Overview
The Florence Duomo has a long history. Construction began in 1296 atop the existing cathedral, San Reparata. During the construction of the walls, there were no plans for a dome. Except for the dome, work on the Duomo finished in 1418. There was a wall between the nave and the transept, above which the sky was open. During construction, the church considered several ideas for building the dome. Some bordered on the ridiculous. For example, one was to build a giant dirt pile beneath the dome to support it during construction. The idea of removing the pile of dirt led to the idea of spreading coins in the dirt and telling people they could keep what they found.
Let’s clear up some mistranslations. Officially called the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flowers in English. The most impressive part of the historic Duomo, the dome created by Filippo Brunelleschi, topped by a cupola. In Italian, Duomo di Santa Maria del Flores. Duomo, Italian for Cathedral, not dome. Cupola translates to dome in English.
History of the Historic Duomo
Filippo Brunelleschi, an artist who had visited the ancient buildings of Rome, developed a radical method for building the dome. When asked what it was, he is reported to have said, ” If I told you, you would steal the idea. Awarded the contract in 1420, he began work immediately. Over the next sixteen years, he served as the construction manager and was vital to the dome’s completion. Filippo Brunelleschi lies buried in the crypt under the building.
The Duomo’s exterior you see today is not the original. The first facade, built sometime before 1587, and never finished, then removed by Grand Duke Francesco I de’ Medici in 1587 because he felt it was not modern enough. After the removal, there was no agreement on what should be on the facade for almost three hundred years. There was a canvas-painted facade that lasted a short time for a wedding of one of the dukes. They finally got their act together and awarded the work for a new facade in 1871, with it being completed in 1887. Still, that is not exactly what you see today. All of the artwork is reproductions. The originals are located in the Cathedral Museum.
Visiting the Historic Florence Duomo
You can take one or more of several different tours of the Florence Duomo complex. While they all cost something, just gazing at the outside is free. For me, a visit to the Duomo Museum is well worth the time and cost. Here you will see the original artwork that graced the exterior of not just the Duomo. but also the bell tower and the baptistery. The original famous Gates of Paradise are inside.
The other tours can take you to the top of the bell tower, inside the Duomo, to the crypt beneath the building, and to the famous dome. No trip to Florence is complete without a visit to the historic Duomo.
