The Duomo, Florence: What to Actually Do When You Get There

When Brunelleschi completed his dome in 1436, it was the largest in the world and no one had any real confidence it would work. He refused to share his construction methods, worked without external scaffolding using a system of internal bracing no one had used since antiquity, and supervised the entire project personally over 16 years. The dome still stands, still the largest brick dome ever constructed, and it is still not entirely understood how he did it. Most people who come to Florence walk past it quickly. That is a waste.

The cathedral complex stops you: the striped marble facade, Giotto’s campanile beside it, the octagonal Baptistery across the piazza. It’s a lot to absorb at once. Most visitors stand there for five minutes and then go find a gelateria. If that’s your plan, at least book the dome first.

The Dome

Climbing the dome is the best use of an hour in Florence. You access it from inside the cathedral, and part of the ascent involves walking along the gallery between the inner and outer shells, at which point you are literally inside the dome’s construction, looking down at the nave far below through a gap that feels much too small for what you are doing. The view from the lantern at the top takes in all of Florence and the hills beyond: the Arno, Fiesole, the green rise of the Tuscan hills.

There are 463 steps. No lift. The queue in high season can be brutal; go before 9am or pre-book through the Opera del Duomo website. Entry is included in the combined ticket (around 30 euros), which covers the campanile, the Baptistery, the crypt, and the museum.

The Baptistery

The bronze doors on the east entrance are copies. Ghiberti’s original “Gates of Paradise,” so named by Michelangelo, are in the museum. The reproductions give you the composition; the originals give you the surface. See both. The mosaic ceiling inside the Baptistery is a 13th-century Last Judgement of extraordinary scale and quality, almost always rushed past by visitors heading for the Uffizi. Spend 20 minutes looking up at it.

The Museum

The Museo dell’Opera del Duomo on Piazza del Duomo is the most underrated building in Florence. It holds the original Ghiberti doors, Michelangelo’s late Pieta (the one he carved in his eighties and tried to destroy, then resumed in a different form), and Donatello’s Penitent Magdalene. The Magdalene is carved in wood with a rawness that the Accademia’s polished marble doesn’t have. Budget 90 minutes minimum.

Where to Eat

Trattoria Sostanza on Via del Porcellana is the most honest old-school Florentine restaurant still operating. The tortino di carciofi, artichoke omelette cooked in an alarming quantity of butter, is the thing to order. Cash only, arrive early, accept that the menu is short and that this is correct.

For something faster: Semel near the Bargello does schiacciata sandwiches for 5-8 euros and has a loyal local clientele that is the best possible quality signal. The nearby markets around Sant’Ambrogio are better value for lunch than anything around the Duomo.

Where to Stay

Hotel Brunelleschi is built into a medieval tower and a Byzantine church, which should tell you something about how Florence works architecturally. It’s 90 seconds from the Baptistery. You pay for the location.

Hotel Davanzati in the area south of the cathedral is reliable mid-range: good-sized rooms, staff who know the city, prices that leave you money for the Uffizi. The rooms closest to the building’s medieval interior are worth requesting.

Getting There and Around

Florence’s train station, Santa Maria Novella, is 12 minutes on foot from the Duomo. Do not arrive by car; the ZTL restricted traffic zone covers the entire historic centre and the fines for driving in without a permit arrive automatically in the post weeks later. Book Uffizi and Accademia tickets well in advance: walk-up queues for the David regularly run 90 minutes. The Duomo is free to enter, but they turn people away for bare shoulders or knees. Keep a scarf.