Florence - Climbing to the top of the Duomo

Our climbing goal, circled. 
And yes, the crowds at the base of the Duomo were constant!

The best views in Florence require a little sweat, and a reservation.  We were fortunate to get a time slot to climb to the lantern at the top of the duomo (dome) of the world’s fourth largest cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore (“Our Lady of the Flower”).  The cathedral itself is magnificent, but its crowning glory is the cupola designed and built by Filippo Brunelleschi in the 15^th century.  And in fact, when people refer to “the Duomo” everyone knows what you’re talking about.  It’s that distinctive.

Two days before the climb, we’d visited Museo dell Opera.  The museum’s name is a little confusing, because it’s not about music.  It’s all about the construction of the cathedral and the baptistery and bell tower next door (and oh, it also contains some priceless art, including one of Michelangelo’s last sculptures.)  We learned that the dome was first planned in 1367, and a brick model was even set up next to the bell tower.  But no one really knew how to build such a massive dome.  (The older baptistery, with a smaller dome, had needed to be reinforced in around 1400.)  Bruneschelli had the radical solution to construct the dome without scaffolding; it rose as a self-supporting structure. It was also built in two layers, with an air pocket between layers. It took a relatively short time to build; about sixteen years (1420-1436).

Walking up the space between the outside and inside domes.

So, to walk up to the lantern of the cupola, with all the great views, you are climbing up that “air pocket” between the dome layers.  It’s not for the claustrophobic.  The good news is that there  are two landings on the way, and one is at the base of the interior of the cupola.  

Steven goggles the immense fresco covering the interior of the dome.

Close up.  The best views of Hell are from the base of the dome. 

The interior of the cupola was painted by Vasari and Zuccari over a hundred years after the dome was finished (1572-1579). Not surprisingly, Hell is depicted at the lowest levels so we lucky climbers got to see those scenes writ large.  (Jesus and the prophets are much further up the dome.) 

After ogling the wretched sinners at the base of the cupola, we continued our climb up narrow steep steps all the way to the lantern that crowns the dome.  Once you get to the top, you’re free to enjoy the 360 degree views as long as you like.  It was a highlight of our visit to Florence.   

*Additional construction information is from a book Steven bought in the Museo dell Opera’s bookstore, Brunelleschi’s Cupola: Past and Present of an Architectural Masterpiece, by G. and M. Fanelli.  On the way down form the dome, and the second landing, we saw a display of tools Bruneschelli designed just to build the Duomo.  Fascinating.