Florence (II/IV) - Permanence through Patience

It's impossible to ignore the Duomo of Florence. Rising above the city with its massive, red dome (displayed in my photo below), the Duomo brings a powerful aura to Florence.

Construction on the Duomo began back in 1296, but the cathedral remained incomplete for more than a century -- its dome, an unsolved problem. It wasn't until 1420 that Filippo Brunelleschi began the design that would crown the church, and in 1436, the site was finally consecrated. While this makes the Duomo sound quite old, the beautiful facade we admire today was only finished in the 19th century. The ambition for this project was always the same: to build for more than a lifetime.

That is what makes Florence extraordinary. There were thousands of craftsmen and laborers who worked on the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, most of whom never lived to see the building finished. They carved, painted, and laid stone, trusting that one day their efforts would add up to something enduring.

The lesson is clear: permanence requires patience. You may not see the finished work, and even further, you may not receive recognition. Still, the act of committing to something beyond yourself is what shapes the future.

Florence shows us that greatness can be having the patience to build what can only be completed with time.