The Unmissable / The Complex of the Cathedral Tour

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Guided tour of the 'The Complex of the Cathedral' of Florence

located in the northern part of the original historic center, houses a single large museum complex called 'Il Grande Museo del Duomo' (The Great Cathedral Museum). It includes the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore with the remains of the former cathedral of Santa Reparata, the Baptistery of San Giovanni, Giotto's Bell Tower, Brunelleschi's Dome and the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (Cathedral Museum).

FLORENCE CATHEDRAL AND BAPTISTERY TOUR

The tour of Florence that I propose begins with a visit to the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, where we will admire the austere Gothic architecture and the enormous sense of space suggested by the mighty pillars that support very high ceilings. From the left aisle we will reach the choir of the church, surmounted by Brunelleschi's Dome.

The inside of the dome is decorated by the famous Giorgio Vasari's Last Judgment: the largest fresco ever made!

Before leaving the cathedral we can visit the archaeological area under the church floor, where the remains of the former cathedral of Santa Reparata still preserving a splendid mosaic floor have been brought to light. Once back in the square we will continue the visit inside the Baptistery, the oldest building of the Cathedral consecrated to St. John the Baptist, patron saint of the city. Here we will admire the richness of the polychrome marbles and the columns that decorate the interior walls, and then raise our gaze to the precious mosaic gold tiles completely covering the ceiling. If you have more time, you can combine the Cathedral and Baptistery Tour with Brunelleschi's Dome or the Museum of the Cathedral.

BRUNELLESCHI'S DOME GUIDED TOUR

The climbing of the Dome is one of the most fascinating and evocative experiences you can do in Florence. Entering the cathedral from the Almond Door, on the left side, we will begin a narrow and winding stairway that will lead us, after 463 steps, to the base of the lantern of the Dome.

During the climbing we will go along a walkway along the internal perimeter of the drum

We will spend some minutes suspended in mid-air between the choir of the church and the top of the dome. This 'suspended gallery' will allow you to admire the fresco of the Last Judgment from an absolutely privileged point of view. Once at the top of the dome we can turn around the lantern, more than 90 meters above the ground, enjoying a fantastic bird's eye view of the entire city and the surrounding area.

OPERA DEL DUOMO MUSEUM GUIDED TOUR

Completely renovated and expanded between 2013 and 2015, the Opera del Duomo Museum houses works from the entire sacred complex of the cathedral. In the huge Hall of the 'Paradise' you will be ravished by the exceptional 1: 1 reconstruction of the ancient facade of the cathedral, where the original statues relocated in situ make up an exceptional gallery of Florentine Gothic sculpture.

The original gilded bronze portals of the Baptistery

On the opposite side of the hall we can admire the magnificent gilded bronze portals of the Baptistery, including the famous Gates of Paradise by Lorenzo Ghiberti. The penitent Mary Magdalene by Donatello and the Pietà Bandini by Michelangelo are other masterpieces that we will see on the ground floor.

On the first floor the 'Bell Tower Gallery' will show us the most spectacular example of late Gothic sculpture in Florence and in the 'Dome Gallery' we will discover the technical secrets and architectural innovations that allowed Brunelleschi to create the largest self-supporting dome in the world! We will conclude the visit by admiring the dome of the cathedral from the panoramic terrace on the roof of the museum.