Description
Piazza del Duomo is the religious heart of Florence, in the historic center. It is dominated by Santa Maria del Fiore, with Brunelleschi's dome, Giotto's bell tower and the Baptistery: the city's religious center for over a thousand years.
Strictly speaking, the Baptistery stands in Piazza San Giovanni: an imaginary line between Via de' Martelli and Via dei Calzaiuoli splits the space in two. For visitors, though, it is one big pedestrian square.
Above everything stands Brunelleschi's dome. Starting in 1418, the architect solved a seemingly impossible problem with a double shell that held itself up, without wooden scaffolding. It can be seen from the surrounding hills, as far as the province of Prato.
Beside it, Giotto's bell tower climbs 84 meters, clad in white, green and pink marble, growing lighter toward the top. On the reliefs at its base, by Andrea Pisano and Luca della Robbia, human activities are carved: a manifesto of the Florence of trades and crafts.
The cathedral's neo-Gothic facade dates from the 19th century: it was built between 1871 and 1887 to a design by Emilio De Fabris. The one begun by Arnolfo di Cambio was torn down in 1587.
Around it, plenty to look at. In front of the apses is the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, with Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise and the choir galleries by Donatello and Luca della Robbia. On the Canons' Palace, statues of Arnolfo and Brunelleschi gaze at their masterpiece.
In the corner toward Via dei Calzaiuoli sits the Misericordia, a confraternity founded in 1244 to care for the sick and bury the dead. It has never been suppressed, and an ambulance always stands ready in front of its headquarters.
The square even gave Florentines an insult. When the city government tore down houses for the building site, the Bischeri refused to sell, hoping to profit. The city scaled back the site and paid them a pittance: hence, they say, the classic “O bischero!”
On Easter Sunday comes the Scoppio del Carro, the Explosion of the Cart. A cart loaded with fireworks arrives in front of the Duomo drawn by four white oxen; during Mass a rocket shaped like a dove runs along a steel cable and sets it off.
Don't miss
• Brunelleschi's dome.
• Giotto's bell tower.
• The Museo dell'Opera del Duomo.
• The statues of Arnolfo and Brunelleschi.
• The Scoppio del Carro.
Did you know?
• A white marble disc behind the Duomo marks where the lantern's ball fell, brought down by a storm in 1600.
• In front of the steps, some squares in the pavement show where the pillars of the portico of Santa Reparata, the oldest cathedral, once stood.
• On Palazzo Naldini, a bust recalls that Donatello had his workshop here.
Strictly speaking, the Baptistery stands in Piazza San Giovanni: an imaginary line between Via de' Martelli and Via dei Calzaiuoli splits the space in two. For visitors, though, it is one big pedestrian square.
Above everything stands Brunelleschi's dome. Starting in 1418, the architect solved a seemingly impossible problem with a double shell that held itself up, without wooden scaffolding. It can be seen from the surrounding hills, as far as the province of Prato.
Beside it, Giotto's bell tower climbs 84 meters, clad in white, green and pink marble, growing lighter toward the top. On the reliefs at its base, by Andrea Pisano and Luca della Robbia, human activities are carved: a manifesto of the Florence of trades and crafts.
The cathedral's neo-Gothic facade dates from the 19th century: it was built between 1871 and 1887 to a design by Emilio De Fabris. The one begun by Arnolfo di Cambio was torn down in 1587.
Around it, plenty to look at. In front of the apses is the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, with Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise and the choir galleries by Donatello and Luca della Robbia. On the Canons' Palace, statues of Arnolfo and Brunelleschi gaze at their masterpiece.
In the corner toward Via dei Calzaiuoli sits the Misericordia, a confraternity founded in 1244 to care for the sick and bury the dead. It has never been suppressed, and an ambulance always stands ready in front of its headquarters.
The square even gave Florentines an insult. When the city government tore down houses for the building site, the Bischeri refused to sell, hoping to profit. The city scaled back the site and paid them a pittance: hence, they say, the classic “O bischero!”
On Easter Sunday comes the Scoppio del Carro, the Explosion of the Cart. A cart loaded with fireworks arrives in front of the Duomo drawn by four white oxen; during Mass a rocket shaped like a dove runs along a steel cable and sets it off.
Don't miss
• Brunelleschi's dome.
• Giotto's bell tower.
• The Museo dell'Opera del Duomo.
• The statues of Arnolfo and Brunelleschi.
• The Scoppio del Carro.
Did you know?
• A white marble disc behind the Duomo marks where the lantern's ball fell, brought down by a storm in 1600.
• In front of the steps, some squares in the pavement show where the pillars of the portico of Santa Reparata, the oldest cathedral, once stood.
• On Palazzo Naldini, a bust recalls that Donatello had his workshop here.