The first episcopal church of Florence was the ancient basilica of Saint Lawrence ‘outside the walls’, consecrated by Saint Ambrose of Milan in 394. The next main church and cathedral was the Basilica of Santa Reparata, Martyr, which – as can be deduced from recent excavations – was built in the 5th or 6th century. When its rebuilding and enlargement were decreed, Boniface VIII’s legate, Cardinal Valeriano, solemnly laid the first stone of the new cathedral on the Feast of Mary’s Nativity, in 1296. In 1412 the new name of Santa Maria del Fiore (Our Lady of the Flower, or ‘of Florence’) was officially assigned to the magnificent church that by then had arisen on the remains of the earlier basilica. In 1420, Pope Martin V conferred the privileges of a metropolitan church, and Santa Maria del Fiore was finally consecrated on March 25, 1436, by Pope Eugenius IV. This is a marvellous piece of architecture which resonates with the city and provides a central point of reference for all Florentine’s. You can download this desktop wallpaper to bring this wonderful building into your home.
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