The monumental Florence Dome or Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore, is by far to many the most remarkable Florence monument. The Basilica and Dome we see today was laid on the very antique church of Santa Maria Reparata which at the time, had become to small to hold the growing population of Florence.
When the cathedral was finally done, complete with Brunelleschi's Dome in the mid 1400's, it was the largest cathedral in Europe with a holding capacity of up to 30,000 people.
The project of the church was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio and began in 1296 but only 5 years later Arnolfo died and the project was interrupted for nearly 30 years until it fell under the supervision of Giotto with the assistance of Andrea Pisano. Unfortunately, Giotto was able to carry on the project for only 3 years until he died in 1337. Another interruption stopped building in 1348; the Black Plague which devastated Florence.
Work resumed full force again, when the threat of the plague was over, by a team of talented artists and architects who took the project up to 1400 when the major part of it was completed leaving only the Dome incomplete to be finished by the ingenious Brunelleschi in 1436 when it was consecrated by Pope Eugene IV.
Other additions and improvements continued to take place over the years like those of Michelozzo, Brunelleschi's friend, who finished the lantern in 1461 and the architect Francesco Talenti who was responsible for further construction with the addition of the gilt copper ball and cross by Verrocchio, set in place in 1466.
Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari added other painted decorations to the dome between 1572 and 1579. Most of the decorations we see today, done by masters which include Andrea Pisano, Donatello, Luca Della Robbia, are copies of the originals that include 56 relief carvings and 16 life-size statues in the niches.
These copies can be found in the Museum dell'Opera.