Full text: Volume (1)

CHAPTER III. 
THE CATHEDRAL. 
EXTERIOR. 
PHE Cathedral of Florence stands on ground once 
occupied by the parish church of San Salvador, which 
was demolished by Bishop Reparato, to build the basilica 
called after the female saint whose name corresponded with his 
own, Santa Reparata. At the same time he bestowed the name 
of San Salvador on another church, whose façade of black and 
white marble may still be seen behind the present archbishop’s 
palace. Santa Reparata had a crypt below ; the presbytery 
above was separated from the body of the church by a flight of 
steps—a style of architecture still to be seen in the neighbour- 
hood of Florence, at San Miniato al Monte. This basilica 
only occupied the space within the nave of the present Cathe- 
dral ; and antiquaries suppose that the façade of a church in 
black and white marble in an ancient fresco in the cloister of 
Santa Croce, and there represented beside Santa Maria del Fiore, 
is intended for Santa Reparata. The only record remaining of 
this building is that it was used as the parish church when San 
Giovanni was raised to the dignity of the Cathedral, and that 
the font was conveyed thither when San Giovanni finally 
became the Baptistery of Florence. 
The Cathedral Church of Santa Maria del Fiore was begun 
in 1296 by Arnolfo di Cambio (1232-1310) who was ordered 
to raise the loftiest, most sumptuous, and most magnificent 
pile that human invention could devise, or human labour 
•The wisest men of this city,' continues the 
execute.'
	        
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