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The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore ("Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower") is the main church of Florence.

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Il Duomo di Firenze, as it is ordinarily called, was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style to the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and completed structurally in 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi.

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The exterior of the basilica is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white and has an elaborate 19th-century Gothic Revival facade by Emilio De Fabris.

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After over 500 years, the cathedral is still the most striking building in the city.

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The Basilica is the largest Franciscan church in the world. Its most notable features are its sixteen chapels, many of them decorated with frescoes by Giotto and his pupils, and its tombs and cenotaphs. Legend says that Santa Croce was founded by St Francis himself.

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Piazza della Signoria is an L-shaped square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. It was the epicentre of the Florentine Republic and still maintains its reputation as the political hub of the city. It is a meeting place for Florentines as well as the numerous tourists visiting the city, located as it is near to the Ponte Vecchio, the Piazza del Duomo and the Uffizi Gallery

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The view across the River Arno towards the Abbey of San Miniato al Monte, left of center in the photograph, San Miniato al Monte (St. Minias on the Mountain) stands atop one of the highest points in the city. It has been described as one of the finest Romanesque structures in Tuscany and one of the most scenic churches in Italy. There is an adjoining Olivetan monastery, seen to the right of the basilica.

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The last word to Filippo Brunelleschi (1377 - 1446), who designed and supervised building of the Dome was one of the foremost architects and engineers of the Italian Renaissance. His accomplishments also include other architectural works, sculptures, mathematics, engineering and even ship design. His principal surviving works are to be found here in Florence, Italy. I true Renaissance Man.

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