Impressive, powerful presence these buildings have. It's as if the ancients are speaking to us silently through the ages, and one wonders how their message affects the minds of us moderns -- so many of us, who come to admire them.
The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore is the main church of Florence. It was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style, designed by Arnolfo di Cambio, and completed structurally in 1436. The dome was engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi. The exterior is faced with polychrome marble panels in shades of green and pink bordered by white, and has an elaborate 19th-century Gothic Revival facade by Emilio De Fabris.
The three buildings are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site covering most of the historic center of Florence.
(My album "Beautiful Florence" has a selection of photos of this treasure of a city, including views along the Arno of the Ponte Vecchio and Ponte Santa Trinita.)
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