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Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

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The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is located in the city of Florence, Italy. It serves as the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Florence and is also a papal basilica. The cathedral complex consists of the main cathedral, the bell tower, and the baptistery. In 1982, it was inscribed as part of the Historic Centre of Florence on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The cathedral...

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The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is located in the city of Florence, Italy. It serves as the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Florence and is also a papal basilica. The cathedral complex consists of the main cathedral, the bell tower, and the baptistery. In 1982, it was inscribed as part of the Historic Centre of Florence on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The construction of the cathedral began in 1296 but was halted in the autumn of 1347 due to the outbreak of the Black Death. In 1367, a public vote decided to build an octagonal dome with a diameter of 43.7 meters and a height of 52 meters at the crossing of the nave. Instead of using the popular "centering" wooden scaffolding method of the time, an innovative herringbone brick-laying technique was employed to build the dome from the bottom up. The dedication ceremony took place on March 25, 1436. The interior of the large dome features a massive fresco of "The Last Judgment" painted by the 16th-century Florentine artist Giorgio Vasari. The north wall of the nave displays Paolo Uccello’s “Monument to Sir John Hawkwood” and a fresco commemorating the 200th anniversary of Dante’s birth, titled “Dante and the Divine Comedy.”

The bell tower of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is particularly striking, standing 85 meters tall. It was originally designed and supervised by the renowned painter Giotto in 1334, hence its nickname, "Giotto's Bell Tower." The tower is built in the Gothic style, with six square levels stacked to form a cylindrical structure. Its exterior is clad in white marble, giving it a pure and elegant appearance.

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Must-visit reason: One of the most famous cathedrals in Italy

Continent where the attraction is located: Europe【Europe】

Country/region where the attraction is located: Italy[Italy]

Province/state where the attraction is located: Tuscany Region[Toscana Region]

City where the attraction is located: Florence[Florence]