Thanks to this Duomo Tour in Florence we will get to know the life and the work of some of the greatest geniuses of the Renaissance. Artists like Brunelleschi, Ghiberti, Donatello and Michelangelo. One cannot claim to truly understand the Renaissance without knowing its religious heart, where the Duomo is the protagonist. Hundreds of years of labor, an infinite building site that gathered into the city thousands of people curious to see the biggest dome of mankind reach the sky, centuries of history of one of the richest medieval cities in the world. Florence is its religious complex. With the Duomo Tour in Florence we will be able to climb the steps of the Giotto’s bell tower, we will visit the magnificent Duomo Museum and the Baptistery of St. John. If time allows, we will also visit the Duomo inside, but be aware that it’s not the highlight of this tour (see FAQs).
Founded in 1881, this museum has been completely renovated after 5 years of restoration costed 45 millions of Euros. It was re-opened in 2015, with a doubled surface. It was here that Michelangelo Buonarroti sculpted his famous David and also here Filippo Brunelleschi had the furnaces to make the bricks for the dome. Besides masterpieces like Michelangelo’s Pietà and Donatello’s Magdalene, the highlight of this museum is indubitably the Hall of Paradise (Sala del Paradiso). It’s a faithful reconstruction 1:1 of the original and lost façade of Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, dismantled by the Medici in 1587. On the other side of this immense room there are the originals of the 3 doors of the Baptistery. The most famous one is the Gate of Paradise by Lorenzo Ghiberti, emblem of the perfection achieved by Renaissance art. This museum is really the highlight of the tour.
The Duomo Tour in Florence also includes the Baptistery. When we arrive to Piazza del Duomo we are so amazed by the monumentality of the Cathedral that we don’t pay specific attention to that octagonal building in front of it. It’s the Baptistery of St. John (patron Saint of Florence), the most beautiful building of Florence in my opinion. To develop his idea of the dome, Brunelleschi studied in details the octagonal dome of the Baptistery. It was mentioned by Dante Alighieri in the Divina Commedia (Il mio bel San Giovanni, he writes). It is surrounded by a halo of mystery about its obscure origins. There’s no other building in Florence capable to raise such a vehement debate between experts and historians. We will get to know its story and we will marvel at its spectacular 13th century mosaics representing episodes of the Bible, but also the fight between Satan and God.
What is included in the Duomo Tour in Florence?
This experience includes a guided visit to the main monuments of Florence’s religious complex:
Why isn’t the Cathedral (Duomo) interior the highlight?
The interior is relatively simple compared to other sites. The real artistic treasures are found in the museum and the Baptistery, where you can better understand the history and craftsmanship of the complex.
What makes the Opera del Duomo Museum special?
The Opera del Duomo Museum is one of the most important museums in Florence, featuring:
Which ticket should I buy for the Duomo tour in Florence?
There are three different passes available:
I usually recommend the Giotto Pass, because tickets for the Dome climb are almost always sold out in advance. Also, each pass is valid for three days, giving you flexibility during your stay in Florence.
Can I skip the line to enter the Duomo with these passes?
With any of these passes, you can access the Florence Cathedral, but there is usually still a short wait, typically ranging from 10 to 45 minutes. For this reason, I generally do not recommend hiring a guide specifically to enter the Cathedral, as waiting in line for a long time is not the best use of your guided experience. Instead, during the tour you will gain a deep understanding of the history and art of the entire Duomo complex, so you can then visit the Cathedral independently at your own pace. If you wish, you can also explore the Crypt of Santa Reparata beneath the Cathedral afterward.
