The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, famous as much as the Duomo of Florence, is the main Florentine church, symbol of the city and one of the most famous in Italy; when it was completed in the fifteenth century, it was the largest church in the world, while today it is the third in Europe after St. Peter's in Rome and St. Paul's in London. It is located on the foundations of the ancient cathedral of Florence, the church of Santa Reparata, in a point of the city that has housed buildings of worship since Roman times.
The construction of the Duomo, commissioned by the Florentine Signoria, began in 1296 and ended from a structural point of view in 1436. The initial work was entrusted to the architect Arnolfo di Cambio and then interrupted and resumed numerous times over the decades. At the completion of Brunelleschi's dome followed the consecration of Pope Eugene IV on March 24, 1436. The dedication to Santa Maria del Fiore occurred in 1412.
The Duomo floor consists of a basilica body with three naves welded to an enormous tricolor flag that supports the immense dome of Brunelleschi, the largest masonry dome ever built. Inside you can see the largest surface ever decorated with fresco: 3600 m², executed between 1572-1579 by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari. At the base of the marble lantern, there is a panoramic terrace overlooking the city 91 meters from the ground. The facade of the cathedral in polychrome marble is of modern age, dating back to 1887 by Emilio de Fabris and is an important example of neo-Gothic style in Italy.
It is the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Florence and has the dignity of a minor basilica.