Front entrance of the cathedral  Front entrance of the cathedral Note the relatively plain wall decorations ... Gothic style  Front entrance of the cathedral Three groin vaults ... Three ribs ... The original plan originally called for a timber truss roof, but in the mid-1300s this was changed to a ribbed groin vault  Front entrance of the cathedral  Front entrance of the cathedral 24 hour liturgical clock designed in 1443 by Paolo Uccello in accordance with the ora italica, where the 24th hour of the day ended at sunset ... This timetable was used until the 18th century. This is one of the few clocks from that time that still exist and are in working order.  Front entrance of the cathedral "Coronation of Mary in Heaven" includes center mosaic |
The
church is particularly notable for its 44 stained glass windows, the
largest undertaking of this kind in Italy in the 14th and 15th
century. ... A difference between Santa Maria
del Fiore and the Gothic churches to the north was the size of
windows. Here, the windows are smaller. Contrast these
cathedral windows to the ones in Sainte
Chapelle in Paris.  Typical blank spaces on the walls of the cathedral  Details below:       |
 Plain walls contrast with the intricate, colorful marble floors  Floor designs, created by Baccio d'Agnola and Francesco da Sangallo, were made with many colors of marble |
   St. Michael     Fresco of John Hawkwood, by Paolo Uccello ... “John Hawkwood, British knight, most prudent leader of his age, and most expert in the art of war”   Renaissance style balustrade  |
 Two details below:   |
 Donatello, Choir loft One of two choir lofts that once stood in the Duomo: one sculpted by Luca della Robbia (1431-38), the other by Donatello (1433-39). ... Now housed in the Opera del Duomo Museum  Giovanni del Biondo, Saint Sebastian Triptych Now housed in the Opera del Duomo Museum |
"The
Last Judgment" Nave view toward altar  "The Last Judgment" Inside the dome  "The Last Judgment" Note walkway  "The Last Judgment" The largest artwork in the cathedral is the fresco painted inside the dome designed by Giorgio Vasari in 1568, and completed by Federico Zuccari in 1579. ... Vasari painted using the fresco (painting on wet plaster) technique, but Zuccari painted "in secco" (painting on dry plaster) ... The interior of the cathedral was finished with the completion of the dome artwork.  "The Last Judgment" Daylight from the lantern ... "Ecce Homo"  "The Last Judgment" Heaven ... Four details below:  "The Last Judgment" Detail #1  "The Last Judgment" Detail #2  "The Last Judgment" Detail #3  "The Last Judgment" Three details below:  "The Last Judgment" Detail #1  "The Last Judgment" Detail #2  "The Last Judgment" Detail #3 ... Note crack in the wall  "The Last Judgment" River: Purgatory ... Hell below ... For more details of Hell, see the 2002 photos of the interior |
