Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence – history, photo, description, opening hours, map
The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, appearing in the divine beauty of the Quattrocento style, born from the skillful fusion of Gothic with the early Renaissance, has become a symbol and calling card of the capital of Tuscany. The grandiose marble structure, directed to the heavens, seems to be filled with the divine spirit. Its appearance and the atmosphere that reigns inside inspire, causing a feeling of unity with eternity and a desire to find out how this unique architectural creation of the human genius was created.
Construction history
The rapid development of Florence at the end of the 13th century caused a significant increase in population. The ancient municipal church of Santa Reparata, built in the 4th century on the foundations of an ancient Roman temple, was already dilapidated by this time and could not accommodate the increased number of parishioners. The city authorities and the Catholic Church decided to build a large temple that could outshine the grandeur and size of the cathedrals of rival cities, which were Siena and Pisa. The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, built over 6 centuries, began to accommodate 30 thousand believers, striking contemporaries with grace and majesty.
It was decided to demolish the church of St. Reparata in 1289. Then a competition was announced for the design of a new church building. The winner of the competition was the architect Arnolfo di Cambio. The architect was given the task of building the Florentine Duomo, majestic in scale and richer decorated than the cathedrals of Pisa and Siena. Started in 1296, the construction was “frozen” several times due to the death of architects, lack of funding, epidemics and scandals with tenders.
In the 14th century, the forces of heaven miraculously helped to resolve the issue of finding finances, when a tomb with the relics of St. Zenobius of Florence was suddenly discovered in the basement of the old church. Thanks to the miraculous relics, donations were collected to continue construction. In total, 6 talented architects had a hand in the construction of the long-suffering Duomo. Without waiting for the installation of the dome, the cathedral in 1436 was consecrated by the Roman pontiff Eugene IV.
The laying of a symbolic stone in 1296 by Cardinal Pietro Valeriano Duraguerra marked the beginning of construction work around the old church. The architect Di Cambio started the construction of the cathedral from the southern wall, on which he left the date – 1310. After his death, construction was suspended for almost 3 decades. Work was resumed by the outstanding architect Giotto di Bonde. Instead of finishing the construction of the cathedral, he began the construction of the bell tower according to his own design. Before his death in 1337, Giotto managed to build only 1 tier of the campanile. The completion of the temple was prevented by a plague epidemic that covered the city.
Construction work was continued in 1347 by Giovanni Di Lappo Ghini, and after him by Francesco Talenti, who made changes to the original project. He made the division of the central nave into 4 aisles, the expansion of the transept and apse. The completion of the main work was 1380. By the beginning of the 15th century, the internal architecture of the Duomo had acquired its final form. It remained to cover the huge area of the church with a dome. It took 40 years to solve the problem of how to make the dome look beautiful and come up with a way to install the huge tower structure.
Project by Arnolfo di Cambio
The architectural plan of the cathedral, developed by the architect, was based on the ideas of combining classical Gothic details with early Renaissance architecture. The shape of the temple according to the project looked like a Latin cross with three wide naves. The central nave occupied the area of the old church of Santa Reparata, and on its sides there were two side naves.
The ends of the naves were octagonal choirs with lancet arches, converging under the base of the dome. It was planned to install an octagonal dome tower covering the area of the cathedral on them. The plan ended with a semicircular altar apse, attached to the central nave and two side transepts crossing the naves.
Campanile
The project of the 85-meter Campanile, developed by Giotto, consisted of a building plan and a sketch for the design of the facade on the first tier. The bell tower began to be built near the cathedral on the foundation laid by Arnolfo di Cambio. Giotto managed to build only 1 tier of the bell tower. After him, Andrea Pisano was involved in the implementation of the project, and Francesco Talenti completed the construction of the campanile.
The façades of the bell tower were adorned with tricolor marble cladding, richly complemented by bas-reliefs by prominent Renaissance sculptors. 100 years after the completion of construction, the 2nd tier of the facade was decorated with sculptures created by Donatello. Now they are stored in the Duomo Museum, and their copies are placed on the bell tower. It is worth climbing the observation deck of the campanile, where a staircase with 414 steps leads, to admire the amazing panorama of Florence.
Dome
The problem of erecting a domed tower was solved by architect Brunneleschi, who accurately calculated the parameters of an octagonal dome and an elongated spire. Before starting the installation of the 37-ton tower, a frame was made of 24 vertical rigid ribs and 6 horizontal rings. The architect developed a mechanism that raised each of the eight sections of the dome to a height of 45 meters of the cathedral, then connecting them. At the junction of 8 external and internal surfaces of the ribs at the top of the dome, Brunneleschi provided a stone fence – a seraglio that surrounded a hole in the top of the dome with a diameter of 6 meters and a height of up to 4.4 meters.
The dome was given stability by crowning it with a lantern tower, which makes it possible to evenly distribute the pressure of its weight on the “drum”. At the same time, the turret served as an elegant completion of the temple. In each of the 8 dome ribs, 3 windows were designed for lighting and air. After 15 years of completion of work, the dome in the form of a red flower that bloomed over the walls of the temple appeared before the Florentines.
Completion of construction
The illumination of the Duomo in 1436 by the Pope did not signify the completion of construction. In 1461 the walls of the new cathedral were covered with a dome. It remained to finish the facade and decorate the interior. Works on the external design of the Duomo in the 16th century were put up for competition, which ended in a scandal due to the desire of officials to profit from the allocated finances. As a result, finishing work on the facade and interior decoration began in the middle of the 19th century.
The decoration work was entrusted to the Italian architect Emilio de Fabris, who completed the final construction of Santa Maria del Fiore in 1887. The patterns and sculptural compositions created by the architect became the decoration of the Duomo, making its appearance unusually light.
Architecture
The majestic structure of the cathedral stands out on the square with its grandiose size and beauty of the facade. The temple with an area of 8300 square meters, with a width of 90 meters and a length of 153 meters, does not seem like a massive structure. The feeling is amazing, as if he is floating above the ground. The walls, 45 meters high, crowned with a 42-meter diameter dome with a lantern tower and a cross, raised the Duomo from the base to the tip of the cross by 114 meters. After the overwhelming astonishment of the majesty of the cathedral, it is impossible to take your eyes off the divine beauty of the facade.
Facade
The richly decorated exterior of the facade looks elegant and colorful. The decoration, made with vertical and horizontal marble panels, delights with the play of a combination of green marble from Prato, pink from Maremma and white from Cararra, evoking the Italian flag.
Against the background of the color scheme of the facade, sculptural compositions stand out brightly, attracting attention on the way to the temple. A luxurious addition to the facade is the view of a rectangular bell tower, in the niches of which there are statues and hexagonal medallions illustrating scenes from the Bible. On the lancet arches of the facade are frescoes depicting the earthly life of the Virgin Mary.
main entrance
The exterior of the central entrance of the main facade is recognized as a masterpiece of neo-Gothic architecture. The bronze gates that serve as the entrance are skillfully decorated with high-relief scenes illustrating the biography of the Virgin. Above the gate, the bas-relief of the Virgin sitting on a throne with the baby Jesus and the 12 apostles surrounding her attracts the eye. Above the portal with statues, the facade is decorated with a large patterned rose window, bordered by relief medallions depicting honorary citizens. The arch above the main entrance was decorated with a fresco depicting the Madonna holding a lily in her hands.
Basement
The cathedral crypt is a crypt located under the altar with fragments left over from the ruined church of Santa Reparata, the remains of ancient Roman mosaic floors, wall mosaics and frescoes of the 14th century. You can get an idea of what the Church of Santa Reparata looked like by examining its layout. Florentine clergymen and architects involved in the construction of the temple are buried here in sarcophagi: the designer of the cathedral, Arnolfo di Cambio, the architect of Giotto's campanile and the one who created the dome, Filippo Brunneleschi and Giovanni Medici. People come here to bow to the sacred relic, located in a bronze shrine – the relics of Zenobius of Florence, according to legend, having the power to resurrect the dead.
Interior
The interior of the cathedral is made in the best traditions of Italian Gothic architecture. An elegantly majestic appearance is given by the lancet vaults in the naves, many arches and galleries, the height of the walls, decorated with pilasters. At the entrance, attention is drawn to the wonderful marble floor. Looking up, visitors admire the 15th century frescoes on the vault with prominent natives of the city, including images of Dante and Giotto.
Even higher – on the dome, five-tiered paintings with scenes of the Last Judgment in the center, biographies of Christ, the Mother of God, the commissioner of the frescoes Cosimo I and the masters who painted the dome – Dzukuari and Vizavi with their families are amazing. The total area of the paintings was 3,600 m², which is comparable to half a football field. You can view them up close by climbing the stairs to the dome, leading to special balconies, from where all the details are clearly visible.
It is impossible not to admire the skillful stained-glass windows of the Duomo on the arches of the naves, transepts and drum, depicting the deeds of saints and great martyrs. Noteworthy is a huge wall fresco by the artist Paolo Uccelo depicting a monument to the Florentine commander John Hawkwood. Another attraction created by the genius Uccelo in 1443 is a unique clock with hands moving in reverse order, measuring the time until the Last Judgment. For almost 7 centuries, this watch regulated the life of the Florentines, informing them with a 24-stroke fight about the completion of work.
architectural complex
The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence is an architectural complex consisting of a bell tower, a 12th-century baptistery of John the Baptist and a museum.
Baptistery of San Giovanni
The baptistery, named after John the Baptist, stands on the Cathedral Square near the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Until the 19th century, newborn Florentines were baptized under its vaults, including the poet Dante and the Medici. The appearance of the baptistery, expressed by a low building of the Romanesque style of a hexagonal shape, has been preserved since the 12th century. The interior design of the baptismal hall is notable for the golden paintings on the domed sphere, depicting the faces of saints and biblical scenes.
Strong energy comes from the Byzantine mosaics of the XIII-XIV centuries, which adorn the domed vaults. On the gates of the baptistery are interesting bas-reliefs of the XIII-XV centuries with John the Baptist and biblical virtues. The gilded eastern gates of the middle of the 15th century, divided into 10 tablets of the same size, reproducing biblical scenes, are called the Gates of Paradise, recognizing them as a real masterpiece.
Opera del Duomo
The Duomo Museum, founded in 1891, occupies the former workshop of the architect Filippo Brunneleschi. The museum exposition shows fragments and details of decor from the old church, the campanile and the baptistery, which are of historical and artistic value, as well as items that were not included in the design of the new cathedral after the renovation of its interior. Here it is interesting to get acquainted with the models and drawings of the dome, developed by Filippo Brunneleschi, to see the collection of sculptures of the 16th century, which previously adorned the facade and interior of the cathedral.
Statues of the 15th century are filled with mysterious energy: “Penitent Mary Magdalene”, transferred from the Baptistery and the Prophet Habakkuk, created by Donatello, previously located on the bell tower. There is also a sculpture of Pope Boniface VIII, created by Arnolfo di Cambio, which in the past stood on the facade of the cathedral. The priceless artistic treasure of the museum collection is the paintings by Donatello “Mary Magdalene”, Michelangelo's “Lamentation of Christ”.
Opening hours and ticket prices
You can get acquainted with the interior of the Duomo:
Entrance to the cathedral is free.
It is convenient to visit the rest of the sights of the cathedral complex by purchasing a single ticket for 18 €, valid for 72 hours. You can enter any attraction with a complex ticket only 1 time.
You can climb the observation deck of the bell tower every day from 10.30 to 19.00 and only on Saturday until 16.45 in summer and from 8.15 to 19.00 in autumn and winter. The ticket costs 6 €.
The ascent to the dome at a cost of 8 € opens from 8.30 and lasts until 17.30.
You can see the rarities and relics of the museum daily from 9.00 to 20.00 in summer and until 19.00 in autumn and winter, and on Sundays until 13.45. The museum is closed only on the first Tuesday of every month. The cost of a ticket combined with a visit to the baptistery is 11€.
You can go separately to the baptistery for only 3€. From 8.15 to 18.30. It is convenient to buy tickets on the official Duomo websiteby printing it out. Tickets are purchased on site at the Centro Arte e Cultura, located opposite the baptistery.
Where is it located and how to get there
The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence rises in the center on Piazza del Duomo. It is easy to get to it from the Santa Maria Novella station on foot, leaving on Panzani street, from which turn onto Cerretani street, from where you can see the Cathedral with access to Duomo square. From other areas of the city, it is easy to get by buses No. 6,14, 17, 22, 23, 36, 37, 71, going to Cathedral Square.