INTERIORS

The centre nave is created by great Gothic The design and execution of the
vaults resting on wide arches that divide the polychrome marble flooring is attributed to
Baccio d'Agnolo and Francesco da Sangallo
space in to four square bays, giving a more
(1520-26).
classical than Gothic harmony to the structure.
The naves and the tribune are
The arches rest in their turn on powerful illuminated by the beautiful 15th century
composite pilasters similar to those Francesco stained glass windows created by artists like
Talenti used for the Loggia dei Lanzi. Ghiberti, Paolo Uccello, Donatello and
Andrea del Castagno.
What we see today is probably the result
of Talenti's variations on Arnolfo's design, The lunette above the door in fact The lefthand nave contains frescoes by Paolo
which foresaw a major number of bays and contains a mosaic by Gaddo Gaddi (early Uccello and Andrea del Castagno while the Last
pilasters (and therefore windows). 14th century), who also worked on the Judgement by Vasari -Zuccari is painted in the cupola.
mosaics in the Baptistery.
The fresco of the old Santa Reparata in The crucifix in wood above the high altar is the
the Museum of the Bigallo also gives us this The three round stained glass
work of sculptor Benedetto da Maiano (1477).
impression. windows, together with the one in the
cupola, were carried out from paintings by
Three apses, separated by the two sacristies
Ghiberti (1403-13), and can be said to be
(bas- reliefs by Luca della Robbia), open into the
The famous clock on the inner facade, with its transept, each one divided into five chapels.
quadrant and medallions, was painted in fresco by
Paolo Uccello (1443). The chapel behind the high altar contains
Ghiberti's masterpiece of goldsmithery: the Urn of St.
It is one of the few mechanical clocks that still Zanobus.
exists and works: it has only one hand and tells the
time by going round in the opposite direction Below the cupola stands the huge octagonal
compared to modern clocks because it measures chancel curtained off by an elegant marble balustrade
the time from sunset to sunset. by Baccio Bandinelli (1555), which was once
decorated with numerous bas- reliefs and statues,
The wall also contains the tomb of Bishop many of them now conserved in the Museum of the
d'Orso (1321), one of the most beautiful works of Opera del Duomo.
sculpture in the Cathedral.

INTERIORS (flooring)
EXTERIORS
 The main feature of the exterior of the
Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is the rich
articulation with colored marble - white from
Carrara, green from Prato and red from the
Maremma.
 There is marble everywhere -on the façade
built in the medieval Gothic style, on the sides
of the aisles leading to the nave, on the
buttresses, the small side domes and the
massive main dome. TIMELINE
 The alternating colors show rectitude and
beauty, the two basic principles of Florentine  1296— cathedral begun on design byarnolfo di
art. cambio.
 The exterior has an abundance of sculpted  1357— project continued on a modified plan by
figures. francesco talenti
 Bronze doors.  1366-7— talenti's definitive design emerged
calling for an enormous octagonal dome.
 1418— competition for construction of dome .
 1420— technical solution for vaulting proposed by
brunelleschi approved and construction begun.
 1436— church consecrated.