The Gothic Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower is considered as a symbol of Florence. Its brick-colored dome and high tower can be seen from any point in the city.

The cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower was built on the place of the Church of Santa Reparata, which, in turn, is located on the ruins of the ancient Roman temple. A lot of generations of workers were building and decorating the cathedral because the period of its construction was about 7 centuries. In particular, the facade of the cathedral was made just in the 19th century. But the building impresses by greatness and monumentality, and the waiting was definitely worth it.

The famous architect and sculptor of the Renaissance Epoque Filippo Brunelleschi was building the dome of the cathedral. He spent 15 years working on it. He used new technologies – no scaffolding. As a result, the 8-angled dome seems to be airy and soar over the walls of the cathedral.

According to the project of Brunelleschi, the dome should become the decoration of the cathedral, that is why it had not any ornament. But a century later, the followers of the great architect decided to add some frescos to the dome.

It is interesting that the authorities of Florence wanted to return the initial look of the dome back. They discussed the idea of removing all the frescos and painting the dome with white paint.

By the way, the facade of the cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower also looks attractive. Emilio de Fabrice was its decorator, he used vertical and horizontal marble plates of pink, white and green color as an addition to the multiple sculptural compositions.

Close to the cathedral, there is a square bell tower with niches. They contain the statues and medallions which describe the biblical topics.

The interior of the cathedral is made in the neo-Gothic style. These are ogival windows, roses, high walls, and various arches. The marble floor in the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower was constructed by several famous sculptors.

On the arches of the cathedral, you can see the frescos made by Dante Alighieri and Nicolo da Tolentino in the 15th century. And on the ceiling, there is the incredibly beautiful painting of the 16th century created by famous Florentine artists. It depicts the famous scenes of the Last Judgment.