Florence Cathedral’s front elevation is a 19th-century neo-Gothic façade, not the original medieval one. It is covered in white, green, and pink marble and is designed to harmonize with the cathedral’s earlier Gothic structure while looking richly decorative.
 
The façade features a large central rose window, pointed arches, sculpted figures, and several tiers of ornament that make it feel very vertical and intricate. Its look is meant to echo the style of the cathedral as a whole, but the current front was completed much later than the rest of the building.
 
Interesting facts....
The name “Santa Maria del Fiore” refers both to Florence’s identity as the “city of flowers” and to the Florentine lily.