The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (its name which translates as "Saint Mary of the Flower" refers to the lily, symbol of Florence), also known as The Duomo, is without question the most impressive sight in Florence and one of the most beautiful sights in the whole of Italy. All of the country's best craftsmen, architects and designers worked at some point on this gigantic project. The cathedral we see today is the result of centuries of work. The first stone of the facade was laid on 8 September, 1296, under the direction of Arnolfo di Cambio who, in the same period, oversaw the construction of Santa Croce and Palazzo delIa Signoria. Arnolfo's design was subjected to numerous modifications, however, and the most obvious are visible on the church's sides where the first four windows are narrower and closer together than those toward the east, which are part of an enlargement of the plan due to Francesco Talenti (in charge of construction after the mid-14th century). The radiating eastern chapels were finished in the early 1400s, and the gigantic dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi was completed in just 16 years, from 1418 to 1434; "a structure so immense, so steeply rising toward the sky, that it covers all Tuscans with its shadow", as Leon Battista Alberti wrote at that time. The lantern, designed by Brunelleschi, was built after his death (1446), and the gilt copper ball and cross by Verrocchio, containing holy relics, were set in place in 1466. The last part of Santa Maria del Fiore to be finished was the facade, completed between 1871 and 1887 to Emilio De Fabris' design, in a neo-gothic style reminiscent of the gothic decoration of the Bell Tower (designed by Giotto) and side portals of the cathedral.

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• Duomo di Firenze