Florence Italy: The Cathedral or Duomo of Florence is heralded as one of the wonders of the magnificent architectural accomplishments of Italy. Adorning the skyline of Florence, Duomo has been one of the greatest tourist attractions in Florence.
As we see the Cathedral today, it took more than six centuries with several years of hard work by bands of accomplished architects and sculptors to give a final shape to this splendid piece of architecture. The portals of the Cathedral beckoning tens of thousands of travelers everyday, no trip to Italy can find fulfillment without visiting Duomo.
Beginnings
The basic architectural project of Duomo of Florence was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio towards the end of the 13th century. The central feature of this project is the massive cupola, which has eventually become the official symbol for Tuscany. The cupola was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, the genius of the renaissance architecture.
The wonder
The original plan consisted of the octagonal dome of 42 metres span to be built at the east end of the nave. However, this was not accomplished till the 15th century. Filippo Brunelleschi, a goldsmith and sculptor, entered the scene at this point to make statues for the cathedral.
Gradually, his interest extended to the building and he suggested a daring proposal in 1415 to build the dome without supporting formwork. The principle behind this was, built in horizontal layers, the stability is enhanced multifold and the construction would not require timber formwork support.
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