Buy tickets & tours:GetYourGuide The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is the main church of Florence and one of the most recognizable monuments in Italy. Located in Piazza del Duomo, in the historic center of Florence, it forms a monumental religious complex with Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistery of San Giovanni, and the Opera del Duomo Museum. Commonly known as Florence Cathedral, the church replaced the older cathedral of Santa Reparata, whose archaeological remains can still be visited below the present building. The cathedral is famous for its vast Gothic structure, its marble exterior, and the revolutionary dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi in the 15th century. When the cathedral was structurally completed in 1436, it was among the largest churches ever built. Today, it remains one of the largest churches in the world, with an internal length of 153 meters, a width of 90 meters at the transept, and the largest masonry dome ever constructed. Short History of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Florence Cathedral) From Santa Reparata to a New Cathedral The site of the cathedral had religious importance long before the construction of the present church. The older cathedral, Santa Reparata, stood here for Read more [...]
Tag: Andrea Pisano in Florence
Baptistery of San Giovanni
Buy tickets & tours:GetYourGuide The Baptistery of San Giovanni is one of the defining monuments of Florence, located in Piazza del Duomo, directly in front of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, patron saint of Florence, it stands at the religious and civic center of the historic city. The building is also known as the Florence Baptistery or the Baptistery of Saint John. It belongs to the monumental complex of Piazza del Duomo, together with Florence Cathedral, Brunelleschi’s Dome, Giotto’s Bell Tower, Santa Reparata, and the Opera del Duomo Museum. The baptistery has an octagonal plan, a diameter of 25.6 meters, three monumental portals, and 24 windows. Its exterior is covered with geometric patterns in white and green marble, while the interior was designed for baptism, civic ceremony, liturgy, and large public gatherings. The monument is especially famous for its bronze doors, the marble floor, the matroneum, the Roman and medieval sepulchres, and the great mosaic cycle that covers the vault. The original bronze doors are now preserved in the Opera del Duomo Museum, while copies stand on the building. Today, the Baptistery of San Giovanni is part of the UNESCO-listed Historic Centre Read more [...]