Construction of Florence Cathedral

Florence Cathedral, officially the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, was begun in 1296 to a design by Arnolfo di Cambio, as a symbol of the wealth and civic pride of the Florentine republic. Work continued for generations, with Giotto designing the bell tower and the facade left unfinished until a neo-Gothic front was added in the nineteenth century. The enormous octagonal space at the east end remained without a roof until Filippo Brunelleschi designed his great dome, completed in 1436, using a double shell and herringbone brickwork without conventional wooden centering. The dome became an emblem of Renaissance engineering and still dominates the city's skyline. The cathedral stands beside the Baptistery in the heart of Florence's historic center.

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