138 Florence, Italy, Cathedral of St Mary of the Flower

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 Breathtaking expanses of marble. The 13th to 15th century cathedral, which has the biggest masonry dome ever constructed, is particularly impressive from the outside. Arnolfo Di Cambio designed it, the guy who also did the Santa Croce and the Palazzo Vecchio. When the relics of Saint Zenobius were discovered in 1330, the project gained a new impetus.

This time round, I did not have the time to go into the Baptistery  (which has amazing mosaics), and the climb to the top of the Dome looked rather tiring : maybe next time.

Inside the cathedral there are the ceiling fresques of The Last Judgement, by Vasari and Zuccari which are a lot of fun – people falling into hell etc. The fifteenth-century clock still works today.







































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