Florence Cathedral

What makes it special

Brunelleschi's dome was the first octagonal dome built without a temporary wooden frame to hold it up while it rose. Its bricks are laid in a herringbone pattern that passes the weight of each fresh course into the nearest vertical rib.

The dome was built without expansion joints, so the long cracks running up its shell now do that job and let the masonry move.

The inside of the dome is painted with a Last Judgement by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari. The church is 153 metres long, and the lantern opening is 90 metres above the floor.

The 44 stained-glass windows are the grandest set made in Italy in the 14th and 15th centuries, and Donatello and Ghiberti are among their designers.

At the very top, the gilt copper ball on the lantern came from the workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio, where Leonardo da Vinci was then a young apprentice.

Visiting

Two visits share the building: the nave, which is free, and the dome climb on the Brunelleschi Pass. The pass also covers the bell tower, the Baptistery and the museum over three days from your dome date, and you can see those at any time in that window.

The stair runs one way through a gap little more than a metre wide between the inner and outer shells, so you never meet anyone coming down. It twists and narrows, and one slow group can hold up the line behind it. About a quarter of the way up, you step out onto a narrow gallery looking up at the Last Judgement.

The climb ends on an open terrace at the lantern with little shelter from sun or rain, and staff soon move visitors along. Back on the ground, go into the nave for the huge clock face Paolo Uccello painted over the main door, with four portraits of prophets around it. Finish in the crypt of Santa Reparata, which takes under half an hour.

Tips

Cover your shoulders and knees and leave flip-flops behind. Carry only a small bag, because backpacks and heavy objects are turned away at the dome entrance. Bring the passport or ID that matches the name on your dome ticket.

Dress light for the stair, since the space between the shells gets warm even on cool days. If you have heart trouble, dizzy spells or claustrophobia, ask your doctor before you book the climb.