The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo di Firenze or La Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore - in Italian) is an architectural fairy tale, imagined from fantastic dreams in reality. An undisputed masterpiece of stone architecture. A monolithic "lace symphony" woven from a multitude of exquisite fragments. A treasure of Florence, its pride, heritage, a treasure that brings income to the state treasury at the expense of fans of fine art.
Among the curiosities of Tuscany this work of art has no equal, however other attractions of the region in Siena and Pisa don't try to compete with it. However, why all the competition for popularity, if some things on our planet just need to be seen at least once in a lifetime. The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is one of them. After all, it is not for nothing that it was unhesitatingly included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage lists.
A miracle that descended from heaven to earth
The construction of the stunning temple on the Piazza del Duomo began on 8 September in 1296 to coincide with the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The work on the amazing idea continued later until 1436, and then until the XIX century the construction kept growing and growing with new details. At last the Catholic monastery had an unusual facade. Exquisite building with domes, frescoes, sculptures, scenes from biblical stories on the walls, carved doors finally turned into an architectural marvel, capable of fascinating.
In the possession of the church complex also entered the Baptistery of San Giovanni (baptisterium - in Latin) - a kind of nice annex to the holy cloister in grey and white colours, where the rite of baptism of newborns and more mature citizens. Sometimes the sacrament is performed on several adult Italians at once in the local large font, what to speak of the delights of the holy washing of the little ones. Walking around St John's Square, neighbouring Piazza Duomo, tourists do not even realise that they are looking at one of the oldest buildings in the city. A separate revelation is Giotto's bell tower, a campanile of the cathedral, certainly made in the classic Gothic tradition.
Tourists' first findings, finds and discoveries
To persuade visitors to the capital of Tuscany to see closer, to be inside, to fall in love with the cathedral forever - it is not necessary. The structure is perfectly visible from many points of the city, and tourists all hurry and rush to get closer to it to make sure that all this is not a dream. Santa Maria del Fiore exists, it is a real object of admiration, which was created by the best masters of Italy. To get to know it personally is a happy fortune for any inquisitive traveller who knows how to appreciate the world's treasures that are outstanding in their essence, appearance, character, and history.
To the "sinful" earth tourists who have fallen into the epicentre of exciting emotions, here return familiar sounds:
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The clattering of horses' hooves, as the square has organised such a service as viewing the shrine and its surroundings from all sides from a horse-drawn carriage.
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The quick speech of the "inviters" beckoning to look into the chocolate paradise of the speciality confectionery, located right in front of the cathedral, inside the heart of the sweet tooth immediately melts from the abundance of products of Belgian and Swiss chocolatiers, and the smell of vanilla tantalises with temptations.
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Light music from a pretty salon where you can buy handmade Florentine soaps, displayed in fanciful compositions in a shop window in the same square near the temple grounds, attracted by sweet exotic scents and perfect shapes.
Meanwhile, the eternal queue at the entrance to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is inexorably moving, it's time to admire its interior decoration, look into the museum on the territory, climb up to the magnificent observation deck, from where all of Florence can be seen as in the palm of your hand.
Architectural "still life", laid out "on the shelves"
Photo: KaiPilger. Source: Pixabay
In a city that grew up and was built under the influence of the high-ranking Medici family, the Duomo (as this stone creation is also often called) is literally squeezed on all sides by other buildings. This is how unsuspecting tourists wander serenely along the streets, and suddenly, as if from under the ground, a marvellous beauty appears around the next corner and, like an electric shock, blows you away, it immediately becomes clear - in front of you is a miracle of human craftsmanship.
The crown of perfection, the delightful "cherry on the cake", the subject of undying interest of all mankind in this Italian landmark - is the inimitable architecture of this amazing church. Its appearance is difficult to describe in words - there are not enough enthusiastic epithets. It is difficult to draw and photograph the church in the Cathedral Square. Its size is so imposing that it does not want to fit either on the canvas or in the frame of the camera.
A knowledgeable person will start the story of Santa Maria del Fiore with general technical characteristics reflected in the dizzying numbers:
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The height of the top of the tallest dome, made of bright orange bricks with a cross on top, is 114 metres and its diameter is 42 metres.
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In terms of length, the complex is among the top 5 grandest religious buildings in the world (it is more than 150 metres long), while the width is close to the 100 metre mark.
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The width of the transverse nave is 90 metres and the width of the other aisles is 38 metres.
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Under the vaults (their height is 45 m) of the monumental cathedral during the service can simultaneously fit 30 thousand parishioners.
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The total area of these massive properties of the Catholic Church is 8,300 square metres.
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The weight of the giant Duomo dome is 37,000 tonnes, and the bulky structure is kept in balance by 24 sturdy vertical ribs and 6 rings arranged horizontally.
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Building materials: marble of many colours and shades, bricks.
It took a total of 6 centuries for the entire cycle of construction of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. But Catholics got a real gem - not a church on the square, but the square under the dome of the church. This idea has no analogues in the world.
Is the truth always born in arguments
As to what architectural style was given undoubted preference here, scientists are ready to cross swords and fiercely polemicise. After all, in giving birth to a dizzying beauty of the church merged together medieval Renaissance and older by age standards gloomy Gothic, which art historians often call the original Italian. Its features are present everywhere: lancet vaults of naves, fanciful arches, mosaics, frescoes, graceful pilasters on the walls, a string of galleries, bas-reliefs - you can't count everything.
Gurus of architecture agreed that the holy cloister is stylised in the spirit of such a trend in the construction of religious buildings as the Quattrocento. The term is unfamiliar to the common man, but the stunning result is there, why break the spears then.
Eyes are scattered, dizzy, inquisitive brains of travellers do not have time to fix specifics. One does not come to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore for 5 minutes, one should spend at least a couple of hours with it. Especially if you take into account the fact that inside the temple you can admire the miraculously preserved fragments of the ancient holy cloister of Santa Reparata. The same church that once replaced the ancient Roman temple on this square, and then in the XIII century succumbed to the realities of time. It was time to hand over the reins of religious rule over the minds of Florence's Catholics into new hands. The project was going to be a grandiose, it is time to tell about those talented persons who took a direct part in it.
The marvellous brainchild of the Maestro Group
Photo: Jack78. Source: Pixabay
In the process of creating the majestic structure, outstanding masters of the chisel, brush, drawing and exuberant imagination made their mark. All of them are worthy of small "essays" about their work.
Arnolfo di Cambio
The author of the project of the future masterpiece of world-class stone architecture was Arnolfo di Cambio - an ardent admirer of the Proto-Renaissance style, a disciple and colleague of Niccolo Pisano. The same direction was the precursor of the classical Renaissance, which later flooded the whole old Europe with castles, palaces, country estates and city sights. In 2 words about him, one could put it this way: the medieval trends had already surrendered their positions, and the debut destinations were still too young and hot. The maestro of Italian origin was by profession both a skilful sculptor and an accomplished architect. He participated in the birth of a pleiad of famous creations in Rome, Siena, Orvieto. The sculptures of his work in the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore can now only be seen in a museum exhibition inside the cloister.
Giotto di Bondone
Undisputed coryphaeus of Western European art, painter, architect, possessor of advanced thoughts in the profession, adherent of the Proto-Renaissance direction. He picked up the baton of erecting the cathedral complex after the death of Arnolfo di Cambio and the desolation of the construction site. With money from local woollen merchants, Giotto continued the ideas of his predecessor and contributed his creative contribution to the common cause. Thanks to his efforts, an intricate "calancha" - a bell tower decorated with marble drawings - appeared in the square, which has kept his name - Giotto's Bell Tower - forever. After the death of this master, he was replaced in the key position by Andrea Pisano, who tried to strictly observe all the recommendations and instructions of the greatest authors-creators, but the evil fate was inexorable, the plague was raging in Europe. The construction of the cathedral ceased to be the main task of the city, the population tried to survive at any cost, all the funds went to treat the suffering.
Filippo Brunelleschi and Lorenzo Ghiberti
By 1418, the plague pandemic had subsided, leaving behind a "scorched field" of pain and loss. Florence was returning to normal life with difficulty, and yet in the city it was decided to hold a creative competition, to whom to entrust further work in the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Of the famous names in the world of culture and art in the competition were seen two: Filippo Brunelleschi and Lorenzo Ghiberti. The first of them first failed and was lost against the background of competitors, the second noted in the production of doors for the baptistery, but beyond that the results of his talent did not move. But Filippo Brunelleschi still managed to prove that he was worth much. Grandiose dome over the entire cathedral - his work, merit, creation, artistic luck in the professional piggy bank of achievements.
Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi
In the art world, he is better known by the short name Donatello. In the context of the tale of Florence's great cathedral, he must necessarily be mentioned as the author of the colourful stained glass windows alongside the lesser known masters Paolo Uccello and Gaddi. At that time around Donatello and his fellow craftsmen there was a great deal of working passion. The work of creating a unique facade continued, and a floor covering of multi-coloured marble was being created. Snow-white marble raw materials were diligently brought by the miners from Carrara, Siena shared red stone with sister Florence, Prato was the place of extraction of marble of delicate green shades. The quality materials are divine works of art. The stained glass windows of the cathedral can be easily admired even now, in the XXI century they have lost neither the colours nor the intensity of attention to themselves.
Francesco Talenti
He did not have such a high-profile name among the other architects of Florence, but he took a very direct part in the construction of the cathedral. He was assigned the unenviable role - "to be on the catch." For Giotto, the master finished the campanile, at the same time adding some lightness and airiness to it. According to his developments "built" a couple of middle tiers, decorating them with lancet-shaped windows. Later, fate was to entrust him with an even more important task - to succeed Andrea Pisano as manager of the entire monumental project. In this position he developed the plan for the duo of naves: the Porta dei Cornacchini and the Porta del Campanile.
Emilio de Fabris
Had a hand in the project already at the very end, from 1876 to 1887. The work was still in the sixteenth century severely stalled after a corruption scandal around the application of material funds. The Italian sculptor and artist received a scattered farm, which, however, did not prevent him from decorating the facade with magnificent patterns and introducing a curious innovation in the project - a building material of polychrome marble, able, like a chameleon, to change the shades of colours on its surface.
In the temple there were services, under the elegant vaults with pleasure gathered flock, eager to hear the word spiritual. But while the creators diligently decorated and renovated the stunning Catholic Church, the "leaders of the faith" in every possible way tested it for spiritual strength. At first they built bridges of co-operation with Orthodoxy at the Ecumenical Council. However, the attempt of a shaky friendship with the Orthodox current failed, because the views on the world and its structure of the supporters were too different. Despite subsequent fervent sermons in the cathedral by Girolamo Savonarola himself, the spiritual leader of the city, the inhabitants were sometimes inclined to real political rebellion. Despite the "holy" walls of the temple complex, it was in them that the brother of Duke Lorenzo di Piero de' Medici Magnifico was killed, and the ruler himself miraculously survived.
Alas, during the Renaissance, strife in Europe in general, and in Italy in particular could not bypass the picturesque, rich, enchantingly beautiful Florence. So the fact that the process of creating the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore stretched for 600 years, has an understandable basis and good reasons. The final external appearance of the building found in the XIX century, and tourists got a magical chance to walk peacefully, enthusiastically, leisurely around this stunning architectural treasure.
Useful tips before visiting the attraction
The rules for visiting a Catholic temple are pretty much the same as the recommendations for visiting religious institutions in general:
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Even in hot and passionate Italy, you should not experiment with too open and revealing outfits.
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It is not superfluous to be reminded that the cathedral is a huge structure, you can't see it in 5 minutes on the run, and you will have to stand in the queue at the entrance for at least an hour, depending on the season.
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The mode of work is conditional, depends on the services, changes on religious holidays.
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The basic schedule is as follows: the Duomo Cathedral is open Monday to Friday from 8-30 am to 7-00 pm, on Saturday evening the doors close as early as 17-40.
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An hour before the end of the time of possible visits to buy a ticket that allows you to see the dome and crypt-crypt in detail becomes impossible.
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It is better to get acquainted with the "paid" part of the exposition by a "single complex" entrance ticket, its cost is 15 euros, but it is better to specify the relevance of the price tag, because nothing stands still.
A nice bonus from the beautiful Florence: do not be upset if tourists do not have enough time to get inside the marvellous architectural landmark of Italy. The entry document is valid for 6 days. The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is a place of spiritual power, here you will never allow the construction to become the cause of someone's involuntary disappointment. It is not for nothing that 6 hundred years were spent on the construction of this masterpiece.
