The Dome of Florence Cathedral, which was designed and constructed by Filippo Brunelleschi between 1420 and 1436, spans an octagonal space of 143ft. 6in., and is still the largest dome structure in the world today. Inspired by the majestic dome of the Pantheon in Rome, the dome of Florence cathedral stands as a monument to both the Florentine Renaissance and to universal human achievement. Popular culture often mistakenly claims that we still do not understand how Brunelleschi constructed the dome, when, in fact, the question is how he was able to build his dome when the technology simply should not have permitted its realization.