Exploring Italy: Florence's Doumo
Written by Tyler Braun
Whenever I am put on the spot and asked my favorite place I’ve ever traveled, I have my answer ready to go: Florence, Italy. It is a magical place that for a reason I can’t put into words, struck me to the core. It’s probably the one place in this world that I would most like to go back to. I fell deeply, madly in love with the place. One of the most quintessential sights in the city is the iconic red dome of the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, better known as the Duomo.
The incredible view from the top of Brunelleschi’s Dome.
Time travel is not an easy feat, but I do believe it can be done. I’m sure there are many ways of doing it, but there’s only one sure fire way that I know of, and it’s here. Climb the 463 stone steps, past Vasari’s frescoes of the Last Judgement, through the seemingly never ending narrow passageways, and finally emerge at the top of Brunelleschi’s Dome.
From here, you’re a bird’s eye view of what was the epicenter of the renaissance. If you try hard enough, you can find yourself in the year 1400. Now, don’t get me wrong, the city of Florence looks quite a bit different now. A lot can change in 600 years. But from all the way up here, you can feel the weight of this city. As you stare out, you remember that this is the realm of Michelangelo, Machiavelli, the Medici, and Leonardo da Vinci. They walked these very same streets. If you close your eyes, you can almost hear Michelangelo chipping away at marble even now. This where we find the roots of our modern world.
The exterior of The Duomo Cathedral.
The Dome
Construction of The Duomo Cathedral first began in the year 1296, and Florentines always knew they wanted a giant dome to top off this massive cathedral. There was only one problem - they didn’t know how to build a dome. For over a century, there was a giant hole in the middle of the roof, waiting until the engineering feat could be accomplished.
Enter Filippo Brunelleschi, who constructed a dome within a dome. The inner dome, now painted with Vasari’s Last Judgement, and the red outer dome, now the symbol of Florence. Construction of the dome began in 1420 and was finished in 1436. To this day, it is the largest masonry dome ever built.
Those travelers brave enough to conquer the 463 steps, scuttle through the narrow stone passageways, and defy their fear of heights are rewarded with one of the best views in all of Europe!
The entrance of the church with Giotto’s Bell Tower.
Exterior of the Duomo
The dome is certainly the most recognizable and most impressive feature of the cathedral, but take the time to walk around the whole place.
The rather busy facade of the cathedral is clad in three colors of Tuscan marble - green, pink and white. This was not completed until 1887, nearly 600 years after construction began. Some people love the look of the church, while others deride it as, “the church’s pajamas”.
The main entrance of the church is an impressive sight in its own right. With Giotto’s Bell Tower to one side, it’s worth taking a few minutes to stand and take in the details.
Bapistry and Ghiberti’s Bronze Doors.
Baptistry & Ghiberti's Bronze Doors
Once you’ve had your fill of the facade, turn on your heels 180 degrees and you’ll be greeted by the octagonal Baptistry and Ghiberti’s Bronze Doors.
These doors are facsimiles of the originals, with the real doors currently residing in Duomo Museum. Lorenzo Ghiberti took 27 years to sculpt these iconic doors, known as the Gates of Paradise.
They represent some of the earliest works of renaissance sculpture able to demonstrate three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional plane. They show a mastery of perspective and depth, making these both a mathematical and artistic display of beauty.
If you ever find yourself in Florence, I cannot urge you enough to make sure this incredible sight is on your must see list! It’s truly a breathtaking feat of both architecture and art, as well as being an important piece of history.
I, for one, cannot wait until the day I can return to this magical city and once again take in the view from The Duomo.
If you want to see more of Florence as well as a few other incredible European cities, check out Tyler Braun’s YouTube channel!
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