Florence Duomo is one of the most famous buildings in the city.
The Florence Duomo is a massive structure located in the center of Florence. When visiting the city, it’s impossible to miss this impressive cathedral, as it stands tall above the city skyline.
So how tall is the Duomo? The dome itself is over 375 feet (114 meters) tall! You can take the 463 steps up into the dome to view it up close and see the city below.
Other interesting facts about the Florence Duomo
The Florence Duomo is an impressive structure. You already know that it is quite tall, but here are a few other fascinating fact!
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There was a public competition for the design of the dome
In the early 1400s, the city created a competition for the dome’s design. There were many local architectures and designers who entered the competition. However, there could only be one winner.
A local goldsmith named Fillip Brunelleschi won the judges over with his idea. He didn’t reveal his exact design plan, but instead gave the judges a task. He asked them to balance an egg to stand upright. This task was nearly impossible, and the judges gave up. He then cracked off the bottom of the egg and showed how it could now stand. That is how Brunelleschi secured his victory and the construction project began in 1420.
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It took sixteen years to complete the dome
It may seem like sixteen years is a long time to complete a construction project. In today’s world, that would be a while, but in the early 1400s this was quite impressive. That’s because many projects were never completed and construction typically took much longer.
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It took over 140 years to construct the Duomo
To put it into perspective, the cathedral took over 140 years to be built. The idea of the Duomo was introduced in the late 1200s, but the complexity of the building was quite the project to take on.
Today, the cathedral stands tall as a famous and stunning structure. It is 502 feet (153 meters) long and 295 feet (90 meters) wide. It’s easy to spend a few hours exploring the interior of this gorgeous cathedral.
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The cathedral was built on top of the remains of an ancient church
Many people don’t know that the Florence Duomo hides an ancient treasure. The location used to be the site of a 4th century church called Santa Reparata. The Duomo was built on the same ground, but you can still visit the historic church which is now an underground museum.
Visit the Florence Duomo
We offer a few different tours that will take you to explore the famous Florence Duomo!
If you want to get an overview of the city’s highlights, join one of our short tours to get acquainted with your surroundings. You can choose a morning walking tour or a morning bike tour. Both of these tours will take you around the city in the morning, and then you will have the rest of the day to explore.
You can also join a tour specifically dedicated to the Flroence Duomo. This Florence Duomo tour with Brunelleschi’s Cuplola takes you through the cathedral with an expert guide. Throughout your tour, you’ll uncover the fascinating history of the cathedral, while viewing the incredible architecture. You will then get to climb up to the copula and admire views of the city.