DUOMO

The presence of the Duomo (Church of Santa Maria Del Fiore) can be felt every where within the city due to the dramatic height difference between it and everything around it. We have been studying the sequence of approach to the Duomo along the narrow streets through a series of sketches and perspectives. The Duomo in Florence is architecturally significant because it was the largest dome to be built without scaffolding when completed in 1463. Brunelleschi used a self-supporting herringbone pattern and a complex series of geometrical forms to span the unfinished opening. While standing outside the church our professor explained in great detail how the dome was built and the incredible accuracy it took to plan and construct such a structure. Please excuse my drooling. The dome is actually constructed with two domes which creates a space in between to allow access to the top for tourists. 396 stairs later I had conquered the Duomo and got a few amazing pictures of the city. I normally don’t get claustrophobic, but being stuck in the narrow, angled space with a ton of other tourists and only one way out made me a little uncomfortable.

This was our last day in Florence before we were off to our next adventure- Cinque Terre or Chinky Tinky as we liked to call it.