The construction of the Cathedral began at the end of the 12th century. It was consecrated on November 18, 1179. After 1258, the construction was supervised by Cistercian monks from the nearby monastery of San Galgano.
At the end of the 13th century, work began on decorating the façade. From 1284 to 1296, they were supervised by Giovanni Pisano. The lower part of the façade was designed according to his plan. The upper part with a large round window (oculus) was completed at the beginning of the 14th century under the supervision of Giovanni di Cecco.
The mosaics on the pediments were made in 1878 by Luigi Mussini (central) and Alessandro Franchi (side).
The time of construction of the Bell Tower (Campanile) is not known for certain, but it was completed after the dome (probably 1313)