The Basilica San Lorenzo was consecrated by St Ambrose of Milan in 393 as the first cathedral of Florence. The Cathedral was rebuilt in the 11th Century. Fillipo Brunelleschi started the restructuring the Cathedral in 1418 which was completed by Antonio Manetti in 1461. Under the Dome, an inscription records the burial of Cosimo il Vecchio di Medici. While the exterior of the Cathedral is past it's glory days, the Basilica remains a masterpiece of Florentine Rennaisance and includes works by Donatello, Fillipo Lippi, Desidero da Sattignano, Rosso Fiorentino and Bronzino. The Old Sacristy contains the Verrochio's monument to Giovanni and Piero de Medici and was designed by Brunelleschi and decorated by Donatello. Through the Chapel of the Princes, you can enter Michelangelo's New Sacristy which houses the tomb of Lorenzo the Magnificent. The Laurentian Library is accessed through the 15th Century Cloister.
Italy - 5 great hotels - Recommended hotels in Rome, Florence, Turin and Milan
Florence - Duomo Cuppola and Campanile - Cathedral Cuppola and Campanile in Florence
Florence - Arno waterfront in the early evening - View of the Arno river running through Florence in the early evening light
Florence - Ponte Vecchio straddling the Arno - Trinket on sale in front of Florences famous Ponte Vecchio bridge
Italy - 5 great restaurants - Recommended places to stay dine in Rome, Florence and Venice
Florence Duomo - detail of the exterior - Detail of the exterior of the Florence Duomo
San Gimignano - Pieve di Santa Maria Assunta - Historical notes on and about the Pieve di Santa Maria Assunta in San Gimignano
Italy - 10 places not to miss - 10 places you shouldn't miss in Italy
Pisa - Chiesa Santa Maria della Spina - Some brief notes on the Chiesa Santa Maria della Spina on the banks of the River Arno in Pisa
Pisa - Chiesa e Convento di Sant Anna - Chiesa E Convento Di Sant Anna in Pisa on the Tuscan coast
Mark Sukhija is a travel and wine blogger, photographer, tourism researcher, hat-touting, white-shirt-wearing, New Zealand fantatic and eclipse chaser. Aside from at least annual visits to New Zealand, Mark has seen eclipses in South Australia (2002), Libya (2006), China (2009) and Queensland (2012). After twelve years in Switzerland, Mark moved back to London in 2012. You can follow Mark on Twitter or Facebook