Dysartian
Il Duomo Florence and Il Campanile from Palazzo Pitti
One of the iconic views of Florence (Firenze) shows Il Duomo (the Dome) and Il Campanile (the bell-tower) viewed from the gardens of the PItti Palace. Hopefully I can get a lot more good shots this year than I did in my pre-photography addiction year of 2003.
Santa Maria del Fiore (also known simply as the Duomo) is the cathedral of Florence noted for its distinctive dome. Its name ("Saint Mary of the Flower") refers to the lily, the symbol of Florence. The impressive Gothic cathedral complex includes the Duomo, the famous baptistery and a bell-tower the Campanile. It was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio in 1294 to be the largest Roman Catholic church in the world (although the design was later reduced in size), with the first stone being laid on September 8, 1296.
In 1418 a competition was held to design a new dome (or cupola) for the cathedral. The two competitors were Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi. Brunelleschi won the competition with his distinctive octagonal design, but both were appointed architects. This did not work, and Brunelleschi soon took over sole responsibility. Work started on the dome in 1420 and was completed in 1436; the cathedral was consecrated by Pope Eugenius IV on March 25, 1436.
It was the first 'octagonal' dome in history to be built without a wooden supporting frame (the Pantheon, a circular dome, was built in 118-128 AD without support structures), and was the largest dome built at the time (it is still the largest masonry dome in the world). The dome also used horizontal reinforcements of tension chains of stone and iron - paving way to the imaginations of iron and steel structural reinforcements, such as reinforced concrete in later centuries.
Made Explore on 14 May 2009.
Il Duomo Florence and Il Campanile from Palazzo Pitti
One of the iconic views of Florence (Firenze) shows Il Duomo (the Dome) and Il Campanile (the bell-tower) viewed from the gardens of the PItti Palace. Hopefully I can get a lot more good shots this year than I did in my pre-photography addiction year of 2003.
Santa Maria del Fiore (also known simply as the Duomo) is the cathedral of Florence noted for its distinctive dome. Its name ("Saint Mary of the Flower") refers to the lily, the symbol of Florence. The impressive Gothic cathedral complex includes the Duomo, the famous baptistery and a bell-tower the Campanile. It was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio in 1294 to be the largest Roman Catholic church in the world (although the design was later reduced in size), with the first stone being laid on September 8, 1296.
In 1418 a competition was held to design a new dome (or cupola) for the cathedral. The two competitors were Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi. Brunelleschi won the competition with his distinctive octagonal design, but both were appointed architects. This did not work, and Brunelleschi soon took over sole responsibility. Work started on the dome in 1420 and was completed in 1436; the cathedral was consecrated by Pope Eugenius IV on March 25, 1436.
It was the first 'octagonal' dome in history to be built without a wooden supporting frame (the Pantheon, a circular dome, was built in 118-128 AD without support structures), and was the largest dome built at the time (it is still the largest masonry dome in the world). The dome also used horizontal reinforcements of tension chains of stone and iron - paving way to the imaginations of iron and steel structural reinforcements, such as reinforced concrete in later centuries.
Made Explore on 14 May 2009.