The Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore, better known as the Florence Dome, has a very long history.
Designed by Arnolfo di Cambio at the end of the 11th century, it was built on the site of another church, Santa Reparata. When the Cathedral was completed, it was the largest in Europe and remains still today, one of the five largest churches in Italy and it took over one hundred years to see its completion.
Arnolfo di Cambio died in 1302 and Giotto was appointed to continue Arnolfo's work, but Giotto died in 1337 and in 1357 the works continued again by Francesco Talenti. Most of the church was completed by the beginning of 1400 leaving only the dome to be completed by Filippo Brunelleschi.
Brunelleschi's architectural solutions were ingenious and without precedence. More than 4 million bricks were used for the dome which weighs nearly 41 tons and to fulfill his creation Brunelleschi had to design machines and new masonry techniques which were in themselves a spectacular contribution to architecture.
In 1412 the name of the church was changed in Santa Maria del Fiore and in 1436 it was consecrated by Pope Eugene IV.
The inside of Santa Maria del Fiore corresponds to the austere spiritual ideal of the Middle Age and the first Renaissance in Florence. The two sacristies, the floor in marble and the frescos by Paolo Uccello and Andrea del Castagno were added in a second time and they contributed to enrich the history of the Cathedral in Florence, as the “Deposizione” by Michelangelo placed in the Apse chapel.
The splendid windows were realized among 1434 and 1445 on project of artists as well as Donatello and Paolo Uccello.