FlorenceDuomo, Battistero, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (F5)
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Santa Maria del Fiore, the
Gothic cathedral erected over
the ancient basilica of Santa
Reparata, was designed by
Arnolfo di Cambio who began
construction in 1296.
Brunelleschi completed it in
1436 with the elegant dome,
the inside of which was
entirely frescoed by Vasari
and Zuccari. The final phase
in the construction of the
cathedral, that is the completion of the facade, dates from
the mid 19th century.
To the right of the cathedral
rises the Bell Tower, or
Campanile, designed by
Giotto in 1334. The
square tower is covered
with red, green and white
marble inlays, decorated
with panels and carvings,
and made graceful by
double- and triple-windows.
Opposite the Cathedral
stands the green and
white marble Baptistery
of San Giovanni (1128),
a masterpiece of Florentine Romanesque architecture. The interior of the
dome is decorated with
mosaics. The splendid
bronze doors (including
the Door of Paradise) were
made by Andrea Pisano
and Lorenzo Ghiberti.
The Museo dell'Opera del
Duomo houses artworks
from Santa Maria del Fiore, the Baptistery and the Campanile,
including sculptures that had been made
for the cathedral facade. The most important works in the museum are by
Michelangelo ("Pietà"), Donatello
("Mary Magdalen", "Cantoria"), Arnolfo
di Cambio ("Boniface VIII"), Luca della
Robbia ("Cantoria").
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San Giovanni
Chiesa di Orsanmichele (F5)
