In 1334, Giotto is appointed as chief master (capomaestro) of the buildings of Florence. He was charged with the supervision of the construction of the Cathedral [See virtual cathedral] and the walls and fortifications of the city. Giotto designed a multicolored marble bell tower with a spire for the Cathedral of Florence. The cathedral had been designed by Arnolfo di Cambio in 1296. Di Cambio had been the architect of Santa Croce and the Palazzo Vecchio. Its construction took 170 years. After 30 years of interruption of the work, Il Arte della Lana (Guild of the Wool Merchants) took over the construction and appointed Giotto to supervise it. Again the completion was interrupted by the Black Plague in 1284 [more on Black Plague].

The influence of Giotto can be found in the marble bas-reliefs designed to encircle the first story of the tower. The theme is the history of humanity from the creation of man and woman up to modern day.