In the heart of Florence is the majestic Gothic cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (in the St. Maria's Flower Pass), one of the oldest and most famous buildings in the country. It was built in the 13th century, but still this pearl of architecture amazes with its grandeur, beauty and thoughtful design.
Church of Santa Maria del Fiore: architectural features
The cathedral was originally designed so that all the townspeople of Florence could come to serve in it, and this is about 90 thousand people for that period of time. This goal was achieved - the cathedral is actually a covered area. The height of Santa Maria del Fiore is 90 meters, its length is 153 meters.
An outstanding project in the construction of the cathedral was the dome. It was created according to the plan and sketches of Filippo Brunelleschi. The name of the cathedral is translated as "Holy Mary with a flower" and, indeed the dome is similar to a reddish tulip flower. The diameter of the dome is 43 m - it exceeds the diameter of the famous St. Peter's Cathedral in size. In addition, the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore has its own unique features: it is not rounded, but faceted. The architect created it this way, thanks to an interesting idea. He "planted" a dome for 8 arches and a bridge between them and faced such a frame with a brick. The original completion of the cathedral reaches 91 meters and has 2 shells.
History of the Duomo of Santa Maria del Fiore
This building became a kind of border between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Duomo erected instead of the old cathedral of Santa Reparata, by that time stood for about 9 centuries and began to collapse. The plans of the city were to build a more spacious cathedral. In addition, the mayors wanted a cathedral to be built in Florence, which would surpass not only the size but also the decoration of the cathedrals in Siena and Pisa. The architect of Santa Maria del Fiore was appointed Arnolfo di Cambio, but the construction was carried out for quite a long time, it was replaced by 5 more architects, including Giotto. It is necessary to pay tribute to the skill of these architects: in the 15th century, the assembly had no rivals not only in these rival cities, but throughout Europe.
The cathedral is known not only for its architecture, but also for some historical events. For example, it was in it in the 15th century. attempted against the brothers Lorenzo and Giuliano Medici. As it became known later, the initiator of the attempt was Pope Sixtus IV.
Interior of the Cathedral of Maria del Fiore
Inside the cathedral impresses with its luxury and, at the same time, grace. An interesting object of this church is the clock, the arrows of which are moving back to the usual direction. The walls of the cathedral are painted. In the stories, you can learn the English condottier John Hawkwood, the mercenary from Italy Niccolo and Tolentino, the unsurpassed Dante and fragments of the "Divine Comedy". Also the cathedral is decorated with statues of A. Skvarchalupi - organist, composer, M. Ficino - famous philosopher, F. Brunelleschi - architect Santa Maria del Fiore, who worked on the dome. This architect, as well as Giotto is buried here.
Santa Maria del Fiore: style
Gothic is easily recognized in the construction of its bright features:
- Vertical and rectangular composition;
- pointed arches;
- frame supports;
- ribbed arch;
- thin walls;
- elongated windows with stained-glass windows;
- numerous elongated and sharp decor elements.
Santa Maria del Fiore - one of the most grandiose cathedrals in the world (they include the Cologne Cathedral , the Taj Mahal ). It's hard not to see the one who comes to Florence. But it is necessary to go inside to see the functioning museum telling about the old church, to admire the murals, the size of the building and to see Florence from the viewing platform.
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