PIAZZA DEL DUOMO
Piazza del Duomo is located in the heart of the historical center of Florence. It is dominated by the cathedral and its related buildings such as Giotto's Bell Tower and the Baptistery of San Giovanni, even though a hypothetical line between Via de 'Martelli and Via Calzaiuoli divides the square into two sections, with the Baptistery located in Piazza San Giovanni.
Excluded from the Roman circle, the site was originally on the north side of the original city quadrilateral. With the founding of the Baptistery in the early Christian period, the religious center of the city gradually moved further north and was incorporated in the second circle of walls. Perhaps even more ancient was Santa Reparata, the very first cathedral of the city, which used to be much closer to the baptistery than today's Cathedral, and which with the churches of San Salvatore al Vescovo and San Michele Visdomini formed a sacred axis coupled with a Bishop's Palace in front of the Baptistery, a hospital, a parsonage and a cemetery.
In 430 (traditionally) the remains of St. Zanobi, first bishop of the city, were moved from San Lorenzo to Santa Reparata, to mark the achieved supremacy of the religious center of the city. The square was much smaller than today's, with the Bishop's Palace near the baptistery, beyond the eastern gate which opened, after a side street, to the facade of Santa Reparata. The area surrounding the buildings was divided by a maze of narrow streets. The construction of a porch in front of the church of Santa Reparata in the eleventh century reduced the space in front of the baptistery to 17-18 meters. At the end of the thirteenth century, with the construction of the new cathedral, numerous houses were torn down to make way for the huge cathedral and the bell tower. A famous anecdote is still linked to the Bischeri family, who refused to sell their homes to make way for the construction of the Cathedral and found themselves being mocked when a fire destroyed their homes, from which derives the typical offense used to address the foolish ( "O Bischero"! - "How stupid!"). Among the first demolitions, one span of the old church was almost immediately destroyed to give room to the Baptistery, which became the main religious building in the city. Over the course of the following centuries the buildings in the square remained mostly unchanged, while Piazza San Giovanni was enlarged back in the nineteenth century moving back the Bishop's Palace. At that time, however, the boundary was regulated and the part of the square surrounding the cathedral was extended. The Canonici Palace, remodeled for the occasion, contained two statues of the architects of the Cathedral (Arnolfo di Cambio and Brunelleschi) positioned to look over their masterpiece.

BUILDINGS IN THE SQUARE
Santa Maria del Fiore
The enormous cathedral of Florence is among the most important architectural works of the Gothic and the Renaissance period, and one of the most beautiful and important cathedrals of Europe. The works were commissioned by his Lordship and in 1296 architect Arnolfo di Cambio began his work on the site of the historical Santa Raparata Cathedral. In 1334, L'Arte della Lana, who had orginally been appointed to oversee the construction, entrusted the supervision of the works to Giotto and later to Francesco Talenti. Talenti started a new project which altered the original design of Arnolfo. By 1364 the first three areas had been completed along with the cover of the nave and the church aisles between 1378-80. The problems that arised during the construction of the dome were resolved by Brunelleschi after a lenghty debate that ensured him the role as the head Renaissance architect. His brilliant technical solution was to create a double self-supporting wall structure which did not require the presence of the traditional framework. On March 25 of 1436 Santa Maria del Fiore was consecrated by Pope Eugene IV. The lantern, built after the death of Brunelleschi in 1446, was completed by Verrocchio in 1468 who crowned it with a bronze ball and cross. The great dome dominates the square, the city and the interior plane, which is visible from many points in the surrounding hills and even from far distances such as places as far as Prato and some areas of Pistoia. A white marble disc on the back of the square marks the spot where the ball fell in 1600 following a heavy storm. Two years later it was rebuilt bigger in size and relocated.
Emilio De Fabris was chosen to execute the current facade in neo-Gothic style. It was completed between 1871 and 1887.
Giotto's bell tower is located next to the cathedral, originally planned to be positioned at the side of the facade instead of behind it. It was designed by Giotto, hence the name, but it was constructed by Andrea Pisano and completed by Francesco Talenti. It is 84 meters high and gradually becomes lighter in form due to the presence of mullioned windows. It is completely covered in polychrome white, green and rose marble and decorated with numerous sculptures and panels, now largely replaced by copies as the orginials are kept in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo. The base panels are depicte the Attivita Umane, the true manifesto of Florence during the Middle Ages created by Andrea Pisano and Luca della Robbia during the second phase of The planets, virtues, the liberal arts and the Sacraments.
The Baptistry of San Giovanni
The bapistry, dedicated to St. John the Baptist, Patron saint of the city of Florence, stands in front of the Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore.
It was orginally located outside the city walls. However, it was included together with the cathedral and the walls created by Matilde di Canossa (in the fourth circle). At that time it was surrounded by other buildings, such as the Archbishop's Palace which were much closer in distance and later torn down in the XIV and XV centuries in order to create the current square.
It has an octagonal plan with a diameter of 25.6 meters, nearly half the size of the Cathedral's dome. The vast dimensions of the building were necessary to accommodate the large crowds that were baptized only twice a year.
The building is covered by a dome and eight segments, externally masked and covered by a flattened pyramid roof. Opposite the entrance the body of the rectangular apse protrudes the space (Scarsella).
The exterior decoration in white Carrara marble and green marble of Prato, is divided into three horizontal bands, decorated with geometric panels, with the middle occupied by three arches on each side, including windows with tympanum inserted above. The corner pillars in sandstone were also subsequently covered in marble. The upper band represents the base of the lantern which hides the dome.
The interior decoration is divided, like the exterior, in three horizontal bands. The highest is covered by the dome while the middle band is occupied by the matroneum (an interior gallery orginally used to accommoate women). The inferior walls are divided vertically in three zones by means of pilasters and monolithic columns in granite and cipollino marble like the rest of the marble covering.
The baptismal font originally occupied the center of the floor, adorned with marble inlays, with the zodiac signs and geometric oriental patterns.