The Duomo of Florence, officially known as the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, is a masterpiece of Gothic and Renaissance architecture. Its most striking feature is the massive dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, an engineering marvel of its time. The cathedral’s intricate façade is adorned with white, green, and pink marble, and its adjacent bell tower, designed by Giotto, and Baptistery of San Giovanni complete the iconic complex. Inside, visitors can marvel at Vasari’s frescoes of The Last Judgment and climb to the dome for breathtaking views of Florence. The Duomo stands as a symbol of the city’s artistic and architectural brilliance.
When I'm painting in the streets of Forence I often overhear the tour guides telling the story of the respective spots. Two interesting things I learned about the Duomo this way is that 1) (according to that one tour guide) the inside of it is not as impressive as the outside, as most of the art was taken out of it due to the flooding in 1966 and is now located in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo and 2) behind the Duomo there is a white marble circle in the pavement indicating the spot where the golden ball located on the top of the dome of the Duomo landed as it fell down after being struck by lightning in 1600.