The Duomo : from the outside
{ May 2011 - Florence, Italy }
The most prominent landmark in Florence must be the Duomo, or the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. One of the largest church in Italy, with the largest brick dome every constructed, the Duomo is an astounding structure no matter how you see it - from the outside and the inside. Even the view from the dome is pretty amazing, providing a great view of Florence.
Here are some photos taken from the outside of Duomo. So, even if you do not have time to climb the dome, or to go inside the church, do make sure that you spend some time admiring the architecture, the colour, and all the details that went into the building of the church. You may just spot something that would take your breath away.
The Dome
Even after the church had been under construction for a 100 years, the Dome was still missing. So, you can imagine the amazing architectural and engineering feat when the Dome was finally completed. The brick dome is definitely a prominent sight in Florence. I could only fully appreciate the size of the dome, when I saw it from Piazzale Michelangelo, amongst all the buildings in Florence.
The Façade
Green, pink and white are not colours that I would have chosen for my walls. However, the colours suit the Duomo, and provided a soothing colour amidst the elaborate design of the facade. The details that went into each section of the walls, windows and doors are amazing.
If you are right outside the baptistery and noted a crowd gathering on the bronze door, don't be surprise. They are not waiting for the doors to be opened, but admiring the doors itself. Known as the "Gates of Paradise", the figures literally popped out from the panels. And guess what, the door on the baptistery is just a copy of the original, as the original is kept safe and dry in Museo dell'Opera del Duomo.
Admiring the exterior of the Duomo, I could not help but wonder - if so much effort has been put into the exterior, I could not even begin to imagine how the interior would be like.
The most prominent landmark in Florence must be the Duomo, or the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. One of the largest church in Italy, with the largest brick dome every constructed, the Duomo is an astounding structure no matter how you see it - from the outside and the inside. Even the view from the dome is pretty amazing, providing a great view of Florence.
Here are some photos taken from the outside of Duomo. So, even if you do not have time to climb the dome, or to go inside the church, do make sure that you spend some time admiring the architecture, the colour, and all the details that went into the building of the church. You may just spot something that would take your breath away.
The Dome
Even after the church had been under construction for a 100 years, the Dome was still missing. So, you can imagine the amazing architectural and engineering feat when the Dome was finally completed. The brick dome is definitely a prominent sight in Florence. I could only fully appreciate the size of the dome, when I saw it from Piazzale Michelangelo, amongst all the buildings in Florence.
The Façade
Green, pink and white are not colours that I would have chosen for my walls. However, the colours suit the Duomo, and provided a soothing colour amidst the elaborate design of the facade. The details that went into each section of the walls, windows and doors are amazing.
If you are right outside the baptistery and noted a crowd gathering on the bronze door, don't be surprise. They are not waiting for the doors to be opened, but admiring the doors itself. Known as the "Gates of Paradise", the figures literally popped out from the panels. And guess what, the door on the baptistery is just a copy of the original, as the original is kept safe and dry in Museo dell'Opera del Duomo.
Admiring the exterior of the Duomo, I could not help but wonder - if so much effort has been put into the exterior, I could not even begin to imagine how the interior would be like.
{ Click here for other travel tales from Italy and a list of my travelogues }
