renaissance dome. Its name "Saint Mary of the Flower" refers to the lily, the symbol of Florence (Sacred Destinations). The church started being built in 1296 with Arnolfo di Cambio's design and was completed structurally in 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi. The exterior of the basilica is faced with polychrome marble panels in shades of green and pink bordered by white and has a 19th century Gothic Revival facade by Emilio De Fabris. The cathedral complex, located in Piazza del Duomo, includes the Baptistery and Giotto's Campanile. The three buldings are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site covering the historic center of Florence. The basilica is one of Italy's largest churches, and until the modern era, the dome was the largest in the world! It remains the largest brick dome ever constructed. To learn more about he history of the dome click here.
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| My roomies & I at the top of the Duomo |
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| The inside of the dome |
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| View of bell tower from top of dome |
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| View of Santa Croce church from the Duomo |
Wow, that is one nice church! :P The view of all the buildings is amazing.
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