One of the most famous sights of Florence is the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Its famous red dome, visible from far away, seems to soar above the city. When the cathedral was designed, they decided to surprise the whole world - it will have no equal in the size of the flats, it was supposed to accommodate the entire population of the city (at that time it amounted to 90 thousand people). The cathedral impresses with its size and architectural decoration, but only 30 thousand people can accommodate it.
The city government of Florence made the decision to build the cathedral in 1289 and invited one of the best architects - Arnolfo di Campio. For the basics, the master took the form of a Latin cross - three naves, two side transepts and a semicircular apse, all in the traditional manner of the Roman-Gothic style. In this case, the dome of the main nave was supposed to be like the Roman Pantheon.
The temple was erected on the site of the old Cathedral of Santa Reparata, which stood for 9 centuries. During this time, he was very dilapidated. The city fathers sought to outdo their rivals from the cities of Pisa and Siena, whose cathedrals were distinguished by their extraordinary beauty.
After the death of di Campio in 1302, the construction of the cathedral was suspended for almost 30 years. Only in 1331 the guild of wool merchants of Florence took care of the further construction of the cathedral and appointed Giotto as the chief architect. But this master, who began to build a bell tower, died in 1337. And then there was a nation-wide disaster - the plague. The construction stopped again.
Work on the cathedral was resumed only in 1349 under the leadership of several architects. They finished the bell tower of Giotto, almost without changing its appearance, expanded the construction area.
But hardly in 1380 were the walls of the main nave ready. How did you get problems with the dome. In work, a break came again for almost 40 years. And here their services in the construction of the 42-meter dome were offered not by the architect, but by the jeweler Filippo Brunelleschi. He suggested constructing special machines that could raise the necessary materials to a height.
The city fathers trusted the young jeweler and were not mistaken - the master realized his plans in a short line and built a dome without scaffolding resting on the ground. This high dome determined the majesty of the cathedral and became a characteristic silhouette for the whole of Florence.
In 1436, the Cathedral of Santa Mpria del Fiore was consecrated by Pope Eugene IV.
