The skyline of Florence (Firenze), Italy wouldn't be the same without the stunning Cathedral or Duomo that so personifies the grandeur and elegance of the city. The Duomo, which translates to "the Cathedral" or "Dome Cathedral", has a long and regal history dating back to the end of the 13th century.
Near the end of the thirteenth century, the government that oversaw the Republic of Florence decided to replace their under-sized, rather plain Santa Reparata with a more majestic worshipping house. Architect Arnolfo di Cambio was asked to design the building, sans dome. Residents of the Florentine Republic were to help finance the construction of the cathedral, as a tax was added to all estates of the deceased. On September 8, 1296, Arnolfo di Cambio laid the first brick on the land where The Duomo now stands.
While di Cambio preferred to create structures in the popular Gothic style of the time, his basilica was a wonderful marriage of Gothic and classical styles...