Belltower of the 'Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore'

After a couple of days with creepy animals, today some culture on this blog.
During our holiday in Tuscany last May we also (of course) went to Florence to see the 'Duomo'. Here are some pictures of the outside of it.

Work started on the dome in 1420 and was completed in 1436. The cathedral was consecrated by Pope Eugenius IV on 1436-03-25 (the first day of the year, according to the Florentine calendar). It was the first 'octagonal' dome in history (The Roman Pantheon, a circular dome, was built in 118-128 C.E. without support structures) to be built without a wooden supporting frame, and was the largest dome built at the time (it is still the largest masonry dome in the world). It had been one of the most impressive projects of the Renaissance. Wikipedia

Not only the building itself is marvelous. Tomorrow I'll have some pictures of the interior. Especially of the paintings on the ceiling. They-are-beautiful!
09-05-05 | 12:38
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