The only church we visited here in Florence is the famous Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore  or the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower, or simply the Florence Cathedral. It was constructed in 1296 and completed in 1436. The facade of this cathedral is just a wondrous thing to look at- it is magnificent and majestic. 

(Note: a few months after the trip, I stumbled across the show, Medici, where it portrayed (more or less accurately) the lives of the Medicis. The first season, Medici: Masters of Florence, centered around the life of Cosimo de Medici and his rise to power. It also showed the building of the Duomo and this is the point where I geeked out like no other because it made me realize how lucky I am to see the Duomo in person and in all its glory. Of course I didn't appreciate it too much when I was there but now that I know its history, it's much more meaningful to me now. 

Also, the cathedral was also where the Pazzis attempted to assassinate Lorenzo de Medici, only to end up killing his brother, Giuliano, instead. This happened during a High Mass in 1478.)

I thought the cathedral's dome needed its own section:

The dome's architectural design was done by Filippo Brunelleschi and it was considered as one of the most impressive Renaissance projects. The dome was also the first octagonal dome to be built without a wooden supporting frame. 

The painting in the dome's interior was done by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari from 1568 to 1579.

 The Giotto's Campanile, a 277 ft. tall free-standing campanile designed by Giotto di Bondone.

Across the cathedral stands Battistero di San Giovanni or Baptistery of Saint John. It was constructed between 1059-1128. It has three sets of bronze doors created by two artists: the south doors by Andrea Pisano and the north & east doors by Lorenzo Ghiberti. I only saw the east doors and they was damn impressive.

Did you know that famous poet Dante Alighieri was baptized here?

After our mass and tour in the cathedral, we continued with our guiding tour to the Piazza della Signoria.

The Palazzo Vecchio or Old Palace. It is the town hall of Florence located in the Piazza del Signoria area. At its entrance stands a replica of Michaelangelo's David on the left and Baccio Bandinelli's Hercules and Cacus on the right.

The Loggia dei Lanzi where assemblies and public ceremonies were held. It was built between 1376-1382.

Fontana del Nettuno or Fountain of Neptune, just in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. The original statue is housed in the National Museum; the one in display is a copy made in the 1800s.

Equestrian Monument of Cosimo I, erected in 1594. It is made from bronze. 

What I had for lunch: