The Duomo of Florence, Santa Maria Del Fiore, is an incredibly beautiful architectural accomplishment. It's Gothic facade consists of white marble inlayed with red and green, in the typical Florentine style. The present structure was begun in the thirteenth century when it was decided that the city needed a grander duomo to reflect its increased prosperity. The chief architect was Arnolfo di Cambio who envisaged a huge structure topped by a gigantic dome, however its construction was beset with problems. It took until 1418 for the nave and tribunes to be completed, but the dome, which was to be the biggest ever built, had not even been started. Eventually, the commission was handed to Filippo Brunelleschi (Florence 1377-1446) provided that he worked with his archrival, Lorenzo Ghiberti; but this partnership was short-lived. The construction was eventually completed in the late 1460's. The red tiling of the dome, or cupola, is just visible on the extreme right of the photo.