Piazza del Duomo, Florence

While there weren’t huge crowds in the Accademia, the line ups for the Cathedral and the Baptistery were extrmely long, so we decided not to spend time in line and explored the rest of the city instead. We did however take time to admire and photograph the stunning collection of buildings, the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (the Florence Cathedral), Giotto’s Campanile (the bell tower) and the Battistero di San Giovanni, (the Baptistery of Saint John). It is probably one of my regrets when we got home that we didn’t see inside them. Maybe we will return again. All three magnificent building are situated in Piazza del Duomo, the Cathedral Square, located in the heart of the historic centre of Florence and it is one of the most visited places in Europe.

Construction started on the Cathedral in 1296 and is was structurally completed by 1436, with the dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi. The exterior is faced with marble panels in various shades of green and pink, bordered by white and is so unique to other Cathedrals we have seen so far. It is one of Italy’s largest churches and until the development of new structural materials in the modern era, the dome was the largest in the world. It is still the largest brick dome ever constructed. It is such a stunning building to admire and photograph.

Next to the Cathedral is the free-standing campanile, known as Giotto’s Campanile. Designed by Giotto di Bondone it was built between 1334 and 1359 and is rich with historical references and art. The Campanile has seven bells and as seven has a special meaning in Biblical sense: it symbolises human perfectibility, there are seven hexagonal panels on each side of the lower floors and references to the number seven throughout. Decorated to be in harmony with the Cathedral, at 84.7 metres tall and 14.45 metres on each side, it is a beautiful and impressive structure. One we hope to climb next time we visit.

The Baptistery is one of the oldest buildings in the city, constructed between 1059 and 1128. It is renowned for its three sets of artistically important bronze doors with relief sculptures created by Andreas Pisano and Lorenzo Ghiberti. Believed to originally be a Roman temple dedicated to Mars, the tutelary god of the old Florence, it is the third striking building in the Piazza del Duomo.

I am looking forward to our next visit when we will definitely spend some time admiring the interiors of these beautifully intricate and eye-catching structures.Read more