The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (English: Basilica of
Saint Mary of the Flower) is the main church of Florence, Italy.
The Duomo, 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 exterior of the basilica is faced with
polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink
bordered by white and has an elaborate 19th-century Gothic
Revival façade by Emilio De Fabris. 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 basilica is one of Italy's largest churches, and
until development of new structural materials in the modern era,
the dome was the largest in the world. It remains the largest
brick dome ever constructed.