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Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence

4.6

#1 of 117 in Historic Sites in Florence

Religious Site Historic Site

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The symbol of the city and its main church, Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is renowned for its huge dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi, one of the foremost architects of the Italian Renaissance. This Gothic structure, begun in 1296 following the design of architect Arnolfo di Cambio, was completed in 1436. The elaborate facade is a 19th-century addition that represents the Gothic Revival style prevalent across Europe at the time. The cathedral complex, which includes a baptistery and a bell tower, is part of a World Heritage site covering the historic center of the city. In the piazza in front of the cathedral, a statue of Brunelleschi looks upwards towards his dome. You can climb the 464 steps to the dome through the entrance on the side of the church, but be prepared for a long line. With our international travel planner, Florence attractions like Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore can be center stage of your vacation plans, and you can find out about other attractions like it, unlike it, near it, and miles away.

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Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore Reviews

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TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

25,884 reviews

Google

4.7

facebook

4.8

3,502 likes

• By MPezzuti

  Probably one of the most incredible things from this trip. There was a line so it took about an hour to get in but it was so worth the wait! It is still hard to comprehend how old everything is & what...  more »

• By FLBfive

  Free entrance to the cathedral. Was worth waiting on the line. as we had great conversations with others and it makes the time go so much faster! I didn't realize how big these buildings are. Also sto...  more »

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• By Maxx Profit

  There's so much to do in the beautiful city of Sienna. The historical references and stories of this city is amazing and so is the primary Piazzas. Shopping is wonderful the food is amazing (all Italian foods are). The city is clean, most of the merchants 90% speak English and 2 other languages. The leather, clothing and other mechanize is very high level. Service is amazing and the smiles are even better. The Cathedral is amazing as the marble and other materials came from areas of Italy and there are many famous sculptures were for hire here in Sienna. An amazing spiritual structure a great story which solidified the city of Sienna.

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• By Dylan Sanders

  Breathtaking cathedral located in central Florence. Quite a popular attraction, so I'd recommend to arrive early to 100m long queue at the main entry. They are currently midway through cleaning the cathedral so there's some scaffolding blocking certain parts of the exterior, but still plenty of great photos to be had.

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