Suggesting that you should see the Duomo when visiting Florence is like suggesting that you should breathe, it is almost unavoidable. Not only does it dominate the skyline, but almost all of the roads will lead you there as well. With that said, it is truly one of the most stunning cathedrals in all of Europe. Officially called the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore or Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower, the Duomo has the largest brick dome in the world. The façade of the cathedral is as equally beautiful with its intricate details and uniquely white coloring compared to most other cathedrals.
Construction began on the church in 1296 and it would take about 140 years to complete. The complex is made up of three buildings, the cathedral itself, the Baptistery, and Giotto’s Campanile, which is the bell tower. The Piazza del Duomo is definitely a crowded location as tourists flock to the area to see the Duomo of Firenze. You could spend hours looking at the details of the façade, which is made up of marble panels of pink and green with white borders. The artwork above the doors of the cathedral is as beautiful as the artwork that can be found in the city’s museums. You can also get tickets to enter the Baptistery, but even if you don’t enter, the ornate doors cannot be missed.
To truly get an understanding of how impressive the size of the Duomo is, visit the Piazzale de Michelangelo which overlooks the city. Although there are other towers and churches in Florence, nothing compares to the magnificence of the Duomo. Between the dome and the bell tower, the cathedral truly dominates the historic city. There are many reasons to visit Florence, but seeing the Duomo is high on the list of things to see not only in Florence, but also in all of Italy if not Europe.
Such beautiful photos, I’ve totally been into Tuscany lately!
Thank you 🙂
One day I must see the beauty, which has attracted me since I watched the film, A Room with a View!
Amazing photos of a beautiful city. Never made it to Florence although been to italy so many times but fingers crossed we’ll do it one day. Nice post.
Thank you. We hope you will get to visit, it is beautiful 🙂
Yessss!
Beautiful photos and post! I love Florence!
Thank you :). We do too!
Wow so beautiful!
Nice pictures you’ve got there. I love Firenze!
This was one of my favourite places in Italy! Loved it!
Beautiful photos You have captured the Duono very nicely .Was in Florence myself last month .
Thank you :). Florence is beautiful.
It is stunning. I dream of having a road trip in Italy and visiting all these amazing churches, cities, eating Italian… Love it!
We would love to do a road trip in Italy. That would be an amazing way to see the country.
I’m headed to Italy next week and I am so excited to see the Duomo! Beautiful pictures!
Enjoy your trip! You will love it 🙂
Hello, Great blog! Thank you for sharing. I’m from Florence and I’ve really enjoyed reading. You two look so so happy there! I’ve got a little story about the cathedral’s dome, that I like to share with you. “Il peposo” is a typical dish of Impruneta, a village in the hills around Florence, famous for the production of terracotta pots and tiles.
Legend has it, that Filippo Brunelleschi came across this dish while he was directing the work on the dome of Sanata Maria del Fiore, Florence’s famous cathedral.
Although the exact methodology used by Brunelleschi to erect the cupola remains a mystery, we are certain that only the best materials were used, such as the Carrara marble and the Terracotta tiles from Impruneta.
With no time to lose and with so many tiles to fire up, labourers at Impruneta’s furnace worked morning to night. Those in charge of preparing lunch had only a few coins to buy ingredients, so they decided to cook secondary meat cuts that were chopped into chunks and cooked with pepper corns in terracotta pots. The meat cooked near the big oven, but slowly, until tender. They say that it was Brunelleschi himself, impressed by the taste of this stew, who suggested adding Chianti to the dish to make it even better.
I hope you enjoy the little story about the dome, and thank you again for sharing your magical time in Florence with us.
Thank you for sharing your story with us. We love learning things like this. We absolutely loved our trip to Florence and will definitely be back one day!
Fabulous photos! I would love to see it in person someday.
It is stunning 🙂
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