Is It Worth Visiting the Duomo in Florence?

The city of Florence is particularly popular with first-time Italian visitors. Florence is not only known as the hub of art in the world, but it is also a beautiful city with charming streets, towers to climb, fantastic shopping areas, and plenty of gelato shops.

There is no doubt that Florence’s panoramic skyline is incomplete without the iconic Duomo, also known as the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and Brunelleschi’s Dome, and the surrounding Piazza del Duomo and Piazza San Giovanni. However, the Duomo is only one of several monuments that make up the larger complex. Buildings dating from the 13th and 14th centuries in Florence’s historic centre, which is protected by UNESCO, are examples of the Italian Renaissance’s inventiveness and brilliance.

A Duomo Florence ticket is worth every penny that you spend. So, in case you are considering taking the Duomo Florence Tour, here is a list of the best places where you will encounter during your time there:

1. San Giovanni’s Baptistery

The original structure of the Baptistery of San Giovanni, which dates to the fourth or fifth century, is the oldest edifice in the square. The octagonal building is renowned for its three sets of substantial bronze doors, the oldest of which is on the south side and shows the life of Florence’s patron saint, John the Baptist.

The Baptistery’s interior design is modelled after the Pantheon in Rome, and its sumptuous 13th-century golden mosaics adorn the domed ceiling.

2. Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fior

Enter the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, the third-largest church in the world and the most well-known cathedral in Florence. It was finished in the 15th century and constructed over a previous cathedral. The entire cathedral was once open to the public. Still, the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore (the organisation in charge of the whole complex) quickly realised that the heavy foot traffic was harming the marble floors, and people were eating and drinking inside the cathedral while frequently carelessly tossing their trash there. They thus chose to establish a barrier so that guests might examine and stroll along the cathedral’s walls.

Spend some time learning about the cathedral’s history, as well as the cultural, civic, and religious significance of the larger complex. You can also listen to tales about how the cathedral was built, how the dome came to be, the Medici family’s influence and contributions, and the attempted assassination of Lorenzo and Giuliano Medici during Sunday mass. Don’t overlook the exquisitely detailed frescoes by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari, which took a total of 11 years to complete and depict The Last Judgement on the interior of the dome. On Sundays, the Cathedral is closed.

3. The North Terrace

A set of stealthy steel gates leading to the entrance of the North Terrace are located just under halfway up the slope leading to Brunelleschi’s Dome. The terraces, which have only been accessible to tourists since 1985, were primarily used as a route by employees engaged in Cathedral upkeep.

The terrace offers sweeping views of Florence and unhindered views of the Dome but is often closed to the public unless you join a guided tour that must be reserved in advance.

4. The Dome by Brunelleschi

Following your tour of the North Terrace, you can continue the winding ascent to Brunelleschi’s Dome through confined passages. Is it worthwhile to climb Florence’s Duomo? Yes! It is a necessity to climb the Duomo in Florence since the experience is one-of-a-kind and you are rewarded with breathtaking vistas of the city. The Dome has a total of 463 steps, but because the stairways are so tiny, many places are essentially single files. As a result, you might need to rush through to avoid holding up traffic behind you or push aside to make room for others moving in the opposite direction.

At a moderate pace, it will take you anything between 20 and 40 minutes to ascend the 91 meters of the Duomo. The Florence Duomo climb offers breathtaking views. You’ll soon forget about the 463 stairs you had to crawl up to get there because of the 360-degree panoramic skyline.

5. Opera Museum

The Opera Museum comprises 6,000 square metres of artwork, statues, and reliefs spread across 28 rooms and reopened in November 2015 following renovations. Hundreds of years old wooden models, sizable contemporary models, and a miniature theatre showing a brief history of the Dome are all housed in the Galleria della Cupola. Did you know that they had no idea how they would finish the Dome when they started building the Cathedral?

6. Giotto’s Campanile

The Duomo climb in Florence is a must-do, but many people are unaware of the complex’s additional features and other significant sites. Giotto’s Bell Tower is regarded as the most beautiful campanile in Italy and perhaps the second-most recognizable structure within the complex after the Dome itself. It has 414 steps to the top and is only 7 metres shorter than the Dome. It also provides breathtaking end-to-end views of Florence. Make sure to try to schedule your Duomo climb and admission to the bell tower on two different days when booking your Duomo Florence Tour.

Just a quick point to make: the Bell Tower terrace’s breathtaking view is only somewhat hampered by wall-to-wall wireframing.

The Bell Tower’s morning opening hours are excellent because there are usually fewer people in line, however, during the summer, the Dome will be backlit. If you are determined to get a picture of Brunelleschi’s Dome in the best possible lighting, you can also try to get in line to climb the Bell Tower before it closes.

7. The Crypt

There is a staircase inside the cathedral that descends to the unearthed ruins of Santa Reparata, Florence’s first and smaller cathedral. The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore was ordered to be built in its place because the church, which is thought to have been constructed in the fifth century AD, was unable to accommodate the growing number of worshippers who were filling its halls.

8. Be in awe with the Battistero

The golden doors, which Pisano and Ghiberti created and which depict the lives of Christ and John the Baptist as they are found in the New Testament, are undoubtedly the structure’s most apparent feature. The interior is also interesting to see, and for about ten euros, tourists can see the Duomo, Campanile, and Battistero by purchasing a combined ticket. The cupola of the Battistero is also lovely, and its golden mosaic ceiling depicts the Last Judgement. The baptismal font, where Dante himself was baptised more than 600 years ago, is what is truly amazing.

9. Enjoy the food as a conclusion.

Pizza, ice cream, spaghetti… Italian cuisine is renowned for its delicious, classic recipes, and Florence is home to some exceptional dining establishments. Great choices are available around the Piazza Della Signoria and the Duomo, like wild boar spaghetti and Neapolitan pizza. Everybody will be satisfied by the excellent, traditional selections offered by the pizzerias in this neighbourhood. Near these two monuments are some of the best ice cream shops, so after an Italian meal, visitors may indulge in some superb homemade gelato.

Take these things into consideration and you will ensure a fabulous Duomo Florence tour experience. Safe Travels!