Duomo dome

Impressive, although a number of large cracks were evident. Because of its size, the dome couldn't be constructed as 'normal' using timber scaffolding. The architect studied the Pantheon in Rome which also had a large dome, to get engineering inspiration. In the end Brunelleschi convinced the city fathers that he knew what he was doing but he ensured his longevity on the 18-year build by keeping most of the plans in his head.

Lucca

May 24th 2017
Geo: 43.8396, 10.5072We caught an early local train for a 80min ride to the small town of Lucca, notable for its intact 16th century city wall. We walked around the pretty town for a couple of hours, then returned to Florence.We weakened and decided to book a private guide for a Duomo tour in the afternoon - figuring we can't come to Florence without checking out the major attraction!To ... read more

Europe » Italy

Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the city-states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI establis... ... read more

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