Rick Steves Tour: Duomo Museum, Florence

Duomo Museum Tour

ORIENTATION

THE TOUR BEGINS

GROUND FLOOR

Model of the Duomo’s Medieval Facade

Facade Statues

Ghiberti’s Baptistery Doors

FIRST FLOOR

Room of the Cantorie

Rest of the Museum

The Opera del Duomo Today

Museo dell’Opera del Duomo

Brunelleschi’s dome, Ghiberti’s bronze doors, and Donatello’s statues—these creations define the 1400s (the Quattrocento) in Florence, when the city blossomed and classical arts were reborn. All are featured at the Duomo Museum, plus a Michelangelo Pietà that was intended as his sculptural epitaph. While copies decorate the exteriors of the Duomo (cathedral), Baptistery, and Campanile (bell tower, called Giotto’s Tower), the original sculptured masterpieces of the complex are restored and fill the Duomo Museum.

ORIENTATION

Changes Likely: The museum has just reopened after a major remodel. At the time of this printing, this was our best guess at the details. Expect a few changes.

Cost: €15 combo-ticket covers all Duomo sights; also covered by Firenze Card.

Hours: Daily 9:00-19:00, last entry one hour before closing. This is one of the few museums in Florence that is always open on Monday.

Getting There: The museum is behind the Duomo (its east end), at Via del Proconsolo 9.

Information: Tel. 055-282-226 or 055-230-7885, www.operaduomo.firenze.it.

Tours: The audioguide costs €5. Guided English tours are generally offered daily in summer for €3 (times vary).

Length of This Tour: Allow 1.5 hours.

With Limited Time: Focus on Ghiberti’s doors, Michelangelo’s Pietà, Donatello’s sculptures, and Brunelleschi’s dome model.

Photography: Allowed, but no flash around paintings.

THE TOUR BEGINS

The Duomo Museum tells the history of the Duomo: constructed in the 14th century, topped with a dome in the 15th century, decorated with sculpture by generations of artists, and finally finished in the 19th century with a colorful facade.

GROUND FLOOR

Model of the Duomo’s Medieval Facade

Browse the first few small rooms.

The Duomo began life as a humble church alongside the more prestigious Baptistery. By the 1200s, the church wasn’t big enough to contain the exuberant spirit of a city growing rich from the wool trade and banking. In 1296, the cornerstone was laid for a huge church—today’s Duomo—intended to be the biggest in Christendom.