This wooden model of the facade of the cathedral by Baccio del Bianco and two collaborators  was built in 1635 to a project by the Academy of Design. It is accompanied by a detailed pencil and ink sketch and an oil painting to render the overall effect. When Grand Duke Ferdinando II de 'Medici addressed the issue of a new facade for the Cathedral once more in 1633, the Academy of Design opposed the implementation of Giovanni Antonio Dosio’s forty year-old project. Florentine architects persuaded the Grand Duke to allow them to develop a joint project and, after a number of false starts, decided the facade should be divided into three bays and convey a certain vertical emphasis. The model was approved and work began in 1636. However, internal conflict within the Academy caused construction to be suspended in 1638 and the following year the project was abandoned altogether.