5 Facts about the Duomo in Florence
The Duomo in Florence is the main church and one of the top tourist attractions to the Italian city. It's also one of the most iconic architectural buildings of the Renaissance.
We're sure you're aware of it's beauty, but here are 5 facts you might not know about the Duomo.
"Our Lady of the Flower".
The official name of the Duomo in Florence is "Santa Maria del Fiore", which translates to "Our Lady of the Flower". The name refers to the Lily flower, which is the symbol of Florence.
It took approximately 140 years to build.
Construction began in 1296 based on the Gothic style designs of Arnolfo di Cambio.
The structure of the dome in the original plans seemed impossible. So while Florence natives tried to come up with a solution, the east end of the church had an unstable or no roof at all.
Filippo Brunelleschi came up with the brilliant final plan for the dome. And the Duomo was eventually consecrated in 1436.
It has the biggest dome in the world.
The world famous dome is currently the biggest of it's kind on the planet. Weighing 40,000 tons and constructed of over 4 million bricks, you can see why.
Well, there's actually 2 domes.
Brunelleschi's plan suggested a smaller dome inside would help support the large structure.
The inner dome is made of sandstone and marble, while the outer consists of brick and mortar.
You can climb the many narrow stairs between the 2 domes that the workers used in construction. The winding staircase leads you to the top of the outer dome.
It has an artist's touch.
Well known sculptors, Donatello and Nanni di Banco, assisted Brunelleschi. Together they created a model of the dome's structure.
This wooden and brick model is still displayed in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo today.
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