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4. Cupola of the Dome

The cupola of the dome has made it a symbol for the whole of Tuscany was created by that genius of the Renaissance, Filippo Brunelleschi, while the facade that completed it was carried out as late as the late 19th century.

Two years after the Cupola was finished in 1436, they added the crowning lantern in white marble, taking the total dome height from 91 to 114 metres, a really impressive height, and not just for that era.

The building of a stone cupola over the chancel posed many technical problems. There existed already a brick model from 1367 for the dome (as related in the "Life of Brunelleschi" by Antonio Manetti, ca. 1480).

In 1419, the Arte della Lana held a competition to design a new dome and cupola for the cathedral. The two main competitors were Lorenzo Ghiberti (famous for his work on the "Gates of Paradise" doors at the Baptistery) and Filippo Brunelleschi with Brunelleschi winning and receiving the commission.

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