The Duomo
From the Piazzale Michelangelo, there is a great view of some of the landmarks in Florence. The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Saint Mary of the Flower) is the main church of Florence. It is more often called the Duomo, which simply means the cathedral. The flower part is based on a tradition of crowning the Virgin Mary with flowers in the spring. The octagonal red dome is made of bricks, and it is the largest brick dome ever constructed in the world. The cathedral took a long time to build, being started in 1296 and completed in 1436. You can see the colorful bell tower on the left side of the building. The construction of the tower was overseen by the artist Giotto.
The Duomo
From the Piazzale Michelangelo, there is a great view of some of the landmarks in Florence. The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Saint Mary of the Flower) is the main church of Florence. It is more often called the Duomo, which simply means the cathedral. The flower part is based on a tradition of crowning the Virgin Mary with flowers in the spring. The octagonal red dome is made of bricks, and it is the largest brick dome ever constructed in the world. The cathedral took a long time to build, being started in 1296 and completed in 1436. You can see the colorful bell tower on the left side of the building. The construction of the tower was overseen by the artist Giotto.