The essential image of Florence. The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, in English the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower, dominates the Florentine skyline. Commonly referred to simply as the Duomo, the cathedral was begun in 1296 to the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and was structurally completed with the finishing of the dome designed and executed by Filippo di Bruneleschi in 1436. The octagonal dome stands today as one of the greatest architectural engineering triumphs of all time.