Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

"The Florence Cathedral, also known as Santa Maria del Fiore or Florence Cathedral, is located in Piazza del Duomo in Florence, its construction began at the end of the 13th century with the project of Arnolfo di Cambio, a famous architect and sculptor who loved the Gothic style. The cathedral has a main nave and two side naves plus a rear apse. When Cambio passed away, the construction of the cathedral was postponed and was resumed in 1334 by Giotto who designed the bell tower. However, construction was interrupted again in 1337 with his death. The construction of this magnificent project continued with Andrea Pisano and Francesco Talenti who completed its construction in 1359. Giotto's Bell Tower is 85 meters high and it is possible to climb to the top through its 414 steps from which you can appreciate a splendid view of Florence. In the mid-14th century, Florentine artists left aside the Gothic style incorporating the Roman style. The cathedral's Gothic air was hidden behind the red marble of Siena, the white of Carrara and the green of Prato. The goldsmith Lorenzo Ghiberti and the sculptor Filippo Brunelleschi had the privilege of finishing the Florence Cathedral. Brunelleschi sculpted the statues for the Cathedral and implemented an innovative project to make the Florentine cathedral the largest of its time. Brunelleschi began with the construction of the project and in 1421, the polygonal base was already completed while the dome was completed 15 years later. The red dome of the cathedral was then the largest in the world, with 45 meters in diameter and 100 meters high and soon became the symbol of Florence. The facade of the Cathedral was destroyed at the end of the 16th century and Emilio de Fabris redesigned it making some changes and incorporating marble in different colors."

"Take in the views in and outside of Florence's famous Duomo. You must make a reservation in advance. You cannot just walk up and get in line for the dome. In order to do the dome climb, purchase the Brunelleschi Ticket online, and you will be prompted to reserve a time slot. Tickets for the dome climb can sell out several days in advance, so we recommend making your reservation about a week in advance, maybe even sooner, to make sure you get a time slot. The Brunelleschi Ticket also covers the other sites of the Duomo complex (including Giotto’s Bell Tower, mentioned next) and you have 3 days to visit everything."

"I think I just stood gawking at the outside of this building for a good 30 mins it's so spectacular. It’s free to enter, but there are multiple lines so it gets confusing. If you’re looking at the main entrance of the church, the line to right is for entry to the cathedral. The line on the left side thats more towards the back of the church is for climbing to the top of the dome, which is quite gorgeous. You will need tickets to that part and they are timed entry, so purchase in advance! I’d recommend the Brunelleschi pass, which gets you the climb but also access to several of the other sights in the larger complex."