Florence Travel Guide

Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square)

Santa Maria del Fiore, the Duomo or Cathedral of Florence, is set in the heart of the city and perches above the metropolis like an emperor before his subjects. Its most distinctive feature is the enormous dome, designed by Filippo Brunelleschi and built between 1420 and 1436. Visitors can climb between the two shells of the cupola for an unrivalled panorama of the city.

The original Gothic exterior was destroyed in 1587 so that it could be replaced by the styling of the High Renaissance. However, this vision died prematurely with its patron, the Grand Duke Francesco de Medici, and the funding to build the neo-Gothic façade that we see today was not found until the 19th Century. The Campanile (bell tower) was built according to Giotto's designs in 1334, and is an elegant prop to Brunelleschi's stout Cathedral. The tower is decorated with two garlands of bas-reliefs, strung around its pink, white and green marble façade. Above, sculptures of the Prophets and Sybils, carved b
Address: Piazza Duomo
Website: www.duomofirenze.it/index-eng.htm
Email: info@duomofirenze.it
Telephone: +39 055 215 380
Opening Time: Cathedral open Monday to Saturday, from 10am to 5pm (Thursdays until 3.30pm; Saturdays until 4.45pm); and on Sundays from 1.30pm to 4.45pm. Museum open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 7.30pm, and on Sundays from 9am to 1.40pm
Admission: Cathedral entry is Free, but there is a fee to visit the baptistry (EUR3), the dome (EUR8), the cupola (EUR6) and museum (EUR6)