My first day in Italy and seeing the Duomo in person just blew me away. I had no plans during my trip to Florence and I was just walking around, taking in the sights. I saw a big crowd ahead of me and I started to get curious. I was in a alleyway so I couldn't see the top of the Dome, I could only see a crowd. As soon as I turned the corner, I couldn't help but say holy shit out loud. The color of the building, the details and the size of the building was just cool as hell. I found myself stepping closer and then stepping farther back. One the coolest places in Italy and probably my favorite. I still enjoy seeing the pictures I took and the ones online. Make sure to check the schedule because on Sundays they don't open until 1:30pm. By around 1pm there was already a queue, but it went really fast. Inside was just ginormous, the queue to climb the dome was already closed by then, but you can go climb the tower next door. read more

Can you believe I just missed the crew of jersey shore, as when I was leaving Florence this time of the year they were just coming in. Haha. Just a funny fact. All jokes aside the infamous Duomo which many Americans probably saw in some episodes during jersey shores Italy edition is BEAUTIFUL AND BREATHTAKING. The beautiful structure stands tall in the midst of everything around it. Truly the center staple of where to go when in Florence, you can't miss it and you shouldn't either! read more

So lucky to have lived so close to the center of this beautiful city. The view of the Duomo never gets old! read more

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One of the nicest cathedrals in Europe. The geometric patterns are so intentional and you can marvel at it from what seems like a million angles. read more

Beautiful church. Make it a point to see this massive structure when you are in florence.

Astounding, fantastic, beautiful Italy! If you've not been there you have to see Florence and the Duomo! We love Florence and think it's most likely one of our most favorite places to go to in Europe. The piazza is just fabulous with its cobblestone and authentic Italian architecture and people. Even if it's raining while there, who cares it is Florence! I highly recommend going to any part of this beautiful country. The Italian people are very friendly and very chic. Even old men and ladies riding bicycles or mopeds are dressed so stylish. They rock! read more

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This cathedral is gorgeous. Make sure to go in and look up! There is a gift shop in the basement as well. Great gelaterias around the square, always a good place to sit and just take in Florence. read more

This is strictly for the Piazza and outside view. The duomo ticket, customer service and signage issues I will address in a separate post. The piazza is nice enough, lots of shade on one side thanks to the first dome of this kind. The Vatican and the US Capitol building were both modeled after this dome. The exterior of the duomo is nice to look at, impressive to come up on, but I agree with a comedic snippet from my guidebook - looks like a cathedral in pajamas! Lots of people, lots of vendors, lots of touristy junk for sale, and cars who ignore the don't-drive-in-here rule. Worth seeing from the outside (but from the incomplete visit I got with my all inclusive ticket, I would say just stick with the outside if you are limited on time.) read more

This is easily one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. Having grown up in the United States it's truly something extraordinary to see so much breathtaking history at one moment. If you are in Florence, absolutely don't miss it. read more

You have to walk up the 400 steps to see the view of Florence! If you are lazy or claustrophobic, I wouldn't recommend it. The view up there is breathe taking. It cost 10 euro to go up. There are sections where you can rest in between. It's definitely different than the view from michaelangelo. It's definitely worth going for better pictures and closer view of the city. read more

Piazza del Duomo - View from the top - Public Plazas Near Me - Florence, FI

Unlike any Piazza or any Duomo in all of Italy. The mere enormity and architectural beauty will definitely have you gasp at astonishment. How did they do it? That is all I kept thinking as I turned the corner of our street to find the beautiful Duomo ahead of me. The climb to the top of the Duomo is definitely a challenge, and there are no warning signs about how difficult the climb can be. The stairs are winding and narrow. Air seems to lessen the higher you get since windows are rare. However, the astonishing views from the top are unlike any other place I have ever seen or experienced in the world. You need to visit and go at your own pace! read more

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It's hard to give any cathedrals not a five. They are beautiful pieces of art that is just jaw dropping to be able to see. Very touristy as expected and a lot of little boutiques around the area. It's really hard to have a bad thing to say about any of these. Great cathedral read more

Piazza del Duomo - Cathedral - Public Plazas Near Me - Florence, FI

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Without a doubt one of the most beautiful places in the world. Go for a horse and buggy ride around the square. Climb to the top of the duomo and see the whole city! read more

Piazza del Duomo - Public Plazas Near Me - Florence, FI

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Beautiful architecture. Florence is lovely. Summers in southern Europe have been fiery. If you don't mind the heat - enjoy!

Everything you imagined in your head...it's about 1000% better. The bells thunder through your bones. The architecture raises into the sky and takes your breath away. The art is beautiful, the dome surreal. Just go. Now. read more

I had no idea ha I would see when I would turn around the corner. After touring Western Europe for 3 weeks, the first thought I had was great, one more building with a plaza in front. I was COMPLETELY taken aback when I saw this building. It is like nothing else I have seen. It is just absolutely beautiful! And the little food places and shops on the outer circle are very good to eat at or shop around in! read more

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There are two entrances. The long line is for the tower, taking more than 1.5 hours to wait. The front entrance, sometimes on the left side is free and no waiting needed. In summer 2015, the cathedral cleaned the out side wall mosaic. The beautiful color finally shows its glory. read more

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No words to describe this wonderful place. Wherever you have your glance, you will find historical monuments and breathtaking perspectives. Come and enjoy the feeling of greatness, just staying in the center of the square! No matter the period, this place is unique. read more

We only saw this from the outside but I heard climbing the dome was awesome. there's a cafe on top of a department store in Florence that has a great view of this. Very good backdrop for a very mediocre lunch ... but that's another review. read more

My wife and I visited here on our 2nd day in Florence. We didn't really know what to expect except that Rick Stevens recommended it. Well, we waited in line to the walk the stair up the dome and little did we know you had to have a reserved time slot. Half of the line was denied and then I ran to the nearest visitor center who told me to go to the ticket office. Well, it was across the street and then got a combo pass. Afterwards, we then booked our time for going up the dome as well as the watch tower. I think we were most impressed by the walk up to the dome as well as the watch tower. Do not miss your spot and you have 2 days to figure out once you activate your combo pass. We visited around noon for dome and then 2pm for the watch tower. This left plenty of time in between so that it didn't feel rushed going up and down. Well, just plan accordingly since there is a surge of tourist and this was only early March. We heard it was even worst starting in April through October. read more

It really is a fabulous building. Just overwhelming as it peeks out through narrow city streets like an impossibly nearby mountain or slumbering god. As soon as I got off the train, I almost immediately understood why they set an Assassin's Creed game here, as focused as those are on jumping across rooflines and scaling landmark buildings. Probably nobody is going to come to Florence and not see the Duomo in some capacity, and certainly nobody is going to make that decision based on a Yelp review. So I'm only writing this to crack a knowledge egg on your ass. First off, the ticket office is off to the side of the main site -- on the western side, I believe, beside the pharmacy. Easy to not notice. It has its own hours, separate from the attractions themselves, and if they've already hit the limit of visitors for that day, they are often only selling tickets for the NEXT day. However, this does NOT apply to the Firenze Card, so if you've already bought that, you can come right on in to the ticket office even as they are "sold out" and turning people away. You still need to do this (it's free), because the ticket reader inside the church only reads their own tickets, not the Firenze Card. There are four entrances to four different sites here, and each has their own hours and line. First, there's the Campanile, which is a straightforward climb up a lot of stairs for a great view. Then, there's the Baptistery, undergoing renovation as I write this, which is intimate and beautiful and had the shortest lines. The Cupola line will sometimes SEEM short, but it's because on a pretty day, most of the time spent inside is just more standing in line, motionless, in a spiral staircase with little airflow. This is because only so many can fit on the roof at once, and the single ladder to the roof is a bit of a choke point. The view's grand, but not terribly different from what you can get more easily in the Campanile, and not worth standing an hour in the summer heat and the steam of a hundred others' hot breath in a stairwell. Not recommended for claustrophobic folks, or anyone who's recently (or will soon) climbed the cupola at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. Finally, there's the line for the Cathedral itself. This one's free -- the church drew the line somewhere between the cupidity required to build a palace over the course of a century and that of charging people to come in -- so on a nice day in summer, the line can sometimes get impossibly long. No way to buy your way out of this one. It moves quickly, but can still take hours to get through. If it's tourist season and you have more than a day in Florence, scout this one out early to find when the off-peak hours are. read more

Stunning, beautiful, quiet and peaceful and all you expected and much more! the outside is just as beautiful as the inside and the attention to detail is mind blowing! read more

Holy crap - I can't believe no one has written about this. In 35 years of life I never understood claustrophobia until I had to walk up the winding stairs that literally fit 1 person. And half the way up, the way down is the same as the way up. So you start getting stuck because you have to wait for people going the other direction. And there is no staff anywhere to let you know where the f^#% you are in the windy terrible maze. Not even at the top. Not worth the view. Look at some pics online, close your eyes, pretend you went there, and save yourself from the wait and ensuing hell. read more

The piazza is unreal. I can't put into words how beautiful the church is. There is so much energy in and around this area. There are many beautiful shops and restaurants nearby. What a beautiful city - one of my favorites. read more

DO NOT MISS! One of the most spectacular masterpieces of architecture that you'll ever see. I couldn't stop staring, trying to memorize every little detail. It's truly one of the most special places I have ever visited in my life. We went inside but chose not to get tickets to go up in the tower because the lines were so long. It's the one thing that I regret is not getting to see the view from the tower. Do not be tempted to pay for a group tour with headphones. Not worth it. read more

Always great for people watching. Saw a pick pocket finally in March. Walk it at 6am, so fun. Sit at the Duomo Cathedral steps for cool perspective of the church's carved bible stories. read more

My family and I stayed in an Airbnb within the Piazza, literally outside of the Duomo - it was an absolutely stunning view to wake up to. I can't speak for the inside, as we didn't take a tour, but the outside and the surrounding areas are something you just can't miss. It was extremely busy with tourists, but it's a great place to be. read more

Our first stop was the Duomo, built to be the tallest dome it was impressive. We entered the chapel in front of the dome and saw the magnificent interior (our guide), Brian explained that the Italians wanted to outdo the French and had created a cake icing finish, which was everywhere, it did look like a big birthday cake with lots of frosting and candles. Paloma was funny as she was just snapping pictures everywhere, once inside Paloma and I lit a candle in this section that has little trees and a donation box. From here we circled from the outside and found our way to the entrance that allows you to enter the Duomo and climb to the top. The climb is 463 stairs through a narrow passage way up and around the dome. It was built using no scaffolding; the stairs would be built first then the dome. Along the way up we crossed paths with a rather large woman who was panicked as she had just realized that she was afraid of heights and wanted out quickly. This was not easy as there was only enough room for one person in single file, Paloma and I being tiny managed to squeeze ourselves into a tiny square window hole, the boys and people behind them had to deal with a full on body rub! The walk was steep and I won't lie, everyone was feeling a little warmer and winded, it was funny to see how the higher you got the more the people started to look sweaty and the heavier the breathing. At a of the way is a small narrow passage way up that allows you to look at the beautiful fresco painted on the interior of the dome and get a view of the chapel below. The image in the dome is one of earth heaven and hell and it is really impressive to behold, heaven as you would imagine is filled with serene people, lots of bright colors and sunlight, at the very top you will see representations of royalty and clergy, all with gold and bronzes. The bottom is filled with tortured creatures, all of which are either being beheaded, skinned alive, eaten by monsters, impaled on pitchforks, or (and this is a quite frequent and repeated theme), having some form of fiery torches rammed up there posteriors, leading us to believe that the Italians are not big on Mexican food (hehe) One couple standing near us that were from the UK commented that while hell did not seem like much fun it certainly was more interesting an image then that of heaven, here they all kind of looked like they were waiting for the bus. Then onward and upwards we go, the second set of stairs winds around in a circle at the end you pop out on a roof top passage way where your rewarded with a breathtaking view of Florence or as locals call it Firenzi. On this day we were really lucky, the sun was out and the skies were clear so we saw very far and well and it was just great. We snapped some pictures, walked around took in the sights then headed back down. On the walk down we got to go to yet another area around the dome walk and see the frescos even closer. We headed down which was steeper then going up, I got some good shots of Paloma and it will give you an idea, it felt like your were climbing down into a cellar with 463 steps. read more

The only reason this gets 4/5 is the view of Santa Maria del Fiore. It's incredibly crowded during the day and people are always trying to sell you selfie sticks, silly toys, etc. Most of the shops and restaurants around the square are overpriced tourist traps. But coming upon Santa Maria del Fiore truly is breathtaking. It's a stunning building and chances are you wouldn't be able to miss it even if you tried. Your walks to various attractions in the city will often take you through this square. read more

Stunning from every corner in spite the fact it's going to be so packed with tourists it'll be difficult to move around. You'll certainly want to shell out the €10 to visit the majestic cathedral and take the dizzying climb to the top of the Duomo for every Euro worth of a view once you squeeze your way in. The climb up is slow and exhausting but worth it. This is a must when in Florence. read more

The Duomo and piazza are wonderful. However, I'm actually writing this post to let people know about something else. If you are walking around the Duomo area in the evening, be very careful. There are groups, perhaps they are gangs, of men who have pictures laid out on the street. They pretend like they are selling the pictures, as though they are art. They wait for someone to accidentally step on one, which is very easy to do because it's crowded and semi dark. They even set them up strategically in order to optimize the possible encounters. We watched them at one intersection almost completely line each sides of the street, all four corners, with the large pictures. They dust off the old footprint, laugh and prepare for the next encounter. There are also a group of back up guys waiting nearby to jump in and help. Once you step on it, they all gather around to threaten and harass you to give them money for the picture that you damaged. It is a total scam! We have sat and watched them on numerous occasions and they do this all night. We have seen them at other places around Florence as well. However this group of 9 to 12 men are an aggressive group of criminals. Beware! read more

Beautiful! Start working out now so you can huff and puff your way up the 400+ stairs to the top of the dome. :-) It's all worth it though. Sometimes you go up and down the same skinny staircase so allow enough time and patience for these situations so you aren't stuck inside trying to rush through it. read more

Everything that need to be said had already been written in Yelp. I have nothing more to add. You just have to see it in person, no pictures can do it justices. read more

To be honest, there are much better plazas in Florence but the drawcard here is, of course, the cathedral. For the cathedral alone this does make the plaza a real 'don't miss' drawcard. However it also makes it so busy you can barely move. There are people everywhere and there isn't much else in the square to hold your attention. Nonetheless, it's nice to see. read more

This would be almost as great as Milan if it had a new paint job. I suggest trying a different Duomo

This place wasn't as good as the other cathedrals or basilicas I saw in Europe. The Lines were too long, practically nothing in there, and other parts costed extra money to get in. I honestly cannot understand the appeal in the slightest, and I am a Roman Catholic! read more

Everytime i come here I am still taken by the beauty of this place-surrounded by shops and cafes it is a hub of activity set in a beautiful area of artistry beyond any other i have seen in other italian cities. read more

What to say about Piazza del Duomo? It's one of the most beautiful places in the world, Florence with all its art and locations and history is a trip that one cannot miss, at least once in a lifetime. read more

You need to see this Duomo and Piazza. It is a must see. Perhaps I am slightly partial and biased towards Firenze, as this is the part of the Italy that I know best, but it is something. read more

WOW, just WOW... We stayed at Hotel Jane and walked all the way to Piazza del Duomo. I must say this is the most enchanting building I've ever seen. It is super huge. When I see huge buildings, I think they are beautiful...but when it comes to the Duomo, I simply cannot described how amazing the view was. I could just stand there all day and stare at it. Fortunately, you can go up on the tower for 10 Euros. For those who are claustrophobic you might want to be prepared for that "feeling". There are a couple of sections (if not more) on the stairway where you will have to pass by someone...let's just say...it's very challenging to pass by a person without having contact. For the panorama view, it's definitely worth every step up the tower. Along the alley of the street to get to Piazza del Duomo from Hotel Jane, there are many shops along each side which makes the walk seemed a lot shorter and extra fun! If Italy is part of your future plans, this is definitely another place you can't miss out! read more