Easily Florence's most visible sight, the Duomo is truly stunning. You just can't miss it. You'll probably walk around it several times while you're in Florence. It completely dominates the piazza.
Inside, the church is rather spartan in contrast to its extravagant exterior. It's as if all the money was spent on the outside and they ran out when it came to the inside.
Make sure to check out the gift shop in the basement when you're there. It's one of the most well-stocked I've ever seen.

One of the magical things about Florence is the sound of Giotto¡¯s Campanile and the occasional glimpse of the simple bells slowly rocking in and out of such an ornate tower. The bells ring every day beginning at 8 am and ending at midnight, and are even more melodious on Sundays at 8 and 10:30 am when they remind everyone to come to mass.

Pamphlets are available with the readings and prayers printed each week as you walk in so that foreigners can try to follow the mass, which is said in Italian. Be sure to dress properly: sneakers and jeans are permitted but short skirts and shorts, tanktops and sleeveless shirts are not.

I recommend going to the 10:30 mass, but arriving at 10 to listen to the priests chanting and to look up at the fresco of the Last Judgement on the interior of Brunelleschi¡¯s dome. Seating is available in the semi-circle surrounding the altar. At 10:30, right before mass begins, the Gregorian chanting ends with echoes and the ringing of the bells.

Mass at Santa Maria dei Fiori is held at 9, 10:30 and 12 am, with Gregorian chanting at 10.

The signature of the Florence skyline, the Duomo, is an amazing architectural feat. Begun by a sculptor named Cambio in the late 1200s, the church features Giotto's belltower and Brunelleschi's masterful dome and cupola. An interesting tidbit about the dome - the dome was not built until over 100 years later in 1420. During this time, the church stood open to the elements, as no one knew how to build a dome to cover such a large opening. The size of the opening would have caused a traditional dome design to collapse. Brunelleschi designed a dual-layer dome - an inner and outer shell with 5-7 feet of space between them.

For a thrilling experience, pay the L8,000 and head for the cupola (if you can handle the heights). You'll walk around the base of the inside of the dome and have a great view of the church from above.

The Duomo is an engineering feat. Its gothic style architecture is spectacular. The dome stands 262 feet. You can climb up into the dome and see an incredible view of Florence. I opted out of this activity because it was reported to be a steep, long haul. You can spend a great deal of time looking at the incredible dome, art and statues in this majestic church.

While you are there, take a walk across the street to the baptistery. This fifth century church is decorated in Romanesque style and in the 14th century its world-renowned bronze doors were added. On the east side of the baptistery there are replicas of the original doors by Lorenzo Ghiberti, "Gates of Paradise". The originals are in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo. The museum is looked behind the Duomo.

Dave and I began our tour of the Duomo with a trip up the cupola to look first at Brunelleschi's architectural masterpiece and then onto the city and countryside itself. While waiting in the 45-minute line for our tickets (10,000 lire/person or $5), we were able to study the beautiful white, pink, and green facade of the church and the adjacent campanile (bell tower) designed by Giotto. When time came to make the climb, we ascended up a tiny little staircase, with a few resting points and keyhole windows to pique our interest on the way up. At the halfway point, we were deposited onto an interior balcony ringing the impressive fresco painted on the dome. Take special note of the fellows at the very top hanging their feet over their seats! Seeing it up close rather than from the floor of the Duomo was a revelation--see below the photo of the punishments of damnation that Dave took with his film camera. Then you make the rest of the climb--a very steep one at that. On this segment, you can see how the dome is both an inner structure of brick and an outer one, since you are making the climb BETWEEN the two layers. Then, you climb up into the marble lantern, or observation tower, and view the city. What a lovely site it was, even on a gray day. The round trip up and down took us one hour, but we spent more time than most viewing the fresco from inside the cupola. Don't attempt the trip if you are badly out of shape or are claustrophobic.

The Duomo itself is free for visitors. Construction was started in the 13th century, but it wasn't finished until the 15th! The floors are incredible inlaid marble, as thrilling as the facade, I think. The 24-hour clock by Uccello (whose paintings I adore) just inside the front door is oddly beautiful, but I don't think it was working while we were there. From the floor, as I mentioned above, the fresco on the cupola takes on a different aspect. Christ enthroned becomes the focal point, rather than the damnation that was at our eye-level when we were climbing the dome (see my rather dark photo below). The Duomo had many beautiful chapels lining the walls, but these were roped off for individual prayer. It is a lovely place for a rest.

We did not visit the Duomo Museum, where are deposited many of the works of art formerly decorating the inside of the church.