This lecture profiles Arnolfo di Cambio, the architect-sculptor who reshaped the urban fabric of medieval Florence. The session defines his crucial role in the transition from the Romanesque tradition to a new Gothic expression in architecture, examining how his designs for the Palazzo Vecchio and the Cathedral (Santa Maria del Fiore) projected the power of the communal government. The lecture also analyzes his sculptural contributions, specifically the façade statuary of the Duomo, demonstrating how he monumentalized the human figure in stone long before painters conquered the canvas.