Dominating the serene Tuscan skyline is the Duomo cathedral in Florence Italy. Requiring six centuries to complete, the massive structure is one of the most enduring symbols in all of Italy. Located in the appropriately named Piazza del Duomo and dedicated to Santa Maria del Fiore (Saint Mary Of The Flower), the Duomo is the third largest cathedral in the world and de facto center of Florence, with its gigantic cupola visible from nearly every street in the city. Considered to be the architect Filippo Bruneschelli's masterpiece, the cathedral"s giant cupola was constructed to express the bridging of Greek and Gothic architecture.
This charming city, the capital of Lombardy, attracts thousands of tourists each year for its glossy charm of avant-garde metropolis of Italy. Milan is also rich in history and great monuments. We begin our tour of the city, from what is considered as being its heart, the magnificent and majestic Piazza del Duomo. From here you can take lovely walks to discover some wonderful glimpses of the city, or the enchanting Arcade Vittorio Emanuele II. This delicious, sophisticated arcade, which connects Piazza Duomo to the beautiful Piazza della Scala, is full of charming cafes and nice shops. In a section of its floor, there also is the characteristic mosaic depicting a bull, symbol of the city of Turin. According to the tradition it seems to bring luck, making three laps on yourself, crushing the “balls of the bull.”
At the time of its inception, the giant dome was the largest in the world, and would continue to be until Michelangelo outdid the Duomo in Florence with his design of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. The gilded dome is still considered one of the defining architectural works of the entire Renaissance, and atop it sits an octagonal lantern, allowing the light of the heavens to flood downward into the Duomo in Florence.
Another beautiful and famous works of art in the city of Milan, is the Castello Sforzesco, built in the XIV century by the Visconti, and used as a military fortress. The city of Milan is also full of many interesting museums, among which there are the Museo del Duomo, the Museo Civico d’Arte Contemporanea. Very interesting from a cultural point of view, is the Pinacoteca di Brera, which houses works of art painted by great Italian and foreign artists, who lived between the fifteenth to the eighteenth century.
Lagged by political infighting, ever-shifting artistic movements and the sheer immensity of the project, construction of the facade of the Duomo in Florence was not finished until 1887, combining bands of ornate green, red and white marble into repeating patterns across its entirety.
In Milan you also can visit the magnificent Teatro della Scala, which is worldwide famous. Its stage has been trodden by the best-known opera singers in the world. But Milan is also the city of fashion. Here you can do the shopping choosing among the best brands exclusive shops you can find in the famous Via Montenapoleone or Via della Spiga. The city also offers a strong and efficient public service network, which allows the tourist to explore it without any problems.
The inner wall of the famous dome, with the surface area reaching about 3600 square meters, is exclusively devoted to a representation of the Last Judgment and took eleven years to complete. For one of the most spectacular views in all of Europe, visitors can climb the bell tower of the Duomo cathedral in Florence Italy and witness a glowing orange sunset.
Inside, the Duomo cathedral is all marble floors and yawning aisles, shaped to appear like a gigantic cross laid onto the ground. The arches raise to over 75 feet in the air, and were constructed so that the basilica appeared bare and austere to assimilate the teachings of Girolamo Savonarola, a 15th century Florentine leader who preached against extravagance. Though most of the decor inside the Duomo cathedral in Florence Italy now rests in the museum across the square, there are still a few historically significant artistic endeavors located inside: The Donatello-designed stained glass window depicting the coronation of the Virgin and the tomb of Antonio D'Orso can be found here, along with numerous other stained glass works from premier Italian artists of their time.
