Santa Maria del Fiore ('Duomo')
- jwagner
- First Reviewer
- 4 out of 5
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Editor Pick
Church at Center Stage
- October 19, 2009
- Rated 4 of 5 by
airynfaerie from St. Augustine, Florida
As star of the city and iconic domed player in the skyline of Florence, Santa Maria del Fiore (Saint Maria of the Flowers) is a must see for any visitor. With a comprehensive array of offerings like climbing Giotto's belltower, exploring the dome, visiting the museum containing the original works of the church, going inside the baptistry, or just stepping inside the cathedral itself, this church is one of the most well-known structures in Tuscany.
Originally designed in 1294 as the third church to be constructed on this site, Santa Maria del Fiore (commonly just referred to as the "Duomo") went through quite a few periods of work and additions before ending at the structure we see today. The Dome was built by Brunelleschi in 1420 and is still Europe's largest circular dome. The marble facade wasn't added until 1887, and is quite spectacular in detail.
Inside, one might be struck by the simple, almost stark, interior. Very cold and open, the stone walls seem like pavement. As in Gothic tradition, the high arches tower above the visitor leading attention upwards towards the heaven. There are a few notable artpieces to see here, from stained glass by Ghiberti, a fresco by Uccello of Sir John Hawkwood, and of course the painting inside the domed ceiling by Vasari. Colorful, and sometimes graphic depictions of judgment day are represented (but for a better look, climb the dome as you'll get to walk on a pathway just inside the ceiling's border).
Named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this Basilica is such an interesting visit. View the tomb of Brunelleschi, sit and enjoy a mass, and try to put yourself in the place of a Florentine during the Renaissance period. It's a bonus if you happen to be visiting during a holiday or traditional festival in which many celebrations are held here at the church or the piazza!
• http://www.duomofirenze.it/index-eng.htm
• Piazza Duomo
• Open 10am - 5pm (Mon - Thurs), 10am - 3:30pm (Fri), 10am - 4:45pm (Sat), 1:30pm - 4:45pm (Sun)
• Free Admission to enter church (various fees for belltower, baptistry, museum, or dome)
From journal Churches in Florence - The Major Players
Editor Pick
#4 Best View in Florence
- October 6, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
airynfaerie from St. Augustine, Florida
Probably the most famed structure of the Reinassance city of Florence, Italy is the massive red-roofed dome of the Santa Maria del Fiore church - otherwise known as "Il Duomo". Designed by the famed artist Brunelleschi , and completed in 1436, this dome is still an architectural wonder and is still the largest masonry dome in the world.
At 463 steps up, this climb is not one for the faint-hearted...or claustrophobic for that matter, as much of the climb is in very narrow staircases that slant in between the interior dome and the outside roof. One of the most unique things about this view, are the views one can see on the way up. Not only are there peeks outside through small openings, but at one point, the entrance line flows inside the painted ceiling of the interior of the church. Up close views are allowed at the colorful artwork of Judgement Day, and there are even a few small displays of the old manual tools that the workers used while building this massive dome.
When you finally make your way to the top, the skyline of the city opens up beneath you and the 360º view can take your breath away. Enjoy taking your time as you walk around the circular platform, looking down the face of the dome, towards the bell-tower and over the unending sea of red rooftops.
This is a view like none other, and a climbing experience well worth the trip. Bring your camera and some energy - and you won't regret it!
Entrance door on the north side of the church
Open Mon-Fri 8:30am-6:20pm; Sat 8:30am-5pm
Admission fee: 8euro
From journal Best Lookouts and Views Around Florence
Editor Pick
"Brunelleschi is Magic"
The ensemble of the Piazza del Duomo is stunning. It is weird to think that the cathedral’s distinctive frontage was not completed until the 19th century. I found it hard to imagine it without the green banding you see down its length, and which reflects and echoes that on the Baptistery and on the campanile. The main structure of what you see though dates from the original plans (though with some later modifications) by Arnolfo di Cambio; the first stone was laid on this work in 1296. It was designed as a show of one-upmanship against rivals Pisa and Siena. And when completed in the 15th century this church was the largest in Europe, ‘broad enough to cover with its shadow all the peoples of Tuscany’ as the chronicler Villani put it. Yet no church could be large enough to cover the legions of tourists that now swirl around it.
The exterior is a riot of green and white marble, Romanesque in form, but studded with gothic pointed arches, home to a breviary of carved saints. This duomo is dedicated to Santa Maria del Fiore – St Mary of the Flower. To my mind the one problem is that Brunelleschi’s miraculous red-tiled dome is so vast, and Giotto’s spindly campanile is so tall, that you cannot really fit them into a photograph. Whereas Pisa’s Piazza dei Miracoli has wide-open vistas, Florence’s Piazza del Duomo is hemmed close by buildings.
The interior of the duomo is austerely – and somewhat disappointingly – bare. There is a mural by Uccello, the master of perspective, to the English condottiere (mercenary captain) Sir John Hawkwood. You can also get a half-glimpse of Vasari’s 16th century illustration of the Last Judgement under the dome (dancing skeletons etc). There is also a stairway leading down to the remains of the original Santa Reparata cathedral, for which you have to pay. Save money. Go down and to the left to the giftshop. From there you get an idea of what lies down there. You also get to see Brunelleschi’s tomb.
Why is Brunelleschi so feted? Well, to quote the epitaph from Sir Christopher Wren’s tomb in London’s St Paul’s Cathedral, ‘If you seek his monument, look around you’. The nave is only half the story. As tall again is the immense red mitre of the dome. Octagonal, segmented like an orange, shaped like an egg standing on end (on of Brunelleschi’s favourite tricks), this dome is as huge as a hill. It is Florence’s crowning symbol and its glory, and can be seen to its best vantage from the uplands around the city or – for greater detail – from the top of the campanile. It is still the highest peak in Florence’s city-scape.And it is impossible. The space it had to span was so vast, contemporaries denied any dome could roof it. When Filippo Brunelleschi avowed that not only could the octagonal sanctuary be domed, but then proposed to be the first to not use a wooden supporting frame, his rivals scoffed. And yet, sixteen years later, the dome was completed; allegedly its construction still cannot be satisfactorily explained by today’s architects. The lantern at the top was another piece of Brunelleschi brilliance; again he proved wrong the nay-sayers who doubted this vast canopy could support another structure.
Nowadays the dome also supports sightseers. From 8.30 to 6.20 entry costs €6.00. Claustrophobes and acrophobes avoid, but anyone else I would encourage to pay a visit. You enter from the north side of the nave – you will be able to spot the queue. Aim for the start of the day, or the end to get a shorter wait. 463 stairs lead up – oddly the ascent was not too arduous, and even I didn’t get out of puff. You get a break half-way up. A balcony leads you around the interior of the dome, at the top of the octagonal drum. It is only from here that you are able to see all of Vasari’s Last Judgement. The man is a hack. The devilish tortures he depicts are just prurience – particularly the one poor soul who is getting a flaming torch rammed up his fundament. Still, even the dizzying vertigo you might gain from craning up at the scene is preferable to considering how high above the marble pavement this flimsy narrow walkway projects!
It was the tail end of the day when I went up, 5.45. In March this proved to be exactly the right time to pay a visit. Normally the 180 degree views over Florence are worth the entrance fee alone. At 91m, this is the highest point you can reach in the city – taller than the Palazzo Vecchio’s tower (which is closed to the public anyway), taller (just) than the campanile. To the south is the Palazzo Vecchio, to the south-east Santa Croce, to the north-west the dome of San Lorenzo. But to the west…To the west the sun sank orange, tinting the buildings with its amber light. The change in illumination brought a completely different aspect to the scene from when I had gazed from the top of the campanile that morning – plus half the diorama was not swallowed up by the duomo itself. As the sun dropped behind the rumpled western hills the campanile looked like a rocket to the stars, limned in fire. Along with my fellow tourists I stood in awe-struck silence. The theatre of the moment was really special.
Descending, I saw a spot of remarkably erudite graffiti on a wall: ‘Brunelleschi is Magic’. Indeed.
Even if there is only the slimmest possibility of you revisiting that moment as the sun flared in its dying moments, I would urge you to climb the 463 steps to the dome; hell, I’d be right behind you, pushing you up the tight passages. An ascent of either dome or campanile should be compulsary. In comparison to the vantage point offered up there and the busy green and white of the exterior, the interior is a real let down. Still, at least it is free to enter the duomo.
One last thing. Pay homage to the man himself. On the southern side of the Piazza there is a marvellous seated statue of Filippo Brunelleschi, squinting up at the dome he designed. It is a wonderful humanistic sculpture, and makes this architectural genius seem a pleasant old duffer.
From journal Florence, Birth-Place of the Renaissance
Editor Pick
Santa Maria del Fiore ('Duomo')
- September 22, 2007
- Rated 4 of 5 by
paolo1899 from Naples, Italy
This massive structure is one of the most enduring symbols in all of Italy. Located in the appropriately named Piazza del Duomo and dedicated to Saint Mary of The Flower, the Duomo is the third largest cathedral in the world and de facto center of Florence, with its gigantic cupola visible from nearly every street in the city. Considered to be the architect Filippo Bruneschelli's masterpiece, the cathedral's giant cupola was constructed to express the bridging of Greek and Gothic architecture.
Inside, the Duomo cathedral is all marble floors and yawning aisles, shaped to appear like a gigantic cross laid onto the ground. The arches raise to over 75 feet in the air, and were constructed so that the basilica appeared bare and austere to assimilate the teachings of Girolamo Savonarola, a 15th century Florentine leader who preached against extravagance. Though most of the decor inside the Duomo cathedral in Florence Italy now rests in the museum across the square, there are still a few historically significant artistic endeavors located inside: The Donatello designed stained glass window depicting the coronation of the Virgin and the tomb of Antonio D'Orso can be found here, along with numerous other stained glass works from premier Italian artists of their time. The inner wall of the famous dome, with the surface area reaching about 3600 square meters, is exclusively devoted to a representation of the Last Judgment and took eleven years to complete. For one of the most spectacular views in all of Europe, visitors can climb the bell tower of the Duomo cathedral in Florence Italy and witness a glowing orange sunset.
From journal The Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore
Santa Maria del Fiore
- August 10, 2007
- Rated 5 of 5 by
mlmeredith from St. Louis, Missouri
It is at the center of Florence in so many ways...artistically, architecturally, socially, and spiritually.
The door to the Baptistry by Ghiberti is amazing, even with the copies of the panels that were put in place after the '66 flood damaged the originals. Those originals have been restored and can be seen at the museum behind the Duomo.
If you're up to it, climb to the top of Brunelleschi's dome for the best view of the city and surrounding countryside. It's not for the weak of foot or the claustrophobic...or anyone challenged by heights. But it's magnificent! (www.duomofirenze.it/index-eng.htm)
From journal First Time to Italy