Things You Can´t Miss at the Duomo in Florence

Not only does it hold the title of being the third largest cathedral in Europe after St. Peter's in Rome and St. Paul's in London, but the Duomo is one of the most impressive and beautiful in the world. Known by the name of Santa Maria del Fiore, its construction spanned from the 13th century to the 15th century and was overseen by various architects, resulting in a mixture of styles with Gothic and Renaissance features.

The monumental complex of the Duomo of Florence includes, in addition to the cathedral building in the strict sense, Brunelleschi's Dome, Giotto's Bell Tower, the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, the Baptistery of St. John and the Crypt of Santa Reparata.

The most complete option

Florence Duomo and Brunelleschi Dome Tickets

Immerse yourself in the Renaissance

Visit the entire complex of Santa Maria del Fiore: the Cathedral, Brunelleschi's Dome, the Baptistery, Giotto's Bell Tower, the Opera Museum and the church of Santa Reparata.

From $60 at Hellotickets

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With this ticket for the Cathedral and Brunelleschi's Dome you will have priority access to see Brunelleschi's dome, a great advantage since every day it is visited by numerous tourists and it is difficult not to have to wait to see this true wonder of the Renaissance, a Unesco World Heritage Site since the 1980s. Be prepared, though, as you will have to climb a total of 463 steps.

Regarding the ticket, it is valid for three days and with it you will also have the opportunity to visit the Giotto's Bell Tower, the Baptistery, the Museum of the Opera del Duomo and the church of Santa Reparata.

Recommended... whether you are a lover of art, architecture and history or not, as it is a must-see monument of your trip to Florence.

Once you have purchased your ticket for the Cathedral and Brunelleschi's Dome, inside the interior of Santa Maria del Fiore you will notice that it has a Latin cross shape with three naves whose dimensions are 153 meters long by 130 meters wide.

Regarding the height, 107 meters separate the base from the top of the dome. It is important that before starting your visit, you sit on one of the benches and contemplate your surroundings. Designed by Arnolfo di Cambio, Santa Maria del Fiore is the third largest cathedral in Europe after St. Peter's in neighboring Rome and St. Paul's in the English capital and it is breathtaking.

If you want more information, do not hesitate to read the post tickets to the Duomo of Florence.

With your entrance to the Cathedral, you will have priority access to the Brunelleschi Dome, an architectural challenge by Filippo Brunelleschi. In fact, it consists of a double roof, whose inner vault contains one of the largest murals in the world, with 3,600 m² of painted surface, decorated with a series of scenes of the Last Judgment and painted by the artists Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari a century after its construction, between 1568 and 1579.

The visit to the Brunelleschi Dome, which lasts 45 - 50 minutes, can be made:

• Monday to Friday from 8:15 a.m. to 7:45 p.m..
• Saturdays from 8:15 a.m. to 5:30 p.m..
• Sundays and holidays from 12:45 pm to 5:30 pm.

The entrance fee is approximately 47 € for adults and 27 € for children from 7 to 14 years old. You can also visit the Cathedral as part of a guided tour to learn all the details of this Renaissance landmark.

The stained glass windows of the Duomo of Florence date back to the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and are the work of renowned Florentine artists such as Lorenzo Ghiberti, Donatello, Andrea del Castagno and Paolo Uccello. On the one hand, those of the rose window and the entrance show scenes of Christ and Mary and, on the other hand, those of the naves represent saints of the Old and New Testament.

Highlights include The Coronation of the Virgin by Donatello located in the drum of the dome, and the round stained glass window above the clock designed by Gaddo Gaddi dating from the early fourteenth century and shows Christ crowning Mary as Queen.

If you want to know the stained glass windows in detail, I recommend you book a tour of the Duomo of Florence with access to the cathedral, the dome, the Baptistery and the Opera Museum, lasting about 2 hours, in which a professional guide will explain all the details about the history of the Duomo, so you know the secrets of the monument. Not only about the stained glass windows as I said, but also about the paintings, murals, works of art and sculptures. Would you like to join us?

With the entrance to the Cathedral and Brunelleschi's Dome, you can also see the liturgical clock of the Duomo of Florence that marks the time in Roman numerals and is a mechanical clock made in the mid-fifteenth century by Angelo Niccolai degli Orologi, whose background was painted by Paolo Uccello.

It is divided into 24 segments and moves in the opposite direction to what we are used to. In fact, the hours are given in Italian style, which are characterized by counting the day from sunset. In addition, it is decorated with the bust of the four evangelists on each of the edges.

But the liturgical clock is not the only one that characterizes the Duomo of Florence, there is also a sundial that illuminates with a circle the floor of the chapel that is located to the left of the high altar. This sundial is 90 meters high and was used for 300 years by the astronomers of Florence.

With your entrance to the Cathedral, once inside the Duomo of Florence, on a side wall located in the nave of the Gospel, you can contemplate the painting Dante and the Divine Comedy by the Florentine painter Domenico di Michelino.

Painted in 1465 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of the poet and writer, this work shows Dante with his book in his right hand in one of the scenes of the work. One of its peculiarities is that it reflects a view of Florence in 1465 with Brunelleschi's dome in the background, a view that Dante never saw.

The Baptistery of St. John is also included in the entrance to the Cathedral and in the tour of the Duomo of Florence. It is the oldest building in Piazza del Duomo.

Next to the Gate of Paradise, the work of Lorenzo Ghiberti, stands out its interior ceiling which, divided into eight segments, was decorated with mosaics on a golden background dating from the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, including scenes of the Last Judgment, the life of Christ, Joseph, St. John the Baptist, Genesis,...

If you go on your own, the visit can be made from 9 h. to 19:45 h. and the visit can be made from 9:00 to 19:45 h.. The entrance fee is 5 € for adults and 3 € for children from 7 to 14 years old.

The Crypt of Santa Reparata, included in the entrance to the Cathedral, has been the subject of several archaeological excavations since the second half of the twentieth century, giving rise to numerous discoveries from different periods, from ruins of houses from Roman times to those of the Cathedral of Santa Reparata with its successive enlargements. Next to the entrance is the tomb of Filippo Brunelleschi.

It is possible to visit from 10:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the entrance fee is 15 € for adults and 7 € for children from 7 to 14 years old.

On your visit inside the Duomo of Florence, there are great works that you can see with your ticket to the Cathedral and that I recommend you to look for and contemplate at your leisure. One of them is the altar of St. Zenobius, the first bishop of Florence, which is the work of Ghiberti.

On the other hand, the funerary monument of Antonio d'Orso, bishop of Florence, which was made by the Tuscan sculptor Tino di Camaino. In addition, the monumental cross by Benedetto da Maiano and the doors of the sacristy made by the ceramist and sculptor Luca Della Robbia. And, of course, the choir, by the Florentine painter and sculptor Bartolommeo Bandinelli.

The Campanile which is how the bell tower of the Duomo is known has approximately 400 steps and a height of 85 meters. The climb takes about 45 minutes and is a very interesting plan on your visit to the Duomo, as from the top you will have one of the best views of the city.

The climb can be done from 8:15 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. every day of the week. Regarding the entrance, it costs from 15 € for adults and 7 € for children from 7 to 14 years old.

The Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, included in the entrance to the Cathedral, houses in its 28 rooms some of the main works, museums and paintings that were once in Santa Maria del Fiore, the Baptistery of St. John or the Crypt of Santa Reparata or Giotto's Bell Tower.

You can see outstanding works such as 'Maddalena penitente' and 'Profetino dalla Porta della Mandorla' by Donatello, 'Pietà Bandini' by Michelangelo, the 'Porta del Paradiso' by Lorenzo Ghiberti, 'Statua di Santa Reparata' by Andrea Pisano, 'La Carità' by Tino di Camaino, 'San Luca Evangelista' by Nanni di Banco or 'Madonna del solletico' by Andrea Pisano. More than 700 works of art are housed in this museum that was founded in 1891 and renovated in 2015.

Regarding the visiting hours, it is open every day of the week from 9 am to 7:45 pm and is priced at 10 € for adults and 5 € for children from 7 to 14 years the combined ticket next to the Baptistery of St. John.

If you are booking a tour of the Duomo, you have to keep in mind that it is located in the heart of the historic center of Florence. Therefore, I recommend that you walk there. But if you are some distance away, don't hesitate to take the bus or streetcar to get there as conveniently and quickly as possible:

• Streetcar: Line T2 passes very close to the Duomo. Look for the Unità stop.

• Bus: The bus is another option to comfortably reach Piazza del Duomo. To do so, take the C4 line which stops at Via Panzani and Santa Caterina.

• Train: If you arrive at Santa Maria Novella, in just 8 - 10 minutes on foot you will be in Piazza del Duomo.

Whether you buy the entrance ticket to the Florence Cathedral or take the Florence Duomo tour, keep in mind the following recommendations to make the most of your visit:

• The entrance to Santa Maria del Fiore is free to enter. But if you are going to enter the rest of the monumental complex you will have to buy your ticket. To do this, I recommend that you buy it in advance and online to avoid wasting unnecessary time at the ticket office. In addition, you can buy it with priority access to speed up the entrance.
• To gain access, you will have to pass through a metal detector.
• You will not be able to take large suitcases or backpacks with you.
• If you want to see the Duomo with more tranquility and comfort do not hesitate to schedule your visit early in the morning and during the week.
• If your trip coincides with the summer, keep in mind that you can not enter the Duomo with bare shoulders so it will always be better to wear a foulard or scarf.
• Avoid wearing sunglasses and a hat inside. It is not appropriate.
• You cannot enter the Duomo monumental complex with food.
• The climb to the Dome of Brunelleschi and the Bell Tower is not recommended for people with claustrophobia, dizziness and heart problems.

Finally, do not hesitate to read the post what to see in Piazza del Duomo in Florence, to complete your visit to this enclave with other original proposals.