The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore was built on the site of Santa Reparata, a Paleochristian church, dating right back to 4th century AC. From the beginning the project was marked by a series of successive builds and alterations - you can still see in the crypt. In 1296, architect, Arnolfo di Cambio, was commissioned to build a new gothic church, to serve the city’s rapidly growing needs. By the time he died, poor di Cambio had only completed half of the façade, which was, ultimately, rebuilt at the end of the 19th century, when Florence would become the temporary capital of Italy. See the bell tower? It was designed by Giotto in 1334, and finished a few years later by Francesco Talenti. He was the one to double the size of the cathedral. Once finished, Santa Maria del Fiore was the largest church in the world. It’s now the third largest - still pretty impressive!