Which Italian architect designed the dome of Florence Cathedral?

Filippo Brunelleschi designed the dome of Florence Cathedral, formally known as Santa Maria del Fiore.

The cathedral’s huge crossing had remained unfinished because builders lacked a workable method for spanning its exceptionally wide opening. Brunelleschi won the competition for the dome in 1418 and developed a construction system using two shells, an inner and an outer one, connected by ribs and other structural elements.

The dome was built without the traditional full wooden centering that would have supported the masonry from below. Work began in 1420 and the dome was structurally completed in 1436. Its lantern was finished later, after Brunelleschi’s death.

The cathedral itself had been begun in 1296 under Arnolfo di Cambio. Brunelleschi’s dome became a defining landmark of Renaissance architecture. The nearby campanile was designed chiefly by Giotto, so the cathedral complex includes several major works by different artists.