Florence Cathedral, formally the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower, is the cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Florence. Commenced in 1296 in the Gothic style to a design of Arnolfo di Cambio and structurally completed by 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi; the basilica's exterior is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink, bordered by white, and features an elaborate 19th-century Gothic Revival (west) façade by Emilio De Fabris.
 
The facade of Florence Cathedral (Santa Maria del Fiore) was built in the 19th-century in a neo-Gothic style rich in polychrome marble inlays, geometric patterns, and sculptural detail. What you see today is not medieval but a carefully reconstructed “face” that respects the old Tuscan Romanesque-Gothic style. The different colours of marble actually have different meanings.
White means Faith, purity, clarity
Green means Hope, rebirth, renewal
Red means Charity, community, warmth
 
Geometry and faith together, many are flowers as the church is named after a flower.
 
Interesting facts...
The Cathedral has changed its appearance many times. Arnolfo di Cambio began a medieval facade in 1296 with colored mosaics, loggias, niches, and statues, but it was unfinished at about one-third height. In 1587, Grand Duke Francesco I de’ Medici had all the unfinished medieval marble decoration demolished, stripping the facade to brick. Finally, in 1867, architect Emilio De Fabris won a competition to design a definitive facade; it was inaugurated on May 12, 1887, after 6 centuries from the first stone. A big job!