Giotto's bell tower

Giotto's Florence campanile is one of Italy's loveliest bell towers

Campanile di Giotto (Giotto's bell tower)
Piazza del Duomo/Piazza San Giovanni
tel. +39-055-230-2885
www.operaduomo.firenze.it
Open daily 8:30am–7:30pm

Sights nearby
*** Duomo (cathedral) [church]
*** Baptistery [church]
*** Brunelleschi's dome [monument]
* Giotto's bell tower [monument]
** Museo dell'Opera [museum]
* San Lorenzo [church]
*** Leather market [market]

Where to eat nearby
*** I Fratellini [snack]
* Le Mossacce [meal]
Casa di Dante [meal]
* Alle Murate [meal]
* L'Antico Trippaio [snack]
Vecchia Firenze [meal]
* La Mescita [light meal]
*** La Giostra [meal]

Hotels nearby
Hotel Aldini [moderate]
Hotel Duomo [moderate]
Granduomo [moderate]
Palazzo Gamba [moderate/premier]
Hotel Bigallo [cheap]
Residenza Della Signoria [cheap]
» More hotels near the bell tower

ReidsItaly.com Florence Map

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TOURS FROM OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS that include Florence

Intrepid Travel 2011 Italy trips
• Best of Italy (15 days)
• Italy Experience (15 days)
• Classic Italy (21 days)
• Italy Family Adventure (14 days)
• Highlights of Italy (8 days)
• Tuscan Express (7 days)

G Adventures 2011 Italy trips
• Ultimate Italy (13 days)
• Italy Culture and History Explored (9 days)
• The Taste of Tuscany (8 days)
• Venice to Rome Adventure (8 days)
• Italy Family Adventure (10 days)

iExplore Italy trips 2011
• Italy Experience (9 days)
• Italy in Style (9 days)
• Magical Tuscany & Portofino Peninsula (10 days)
• Tuscan Delights (8 days)
• Splendors of Italy & Southern France (16 days)

The campanile (bell tower) of Florence's Duomo, as seen from the cathedral dome. (Photo by Thermos) To the right of the cathedral facade is what's known as Giotto's Bell Tower, even though that early Renaissance painter only designed and built the first two levels of it.

Several architects and styles later, it emerged as "The Lily of Florence," a 277-foot-high pillar of marble pierced with slender windows and ringed by marble reliefs.

(Most of the sculptures have been rescued from the elements and replaced by replicas. Want to see the originals up close? They're housed in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo behind the cathedral.)

If climbing the Duomo's dome wasn't enough for you, you can scale this baby, too, in 414 steps —and without the crowds the Dome's ascent draws.

The view's not quite so high, but you get a great close-up shot of Brunelleschi's dome.

Tips

Planning your day: Climbing either Giotto's bell tower (414 steps) or Brunelleschi's dome (463 steps) will take about an hour each. It should take about 20–30 minutes inside the adjacent Duomo itself, another 20–30 minutes in and around the Baptistery. The Duomo museum will eat up 45–90 minutes of your time, depending on how into it you get.
Timing your visit: Except Sundays, the baptistery's only open in the afternoons, so on a tight schedule visit all the Duomo buildings later in the day so you can get them all in at once. The cathedral itself closes first, so don't save it for last. (On Sundays, however, arrive just after early lunch to hit the baptistery first—as it's open only 8:30am to 2pm—then do the cathedral once it reopens after morning mass.)
Last entry: 40 minutes before closing.
Book a tour: The cathedral itself offers free tours every 40 minutes. If you prefer a longer guided tour of the Duomo and its surrounding buildings, book one via our partner site Viator.com.

     • Skip the Line: Florence Renaissance Walking Tour with Accademia Gallery
     • Florence Half-Day or Full-Day Sightseeing Tour
     • Florence Segway Tour (external)
     • Private Tour: Florence Walking Tour
     • Florence Walking Tour
     • Private Tour: Florence Sightseeing Tour

The Duomo Group - Cathedral, Baptistery, Giotto's bell tower, Museo dell'Opera
More views in Florence - Brunelleschi's dome, Piazzale Michelangiolo, San Miniato al Monte, Fiesole
Churches in Florence
Top sights in Florence

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This material was last updated July 2010. All information was accurate at the time.

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Giotto's bell tower

Giotto's Florence campanile is one of Italy's loveliest bell towers

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