Welcome to Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance. Let the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore transport you through time. More than just a church, this Gothic structure, with its red-tiled dome, is steeped in centuries of history. Built over an older cathedral, construction began in 1296 under the supervision of architect Arnolfo di Cambio. Italian architect Filippo Brunelleschi engineered its dome, the largest brick dome ever constructed. Its completion in 1436 was the final stage of the cathedral"s construction. It"s not just the outside that dazzles; inside there are artistic treasures to discover, from Giorgio Vasari"s fresco "The Last Judgment" to Paolo Uccello"s intricate clock face. The cathedral complex is also home to the Baptistery, a small basilica, and Giotto"s Campanile, a free-standing bell tower.
Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence
Today in History
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In search of roadside attractions on ‘America’s Highway’
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The roots of invention
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Looking for peace on the precipice
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Bathing in the light of Pride
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Lavender fields on the Valensole Plateau in Provence, France
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Sedona, Arizona
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Splendid leaf frog
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Driftwood on Boneyard Beach, Hunting Island, South Carolina
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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When in Rome...celebrate Saturnalia
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Mute swan
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Looking back on 150 years of rail travel
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These laurels are hardy
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Weaverbird nests at Kenya’s Samburu National Reserve
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Homeward bound
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Pont Rouge
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Darwin Day
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Red-necked grebes during breeding season
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Happy Fourth of July!
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A fair that s star-studded
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What s better than a smile?
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Dreaming of the Tyrrhenian Sea
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Highway through Xitai Jinaier Lake, Qinghai Province, China
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The Bazaruto Archipelago of Mozambique
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Bringing together history and technology
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Indigo bunting
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It s a ruff life
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This reef is nowhere near the sea…
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High seas commerce
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Santo Antão Island in the Republic of Cabo Verde
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harlem
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The ruins of Italica, Andalusia, Spain
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Remembering Jimmy Carter
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You won’t see this on Mulberry Street
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Formentor Lighthouse, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
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Singing praises of the oceans
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An ice cap-puccino
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A Festivus for the rest of us
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Room at the top?
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

