<P> Florence Cathedral , formally the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore ( Italian pronunciation : ( katteˈdraːle di ˈsanta maˈriːa del ˈfjoːre ) ; in English `` Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower '' ) is the cathedral of Florence , Italy , or Il Duomo di Firenze , in Italian . It was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style to a design of Arnolfo di Cambio and was structurally completed by 1436 , with the dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi . The exterior of the basilica is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink , bordered by white , and has an elaborate 19th - century Gothic Revival façade by Emilio De Fabris . </P>
when was the cathedral of santa maria del fiore built
begun in 1296 completed by 1436