The story of the Florence Duomo
Santa Maria del Fiore was begun in 1296, but for decades no one knew how to build its enormous dome. Filippo Brunelleschi solved the problem with a double-shell design, completing it in 1436 without traditional wooden supports.
The dome remains the largest brick dome ever built. The cathedral's façade of white, green and pink marble was finished only in the 19th century. Florence's historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
