Overview
Also known as: Florence Cathedral and Duomo Florence
Built: Development began in 1296 and was completed in 1436
Website: https://duomo.firenze.it/en/home
History
The cathedral complex is split into three sections. Piazza del Duomo, Baptistery, and Giotto’s Campanile. However, for visitors to the cathedral, there are six (6) different sections. They include: The Cathedral, Dome, Baptistry, Bell Tower, Crypt and Museum.
One of the most striking features of the cathedral you will note once you are in Florence is the Dome. After a hundred years of construction on the Cathedral, the structure was still missing a dome. In 1367 focus was placed on creating the dome.
One of the more crucial decisions that had to be made was on the design of the dome. And when the decision was finally approved, it was decided to move away from the Medieval Gothic style domes and design a more modern style. It was then also decided to build two (2) domes one smaller than the outside one similar to a Russian dolls nest.
Museum – Opera del Duomo Museum
The museum is split into three floors which provides 6,000 square meters of space to house the artifacts. The museum was founded in 1891, and was renovated in 2015.
There are 750 works of art that fill the 28 halls of this museum. The art on display complements the facade of the Cathedral and majority of the art was created by artists of Florence. Their inspiration are a mix of Medieval and Renaissance era art and design.
The Baptistery doors
As you explore the grounds of the Duomo, make time to explore the art work displayed on the Baptistry doors. There are two sets of doors, one representing the new testament and the second representing the Old Testament (this is the more famous one).
Plazza del Duomo
Plazza del Duomo is located at the heart of historic Florence and is the major gateway to the various important sites of city. From there you can visit the Cathedral, The Baptistery, Giotto’s Bell Tower, and more.
Tickets
Entrance to the Cathedral is free. However, if you are interested in exploring the other parts of the Duomo, you will need tickets.
Option 1: You can purchase your tickets ahead of time via the Duomo website. Please note that they have three (3) different tiers available for sale.
Option 2: You can also purchase skip the line tickets for Duomo here: