Tour description: Visiting the Duomo complex offers the opportunity to learn many things about Florence history. Our visit will start from the Baptistery, where we will retrace the history of this place since the pre-Christian era. It is an interesting story in which the nost renowned named of Italian art history participated.

The Baptistery: Until a few years ago baptism was administered here, inside an octagonal basin right under the huge mosaics of the vault. Like many other Florentine citizens, Dante Alighieri too, was baptized here. On the vault we will recognize the main biblical stories and the last judgment. We will see again this subject in the Duomo, while looking at the sixteenth century fresco on the dome. Inside the Baptistery we'll consider the great work of Donatello,author of a very elegant tomb for the ex Pope John XXIII.

Visiting the square and the Cathedral: We will retrace the main stages in the construction of the Duomo, the most important church in Florence designed by Arnolfo di Cambio, and we will then consider its technical characteristics by exploring the crypt, ornamented with early christian mosaics and interesting epigraphical documents. Considering the Gothic age, we will recall Giotto as architect of the bell tower.

Want to know more about the Gothic age? Book a tour to the Uffizi Gallery

The Opera del Duomo Museum: Most of the visit will take place inside the Opera del Duomo Museum: this is also renowned as the Cathedral work site since the thirteenth century and the space where Michelangelo Buonarroti sculpted the statue of David. It boasts almost all the sculptural ornamentation and a wealth of authentic documents, removed for the purpose of conservation from their original context. We will also see the original golden gates originally belonging to the Baptistery, some of the original scaffolding used at the time of Brunelleschi in the building of the dome.

Want to know more about David? Book a tour to the official website

Masterpieces of Renaissance: There will be many opportunities to take very nice pictures and to enjoy a wonderful view from the rooftop terrace of the dome. You will also hear about the unexpected events that led Brunelleschi to leave Florence, and Ghiberti's ending up dedicating fifty years of his life to the molding of the two Baptistery doors. We will also notice the development of Donatello's style from his beginnings to the end of his career and the tour will end with one of the last Michelangelo's masterpieces. In fact the Opera del Duomo boasts the Pietà Bandini, started and then left unfinished by the artist.

What will we be seeing during the tour? Baptistery and its mosaics; Cathedral; Crypt with early christian mosaics; Museum: Pietà by Michelangerlo Buonarroti; Mary the Magdalen by Donatello; Works by Lorenzo Ghiberti, A. Pisano, Paintings and architectural works by Giotto and Arnolfo di Cambio. Real scale reconstruction of the first facade demolished during the late sixteenth century. Prospect and explanation of the herring bone technique. If you want to know more or you need to customize the itinerary click .

• Duration: 3 hours
• Meeting point and starting time: time and place for meeting point to be arranged with visitors.
• Languages and accessibility: Available in Italian and English. This guided tour is fully accessible to people on a wheelchair.

PRICES

Prices change according to number of participants and include taxes due by Law.

From one to five people: € 250,00 total

From six to ten people: € 45,00 each

More than ten people: €35,00 per person

Children under ten years old: free

Included in the price:

Private Tour by a National Licensed Guide.

Not included in the price:

Museum and reservation fees are not included in above indicated prices. You can buy tickets at the official website . Prices as follows: Full price (15 years old and more): € 15,00; Reduced (7-14 years old): € 5,00; Free admission: 0-6 years old.