A meticulous visitor, strolling around Florence’s Cathedral, will catch a glimpse of Brunelleschi, somewhat in the background, contemplating his masterpiece, the dome. What might be going through his mind? Perhaps the risk he took proposing a project he couldn’t be sure would stand? He cared little. If the Florentines preferred not to take risks and leave the Cathedral uncovered, that was their choice.
Maybe he regretted making scale models with beets and turning them into minestrone? Not at all, far from it. He was too self-assured to have such second thoughts. Perhaps he’s not thinking much at all, just captivated by the contrast of the tiles against the sky.
A few steps away, the beautiful San Giovanni, with doors that tell stories from the Old Testament to the joyful news, passing through the precursor and patron saint of Florence, St. John the Baptist. Then, the majestic cathedral, and nearby, the Museum of the Opera del Duomo, narrating the journey to such an imposing work. Where did it all begin? The story is long but fascinating and masterfully reconstructed in the Museum.
We’ll encounter a beautiful lady with glassy blue eyes, a jubilation of joyful children, and characters with intense gazes, all telling their stories, traces of our past intertwined.
To Learn More…
The visit specifically focuses on the religious center of Florence and its monuments. We’ll observe them from the outside, starting with the Cathedral, constructed over 130 years. The first stone was laid in 1296, on September 8, the day of the Virgin’s birth, and the last in 1420. From the beginning, the Florentines were eager to see the Cathedral finished, but not everyone had the chance, given the long duration of the work. The Cathedral was dedicated to the Virgin, specifically to Santa Maria del Fiore. The flower is that of Florence, the iris, or giaggiolo, dedicated by the Romans in 59 B.C. to Florentia, the city that became Florence, founded at the beginning of spring.
In 1420, however, when the immense work was completed, there was a huge hole in the middle, fifty meters in diameter, where the Dome was supposed to be. No one knew how to cover it. After a competition and finding no better idea, the task was assigned to Filippo Brunelleschi, who, though unreliable, managed to complete it sixteen years later against all odds.
I will then tell you about the “beautiful San Giovanni,” with its white and green marbles, resembling a jewel nestled in the city center, and the Campanile, 90 meters tall, adorned with marble reliefs representing human activities, virtues, planets, and prophets.
For those interested, access to the monuments is possible to admire the mosaics of the Baptistery, to climb the Campanile and enjoy a breathtaking view, and to journey through the history of the Cathedral in the Opera del Duomo Museum. Here, you can linger in front of Arnolfo di Cambio’s Madonna with glass eyes, Michelangelo’s Pietà, and Donatello’s incredibly beautiful wooden Magdalene.
