DK Travel : Tuscany : The Duomo Group, Florence

The Duomo Group, Florence

5.0 /5 (1 vote)

Rate it

Review this attraction

Are these details incorrect?

Florence’s gorgeous cathedral offers two panoramic perches, one atop Giotto’s lithe and lovely belltower, the other at the summit of Brunelleschi’s robust and noble dome. The interior of the cathedral contains some Uccello frescoes but otherwise is oddly barren and less interesting than clambering up between the layers of the dome. The nearby Baptistry is also more rewarding with its glittering Byzantine mosaics and Gates of Paradise, while inside the Museo are statues by Michelangelo, Donatello, Ghirlandaio and Andrea Pisano.
More on other churches in Florence More on churches outside Florence

Top 10 Features

1. Duomo: Dome

The Duomo’s crossing was thought unspannable until Brunelleschi came up with this ingenious double shell construction in 1420. Forget the mediocre frescoes inside; the thrill is to climb up between the layers to the marble lantern at its peak.
2. Baptistry: Gates of Paradise

Lorenzo Ghiberti’s gilded bronze panels (1425–53) showcase his mastery at depicting great depth in shallow relief. Michelangelo was reportedly so moved he proclaimed they would “grace the very gates of Paradise”, and the name stuck; the originals are housed in the Museo.
3. Baptistry: Mosaics

The swathe of 13th-century mosaic panels tells stories from Genesis and the lives of Jesus, Joseph and St John the Baptist.
4. Museo: Michelangelo’s Pietà

Michelangelo created three Pietàs , this middle one in 1548–55 before angrily attacking it with a hammer.
5. Duomo: Campanile

Giotto designed only the lowest level of the “Lily of Florence”, which was continued by Andrea Pisano (who added statue niches) and finished by Francesco Talenti. It is 85 m (276 ft), or 414 steps, to the top.
6. Duomo: Fresco of Giovanni Acuto

Master of perspective Paolo Uccello painted this trompe-l’oeil fresco (1436) of an equestrian statue as a memorial for John Hawkwood, an English condottiere (mercenary commander) long in Florence’s employ.
7. Museo dell’Opera del Duomo: HabakkukOne

One of several prophets that Donatello carved for the campanile. Florentines nicknamed this one Lo Zuccone – “Pumpkinhead”.
8. Duomo: New Sacristy

The bronze doors and glazed terracotta lunette are 15th-century works by Luca della Robbia. The interior, sheathed in wood inlay, was where Lorenzo de’ Medici took refuge after an assassination attempt in 1478.
9. Museo dell’Opera del Duomo: Altar Front

This pile of silver and gilt statuary for the Baptistry took over 100 years to craft (1366– 1480), by Verrocchio, Antonio Pollaiuolo, Michelozzo and other sculptors.
10. Baptistry: North Doors

Lorenzo Ghiberti won the 1401 competition to cast these 28 bronze panels, and spent 21 years creating what art historians consider the first proper Renaissance work.

Practical Information

I Fratellini, four blocks down Via dei Calzaiuoli at Via dei Cimatori 38r, is a hole in the wall serving sandwiches and glasses of wine to patrons who eat standing on the cobblestone street. The Baptistry opens at noon, so save the whole Duomo group for the afternoon. The last ascent of the dome is 40 minutes before closing; queue early in summertime. Piazza del Duomo Duomo open 10am–5pm Mon– Fri (to 3:30pm Thu), 10am–4:45pm Sat & Sun (from 1:30pm Sun) Baptistry noon–6:30pm Mon–Sat, 8:30am–2pm Sun; admission charge €3 Museo 9am–7:30pm daily (to 1:40pm Sun); €6 Dome 8:30am–7pm Mon–Sat (to 5:40pm Sat); €6 Campanile 8:30am– 7:30pm daily; €6 No cumulative ticket