The Duomo or Cathedral dominates the Florence skyline. It was originally built over the 7th century church of Santa Reparata, the ruins of which can still be seen in the crypt. These ruins were unearthed during excavations in 1965 through 1973 and is found beneath the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral (Florence Cathedral). Its
early origins are important reminders of early Christianity and growth in the region and in Florence.  The church is a part of the old basilica where the present Cathedral is today. The Cathedral was completed in the 15th century after nearly two hundred years of construction. With the crypt dating to the 6th century, the site has been venerated for nearly 1500 years. It is thought the crypt was built in anticipation of a battle to provide an offering to God. It is also thought to be one of the largest early Christian complexes in the Tuscan region.

The Cathedral is magnificent, the third largest in the world, topped with the 15th Century dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, who is widely considered the founding father of the Renaissance. The 45.5M dome was completed in 1434 and the church was consecrated by Pope Eugene IV in March of 1436. Work on the Cathedral slowed, and many features were added over the following 400 years, the most important being the façade of the Cathedral which was not completed until 1884.  

The Baptistery began construction in 1059, separate because in medieval times you could not enter the church until you were baptized. Its interior glitters with Byzantine-style mosaics created in the 13th century, long before the Renaissance. These vivid scenes, bringing countless Bible stories to life, inspired the medieval faithful.

The Duomo has several buildings of significance. Both alone and with Vicky I have explored the Cathedral, Baptistery inside and out. We have climbed the bell tower and still regret not climbing the Duomo. The exterior of the buildings is covered with white, green and pink marble from its 1884 completion, covered of course
by the deep red dome from the 15th century and covered with statues. These statues are reproductions with the restored originals in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo. I have spent days walking around the exterior of these amazing structures, mesmerized by the craftmanship and lost skills and sense of culture poured into this (and many other European Cathedrals).

The doors of the Baptistery and to a lesser extent the Cathedral are masterful works of art. The originals are again in the Museo, but the reproductions are amazing as well. I became fascinated with the story telling, all biblical in nature, presented in Bronze almost 600 years ago.  It is thought the renaissance began when a
city-wide competition was held to design and build the Baptistery doors in 1401. Lorenzo Ghiberti won the competition and created an almost 3D imagery with depth. He spent 27 years creating this 9-ton gateway which Michelangelo dubbed “Gates of Paradise”. Andrea Pisano’s South doors do not get the same attention as Ghiberti but are equally beautiful. Crafted between 1330 and 1336, they represent the life of John the Baptist, patron saint of Florence and specifically the Baptistery. Again, the originals are in the Museo after restoration.  

We climbed the bell tower. We only had time (and energy) to ascend once and missed the chance to climb the Dome. Big Mistake. The bell tower had the best views of the Cathedral, but the Dome climb enabled you to get up close and personal to the amazing interior dome paintings and a view across the interior of the Cathedral. It is now my excuse to return to Florence (and the sooner the better).

The bell tower climb was fascinating. The Campanile is called Giotto’s Bell Tower after the artist responsible for its construction Giotto di Bondone. Construction began in 1334, but unfortunately Giotto died in 1337. The Campanile was built with 5 different levels with the lower most intricately decorated with hexagonal panels and reliefs depicting the Creation of man, planets, virtues, liberal arts and the sacraments. The second level is decorated with statues of prophets from the bible. Many of these statues were designed by Donatello, with others attributed to Pisano and di Bartolo. Again, all these original works of art are now in the Museum for preservation.

The tower is 278 feet tall and has 414 steps. Some places are very narrow but not as difficult as it sounds with many places to stop and look out at the amazing
views. Once at the top, you can see all of Florence and beyond. My best photos of the Cathedral were taken through small windows while arriving at the top provided almost a bird’s eye view. It is worth the climb.

The interiors of both the Cathedral and Baptistery are dominated by their domes. After the magnificence of the exterior and entryways, it feels very austere, with most of the decorations having been lost or moved to the Museo with only a few exceptions such as Funerary Monument to Sir John Hawkwood by Paolo Uccello (1436) and Dante Before the City of Florence by Domenico di Michelino (1465). A climb to the top of the dome would have included bird eye views of the interior and close ups of the amazing dome paintings. The interior of the 45 metre (147 ft) wide dome was a much debated subject. Some thought it should be covered with a
mosaic decoration to make the most of the available light. Brunelleschi proposed the vault to glimmer with resplendent gold. Finally, Cosimo I de’ Medici decided
to have the dome painted with a representation of The Last Judgment. This enormous work, 3,600 metres² (38 750 ft²) of painted surface, was started in 1568 by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari and would last till 1579. The upper portion, near the lantern, representing The 24 Elders of Apoc. 4 was finished by Vasari in 1574. Federico Zuccari and several collaborators, such as Domenico Cresti, finished the other portions.

The Baptistery is also austere, if you don’t count the golden dome and mosaics on the walls. The dome is covered with mosaics on gold backgrounds, split into eight segments.  The upper frieze shows the angelic hierarchies around all eight segments, whilst the rest of three segments shows the Last Judgement, dominated by a huge figure of Christ, under whose feet is shown the resurrection of the dead. To Christ’s right are shown the just welcomed into heaven, whilst on the left is hell and its devils.

The other five segments show stories from the Book of Genesis and the lives of Joseph, the Virgin Mary , Christ  and John the Baptist.

There was construction both times I visited Florence. Again, an excuse to return and capture its serene beauty. 

A must see if visiting the Duomo complex is the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo or Cathedral Museum. It holds the original artwork from the Cathedral, Bell Tower and
Baptistery, including the newly restored golden doors from the Baptistery. These Lorenzo Ghiberti doors are called the Gates of Paradise. Also featured are the cantorias or singing galleries designed for the cathedral by Luca della Robbia and Donatello, and Donatello’s beautiful Penitent Magdalene

My favorite though is the Deposition, a pieta sculptured by Michelangelo which he intended for his own tomb. This is one of three Pieta sculptures by the great artist. His first resides at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican city and his third in Milan at the Castello Sforzesco. Interestingly, the Vatican Pieta was his first famous work and the
Milan Pieta was his final work. But the Deposition is absolutely amazing. It depicts the body of Jesus being removed from the Cross.  Four figures carry him: his mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, and a figure who is either Nicodemus or Joseph of Arimathea. It is reported used a self portrait for the man’s face, making himself an active participant in the scene.  Fifty years older than he was when he carved his first Pieta, he now demonstrates a more personal connection with Christ.