Back to album

Southern facade

Florence Cathedral, or Duomo, formally the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style.

 

"The original façade, designed by Arnolfo di Cambio and usually attributed to Giotto, was actually begun twenty years after Giotto's death. This original façade was completed in only its lower portion and then left unfinished. It was dismantled in 1587–1588 by the Medici court architect Bernardo Buontalenti, ordered by Grand Duke Francesco I de' Medici, as it appeared totally outmoded in Renaissance times. The façade was then left bare until 1887. This neo-gothic façade in white, green and red marble forms a harmonious entity with the cathedral, Giotto's belltower and the Baptistery, but some think it is excessively decorated."

 

Florence. 2014

325 views
5 faves
2 comments
Uploaded on September 29, 2020
Taken on March 13, 2014