Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence Jun 27, 2024

Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence

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.

© Elena Pueyo/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Jun 27, 2018In search of roadside attractions on ‘America’s Highway’
Jun 27, 2019The roots of invention
Jun 27, 2020Looking for peace on the precipice
Jun 27, 2021Bathing in the light of Pride
Jun 27, 2022Lavender fields on the Valensole Plateau in Provence, France
Jun 27, 2023Sedona, Arizona
Jun 27, 2025Splendid leaf frog
Jun 27, 2026Driftwood on Boneyard Beach, Hunting Island, South Carolina

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jul 19, 2023Crescent Lake near Dunhuang, China
Mar 19, 2024Spring equinox
Jan 31, 2020Dance of the egret
Feb 12, 2022Darwin s Arch
Dec 16, 2020Beethoven s 250th
Dec 11, 2019In the Himalayas for International Mountain Day
Oct 5, 2025World Teachers Day
Mar 26, 2023Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California
Jul 20, 2025Moon Day
Jan 1, 2019New Year’s Day in the land of the rising sun
Sep 11, 2023Patriot Day
Sep 30, 2018Aw shucks, it’s oyster season in Galway
Jun 19, 2018Dancers perform ‘Revelations’
Aug 27, 2024Young black caiman, Tambopata National Reserve, Peru
Oct 25, 2019The lemurs of Madagascar
Jun 28, 2020Keep shining
Dec 4, 2018A viewer with a view
Oct 11, 2022Tortula moss, Netherlands
Mar 27, 2018Macro photograph of a migrant hawker dragonfly
Jun 14, 2024Flag Day
Dec 24, 2020Hey, don t you guys have somewhere to be?
Aug 21, 2020Lobster tales
Feb 21, 2024Yosemite National Park, California
Jul 22, 2018Travel Sunday: On the Ganges in Varanasi, India
Jun 7, 2021Dressed to impress
Mar 14, 2022Pi Day
Feb 14, 2021An oceanic valentine
May 22, 2018Happy birthday to Crater Lake National Park
Jun 10, 2022Poppies in bloom
Feb 5, 2023Monarch butterflies, Pismo Beach, California