Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore

The Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore is the Institution which deals with the monuments of the Cathedral Square in Florence. The Opera is an institution created specifically to supervise the work on the new Cathedral, which was financed by the Wool Guild (whose emblem of the holy lamb is often found throughout the decoration). The emblem of the Opera is instead the inscription OPA. Opera’s logo, the letters OPA with a curvy dash through the letter P, represents the word “per”, therefore we pronounce these letters as O-Per-A: Opera. The Opera was founded at the end of the thirteenth century to supervise the construction of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence. The construction of the Cathedral was originally financed by the Florentine Republic, with the help of individuals, taxes, and major guilds. In 1331, however, sole patronage was assigned to the woolworkers’ guild, and so the Opera adopted their emblem, the Lamb of God, as their own. Today the Opera is responsible for the maintenance and restoration of not only the Cathedral, but also of the Baptistery, the Bell Tower, and the Museum. The Opera is now a private office that finances itself thanks to ticket sales, so your visit today contributes to maintaining this incredible heritage.