Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, Italy

Florentine Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is the centre of the pilgrimage for Christians from the whole world. This cathedral has placed right at the centre of the city on the Piazza del Duomo. This historical building is a valuable masterpiece of the quattrocento style. This Orthodox cathedral is one of the oldest in the world. Its building has begun in 1296 and finished only in 1436.

The main decoration of the church is a wonderful cupola. It was made under the project of famous architecture – Filippo Brunelleschi. The outdoor decoration is also a unique one. There were used panels of rare green and pink marble. This Orthodox cathedral is the largest in the world. Originally it was built to ensure that it could place the city population at large.

At the period of the Early Middle Ages in Florence lived about 90 000 people. That’s why the cathedral looks like a large roofed square. Its length is 153 meters and width 90 meters. The height with the cross is 114 meters. The cathedral’s façade is decorated with a great number of wonderful statues. The graining of marble walls with the sculptures make the church look magnificent. The church’s interior is rich with stain-glassed artworks of the 15th century. Also, there were saved wonderful frescos of the 16th century with the depiction of the Day of Judgement. The main peculiarity of the cathedral is the Paolo Uccello’s clock. They were made in 1443 and work until now. Next - St Andrew Church