The Duomo group

Florence's Duomo (Cathedral), Baptistery with its Gates of Paradise, Bell Tower designed by Giotto, and the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo

Duomo group
Piazza del Duomo/Piazza San Giovanni
tel. +39-055-230-2885, www.operaduomo.firenze.it

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 Duomo group

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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 Duomo (cathedral) of Florence—official name: Santa Maria del FIore—is clad in festive white, green, and pink marbles, with a flamboyant neo-Gothic facade from the 18th century, all capped by Brunelleschi's massive brick-red dome that rears nobly above the city skyline.

The cathedral is joined on its lively square by the baptistery, Giotto's bell tower, and a museum, a group of buildings that together will gobble up about one to three hours of your time.

Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore)—Renaissance frescoes, della Robbia sculptures, Uccello frescoes, and the chance to climb between the onion-like layers of Brunelleschi's Dome, an ingenious feat of engineering that rewards the effort with a city panorama from the top...

Baptistery—Glittering mosaics inside, and three sets of giant bronze doors, two of which—designed by Lorenzo Ghiberti—are held by many art historians to be the first true works of the Renaissance and which were so beautifully sculpted they were nicknamed "The Gates of Paradise" by none other than Michelangelo himself...

Museo dell'Opera Del Duomo (Museum of Cathedral Works)—Statues by Donatello, Michelangelo, Luca della Robbia, Andrea Pisano, and Giotto, plus Ghiberti's original Gates of Paradise panels and some of the equipment used by Brunelleschi to build his famous Cathedral dome...

Giotto's Bell Tower—There are lots of stairs to climb to get to the top of the "Lilly of Florence," but the reward is a nifty view from the top one of Italy's prettiest bell towers, partly designed by Giotto, slathered in sculptures and reliefs, and the only truly Gothic structure in the entire Duomo group...

Tips

Planning your day: It should take about 20–30 minutes inside the Duomo itself, another 20–30 minutes in and around the Baptistery. Climbing either Brunelleschi's dome (463 steps) or Giotto's bell tower (414 steps) will take about an hour each. 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.)
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: Best of Florence Walking Tour including Accademia Gallery and Duomo
     • Skip the Line: Florence Renaissance Walking Tour with Accademia Gallery
     • Florence Half-Day or Full-Day Sightseeing Tour
     • Florence Segway Tour
     • Florence Photography Walking Tour: Birth of the Renaissance
     • Private Tour: Florence Walking Tour
     • Florence Walking Tour
     • Private Tour: Florence Sightseeing Tour
     • Florence Bike Tour
     • Florence Sunset Bike Tour
     • Florence Highlights Sightseeing Tour (bus)

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This material was last updated January 2011. All information was accurate at the time.

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The Duomo group

Florence's Duomo (Cathedral), Baptistery with its Gates of Paradise, Bell Tower designed by Giotto, and the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo

Tips

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