The Florence Cathedral is among the most iconic buildings in the world and the best things to see in Florence, so you might be surprised to learn that for many years a very important part of it – the original façade – was missing. The medieval façade of the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore was designed by its first major architect, Arnolfo Di Cambio.

Although he isn’t as well-remembered by the general public as Filippo Brunneleschi, who designed and built the Cathedral’s immense dome, Di Cambio was a titan of the late medieval period and was responsible for much of the architectural foundations of the building.