Florence Cathedral
Crowned with the largest masonry dome in the world, Florence Duomo is a Renaissance masterpiece
The statistics…
Florence Cathedral
Height: 114.5m (375ft)
Length: 153m (502ft)
Width: 38m (125ft)
Cost: At least £500m ($802m)
Date of construction: 1296-1436
Architect: At least 11 different architects
Popularly called the Duomo, Florence Cathed ral’s name is der ived from the Latin ‘domu s dei’ – the House of God – and is ded ic ated to the Virgin Mary Santa Maria del Fiore (St Mary of the F lower). The present building was started in 1296 and is the third cathedral to stand on the site. Taking 140 years to build, the original plan was only changed once during construction when the eastern half of the cathedral was massively expanded to allow for the now icon ic dome. Work on this extraordinar y structure began in 1420 and was completed in just 16 years. Higher and w ider than any prev iously built, the octagonal dome was constr ucted w ithout using a temporar y wooden supporting frame. Consisting of a double shell made of sandstone, marble and brick, the base of the dome is about 52 metres (171 feet) above the ground and has a staggering 4 4-metre (1 4 4-foot) d ia meter.