Florence Cathedral in Tuscany, Italy, begun in 1296 to a design by Arnolfo di Cambio (c. 1240 - 1302). The octagonal dome, with its white marble ribs and terracotta tiles, was built between 1420 and 1436 to a design by Filippo Brunelleschi (1377 - 1446). In 1507, Baccio d’Agnolo (1462 - 1543) began adding a balcony to the dome’s base. A balcony on one of the dome’s eight sides was finished by 1515, but when Michelangelo scoffed at its appearance work was halted. To this day, seven sides of the dome’s base remain rough brick.
Florence, Tuscany, Italy: dome of the Duomo di Firenze or Florence Cathedral, symbol of Florence and of the Renaissance. Built between 1420 and 1436 to a plan by Filippo Brunelleschi (1377 - 1446), it is the largest masonry vault in the world with an external diameter of metres ( feet) and an interior diameter of metres (149 feet). The octagonal structure is in fact two domes or ‘shells’, one internal and one external, each composed of eight ‘sails’ or pendentives (curved triangles of vaulting). The outer shell, thinner than the inner shell, is covered in terracotta tiles, marked by eight ribs in white marble. These converge towards a seraglio or tightening - the ring at the top. The cavity between the two domes hosts a stairway to the lantern, a white marble tower, 21 metres ( feet) in height. The base of the lantern is 90 metres (295 feet) above ground. At the top of the lantern is a golden ball: the original, by Andrea del Verocchio (1435 - 1488), was installed in 1471; the current ball is a reconstruction made in the1600s. In 1507, Baccio d’Agnolo (1462 - 1543) began adding a balcony to the base of the dome itself. A balcony on one of the dome’s eight sides was finished by 1515, but when Michelangelo scoffed at its appearance work was halted. To this day, seven sides of the dome’s base remain rough brick. The cathedral was begun in 1296 to a design by Arnolfo di Cambio (c. 1240 - 1302) and completed in 1436. In 1418, the Opera del Duomo announced a public competition for construction of the dome. It was agreed that Brunelleschi would be superintendent of the project, with Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378 - 1455), Brunelleschi’s fellow goldsmith, as co-superintendent. The two men had been rivals since 1401 when they both vied for the Florentine Baptistery bronze doors commission, won by Ghiberti.
Size: 2707px × 4066px
Location: Cathedral, Florence, Tuscany, Italy
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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