Duomo Museum & Baptistry: Cathedral Complex & Bell Tower

Located just behind the Cathedral, the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo is one of the world’s most significant sculpture museums, housing the original masterpieces created for Florence's religious heart.

The highlight is the Sala del Paradiso, a vast hall featuring a life-size reconstruction of the Cathedral's original 14th century façade, adorned with 40 statues by masters like Donatello. Directly across, you will find the original golden Gates of Paradise by Lorenzo Ghiberti, moved here to protect them from the elements.

Other must-see treasures include Michelangelo’s Pietà Bandini, which he sculpted for his own tomb, and Donatello’s hauntingly realistic wooden Penitent Magdalene. The museum also features a gallery dedicated to Brunelleschi’s Dome, displaying original 15th-century tools and wooden models. A visit concludes with the Brunelleschi Terrace, offering a stunning close-up view of the Dome and one of the best photo spots in Florence.

Piazza del Duomo is the spiritual and historic heart of Florence, representing the city’s transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. This open air museum is home to three of the most famous structures in Italy: the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Giotto’s Bell Tower, and the Baptistery of San Giovanni.

The square is dominated by the massive Cathedral and its iconic red tiled dome, designed by Filippo Brunelleschi. The exterior is famous for its intricate white, green, and pink marble patterns which tie the entire complex together. Standing tall at the side is Giotto’s Bell Tower, an architectural masterpiece offering a vertical perspective of the city.

Directly in front of the Cathedral sits the Baptistery, one of the oldest buildings in Florence, famous for its octagonal shape and the bronze Gates of Paradise. Today, the square is a vibrant pedestrian hub where travellers from around the world gather to admire some of the greatest artistic achievements in human history

The Baptistery of San Giovanni is one of the oldest and most revered buildings in Florence, standing directly in front of the Cathedral as a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture. Its iconic octagonal shape is clad in distinctive white and green marble, a design that influenced many of the city's later Renaissance structures.

The interior is most famous for its breath taking ceiling, covered in over 1,000 square meters of 13th century golden mosaics. These intricate artworks depict the Last Judgment and biblical scenes, glowing brilliantly when the light hits the gold leaf.

Equally famous are the building's bronze doors, particularly the eastern set known as the Gates of Paradise. Created by Lorenzo Ghiberti, these panels were so beautiful that Michelangelo himself claimed they were fit to be the entrance to heaven. Historically, this was where many famous Florentines, including Dante Alighieri, were baptized, making it a cornerstone of Florence's religious and civic identity.