Let's start at the Duomo in the center of this picture--the main cathedral of Santa Maria della Fiore. It is the fourth largest church in Christendom. Work began on the Duomo in 1296 by Architect Arnolfo di Cambio on the former site of a basilica dedicated to Saint Reparata. The church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary but also references Florence's symbol of the flower--a lily and the city's former name Fiorenza. Construction was slow and many architects were brought in with numerous changes to the design. The dome was constructed in the mid-1400s and the structure as it appears today was completed around 1472 though it still lacked a fascade.