Visitors like to joke that the cathedral ... while the interior is surprisingly plain. For many, the main reason to visit is to climb the 463 stairs to the top of the dome (the cupola) where ...

Quick: Think of the phrase "Florence ... know its nickname is "Brunelleschi's Dome," after its daring Renaissance architect, or that its real name is the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.

The dome of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy, was completed in 1436. Its supple curves and innovative engineering are a monument to the genius of Filippo Brunelleschi.

(Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore via AP, HO) MILAN (AP) — A previously unknown terracotta bust of the famed early Renaissance architect who designed the Florence Cathedral dome was unveiled Thursday in ...