Italy. Tuscany region. Florence. The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower) is the main church of Florence. Il Duomo di Firenze, as it is ordinarily called, was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style to the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and completed structurally in 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi. The cathedral complex, located in Piazza del Duomo, includes the Baptistery and Giotto's Campanile. The three buildings are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site covering the historic centre of Florence and are a major attraction to tourists visiting the region of Tuscany. The cathedral is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese. Renovation work with plastis sheeting protecting the art and religious work. 11.04.93 © 1993 Didier Ruef