What to Know Before You Visit
The Dome That Reinvented Architecture
When Filippo Brunelleschi won the commission to cap Florence's cathedral in 1420, no one knew how to raise a dome that wide without the timber centring that didn't exist at the scale required. His solution — a self-supporting double shell of herringbone brickwork — was completed in 1436 and remains the largest masonry dome in the world. It still defines the Florence skyline.
What the Ticket Covers
The cathedral floor is free to enter (with a queue), but the sights worth booking are ticketed together: the climb up Brunelleschi's dome, the Baptistery with its gilded Gates of Paradise, Giotto's bell tower, and the Opera del Duomo Museum that holds the originals. A combined pass covers them; the dome climb alone needs its own reserved time.
Practical Advice for the Visit
Reserve the dome-climb slot first — it is the constraint everything else fits around. The climb is 463 steps with no lift and narrow passages, so it is not for everyone. A dress code (covered shoulders and knees) applies to the cathedral and its monuments. Allow around two hours for the dome plus one or two of the other sites.
