Florence cathedral facade details highlight the staggering craftsmanship behind one of the world’s most beautiful religious monuments. Captured around a cloudy midday, my photograph focuses on the geometric precision of its Gothic Revival exterior.
The facade of Santa Maria del Fiore is famous for its elaborate patterns made of marble panels of various colors. The white marble comes from Carrara, green from Prato, and pink from Maremma. Captured under a soft, overcast sky, the diffuse midday light eliminates harsh shadows, perfectly preserving the vibrant tones and rich textures of the stone. This close-up beautifully frames the smaller, intricate rose window on the right side of the cathedral, flanked by niches housing statues of saints and prophets.
Rising directly above the heavily decorated structures is the massive, textured curve of Filippo Brunelleschi’s terracotta dome, providing a powerful contrast in color and form. On the far right, a sliver of Giotto’s Campanile grounds the frame.
Copyright Milan Hutera, 2016. All Rights Reserved.
