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Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore was founded by the Florentine Republic in 1296 with the participation of the city’s ecclesiastical authorities to oversee the construction of the new Cathedral and its Bell Tower. Once the church was consecrated on 25 March 1436 and its architectural structure was complete, Opera’s primary task became the conservation and embellishment of its monumental complex. The Baptistery of San Giovanni came under its jurisdiction in 1777 and the Opera del Duomo Museum was inaugurated in 1891. Today the Opera, as a “Fabbriceria”, is subject to the Concordat Law of 1929 by the means of which every three years the Minister of the Interior appoints a new Board of Directors composed of seven members, who elect the President from among themselves. Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore was legally recognised as a not-for-profit organisation (ONLUS) in 1998. It is regulated by its own statute that defines among its institutional objectives the "protection, promotion and enhancement of its artistic heritage”.

Following the Third Sector Reform (Legislative Decree 117/2017) and the definitive abolition of the non-profit organization (ONLUS) regime effective January 1, 2026, the Fabbriceria di Santa Maria del Fiore operates for tax purposes through the establishment of a dedicated Social Enterprise Branch. The organization's institutional activities are now classified as "Activities of General Interest" and primarily include the protection and enhancement of cultural heritage and landscape, as well as the promotion and dissemination of culture and art, with specific reference to the Monumental Complex of Santa Maria del Fiore.

The Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore is an autonomous private entity (Fabbriceria) that pursues its institutional goals through its Social Enterprise Branch, duly registered in the National Register of the Third Sector (RUNTS).