This beautiful cathedral which sits right in the heart of
Florence was started in 1296 and completed in 1436, the year when it was
consecrated. The facade was added in the 19th century to completent Giotto's
14th-century Campanile. Part of its great beauty comes from Filippo
Brunelleschi's cupola which was an ingenious engineering achievement at the
time when it was built. The dome can be climbed (463 steps to the top or so
they say). It wasn't easy (especially considering that two hours before we
have climbed the Campanile, 414 steps to the top) but our hard work was
rewarded by superb views of Florence.
