The Duomo - Photo (c)
Sebastià Giralt
The Duomo
Six centuries of work have gone into the history of the Cathedral or Duomo
of Florence. The original project was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio at the end
of the 13th century while the cupola which has made it a symbol of Tuscany was
created by the artist Filippo Brunelleschi, a renown artist of the Renaissance
period.
The façade however, that completed this magnificent work of architecture
was carried out as late as the 19th century. Enriching the history of this
monument was a series of both exterior and interior interventions both
decorative and structural.
The construction of two sacristies early on to the
16th century marble floors, from the execution of the sculptures to the frescoes
signed by Paolo Uccello, Andrea del Castagno, Giorgio Vasari and Federico
Zuccari (the Last Judgment in the cupola). The seat of the bishopric, this
Cathedral was third and last to be built in Florence in 1412 and given the name
Santa Maria del Fiore or "Holy Mary of the Flower" in Allison to the lily symbol
of the city.
The Duomo was built on the top of Florence's second Cathedral,
Santa Reparta, when in 1293, the Florence Republic decided to replace this
church with a larger and more magnificent cathedral and were also willing to
fund its construction and therefore Santa Reparta was later demolished in 1375.
A large part of the remains of this church can be seen today in the
archeological area underneath the Cathedral. The costs however were also
expected to be partly contributed by the population itself. A tax was put on all
last wills and testaments which was in turn put towards the construction of the
Cathedral.
In 1294 the project was ultimately assigned to Arnolfo di Cambio and the first
stone was ceremoniously laid by him on September 8th, 1296. Head Architect of
the City Council, Arnolfo was already revolutionizing the Franciscan basilica of
Santa Croce. The basilica was indeed of grandeur with three wide naves that meet
in the vast chancel where the high altar stands and surrounded by the "trefoil"
shaped tribune on which the cupola rests. Arnolfo spent his last years working
on completing the two bays and the new facade which were only finished halfway.
Like that of the Baptistery, the diameter of the Dome was projected to be 45.5
meters. Arnolfo worked on the Cathedral up until his death in 1302 but four
years earlier had already begun work on the construction of Palazzo Vecchio as
well.
After the death of Arnolofo, the work grounded to a halt. In 1334 Giotto
was named to oversee further construction but died shortly after in 1337. Most
of this time was dedicated to the building of his Belltower.
The ceiling frescos -
Photo (c)
timotysschenk
Work was then
succeeded by Andrea Pisano, author of the South Doors of the Baptistery, up
until 1348 when the terrible plague reduced the population in half from 90,000
to 45,000.
The Bell tower was finally completed in 1359 after 10 years of work
overseen by Francesco Talenti. In 1360 a new project was begun with the
collaboration of Giovanni di Lapo Ghini. The project saw the division of the
center nave into four square bays, with fewer windows than the original design
by Arnolfo, and with two lateral bays.
By 1370 the project was already well
advanced, although Giovanni di Lapo Ghini had left, and a new project for the
apse to amplify Arnolfo's "trefoil". In 1375 Santa Reparta was taken down which
indicated that Santa Maria del Firoe was now ready to be the new cathedral of
Florence.
Many year later when Grand Duke Francesco I de' Medici decided to
construct a new façade in 1586, the sculptures then found on the existing
façade, some of Arnolfo himself, were dismantled and transferred to the Museum
of the Opera inside the Duomo.
Courtesy of
Park Place Hotel
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