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The Cathedral or Duomo Florence and
the Baptistry stand in a huge rectangular
area and occupy two separate but comunicating squares: Piazza
del Duomo, which contains the basilica of Santa Maria del
Fiore (the third largest cathedral in the world after St.
Peter's in Rome and St. Paul's in London), and Piazza San
Giovanni.
With the Baptistry right in the centre, probably the first
Christian church in the city, as it was built in late Roman
times (4th-5th century A.D.) on the ruins of what was possibly
a Roman temple dedicated to the god Mars.
However, the Baptistry as we see it today, which has always
represented an architectural reference point for Florentine
artists, dates from the 11th-13th century, when the external
revestmment of marble, the interior and the mosaics in the
cupola were completed.
The three famous doors in gilded bronze, including the so-called
Doors "of Paradise", were cast at a later date,
between 1330 and 1452.
View a Panoramic View of the Duomo and Giotto's
Bell Tower - Click Here
Did you Know? - No building
in Florence is allowed to be taller than the Duomo thus ensuring
that this endearing landmark monument of Florence dominates
the skyline for eternity.
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