Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence Jun 27, 2024

Welcome to Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance! Let the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore transport you through time. More than just a church, this Gothic structure, with its red-tiled dome, is steeped in centuries of history. Built over an older cathedral dedicated to Santa Reparata, construction began in 1296 under the supervision of architect Arnolfo di Cambio. Filippo Brunelleschi, an Italian architect and designer, engineered its dome, which is the largest brick dome ever constructed. It was built without the support of traditional wooden frameworks; its completion in 1436 was the final stage of the cathedral"s construction. It"s not just the outside that dazzles; inside there are artistic treasures to discover, from Giorgio Vasari"s fresco "The Last Judgement" to Paolo Uccello"s intricate clock face.

© Elena Pueyo/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Jun 27, 2025Splendid leaf frog

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Mar 8, 2024Iguazú Falls, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil
Jan 8, 2025Great Wall of China
Oct 31, 2023Pumpkins and squashes
Aug 27, 2024Young black caiman
May 7, 2024Duckling in a water meadow, Suffolk, England
Jan 16, 2024Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
Feb 21, 2024Horsetail Fall, Yosemite National Park, California, USA
Feb 20, 2025Red deer, Canada
Apr 2, 2026Wildflower bloom, Central Valley, California, United States
Mar 18, 2024Elephant Rock, Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia
Jul 6, 2025Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes in Death Valley National Park, United States
Feb 4, 2024Devetashka Cave, Devetaki, Bulgaria
Nov 19, 2024Tasmans Arch, Tasman National Park, Tasmania, Australia
Sep 17, 2025A young bull moose
Nov 3, 2023Pacific sea nettle jellyfish
Dec 19, 2025Bormio, Lombardy, Italy
Feb 16, 2024Pyrrhuloxia bird
Mar 4, 2025Jackson Square, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Jan 29, 2024Golling Waterfall, Salzburg, Austria
May 10, 2024Misool, Raja Ampat Islands
Feb 7, 2025Blue hour in Trondheim, Norway
Nov 6, 2024Shi Shi Beach in Olympic National Park, Washington, USA
Aug 30, 2024Whale shark
Mar 12, 2025Château de Sully-sur-Loire, Centre-Val de Loire, France
Feb 9, 2026Amur leopard cat, Russia
May 24, 2024Añisclo gorge, Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, Spain
Apr 22, 2025Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States
Mar 25, 2024Tulip fields in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
May 3, 2025Arches National Park, Utah, United States
Oct 16, 2023Golden larches and Prusik Peak, Enchantments, Washington, USA