Tickets to the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower

The cathedral accepts visitors from Monday to Saturday; it’s open from 10:45 AM to 4:30 PM. It is closed on Sundays and religious holidays.

This cathedral is open to the public throughout the year, so there is no wrong season to visit it. We recommend going there on weekdays or in the morning to avoid crowds of tourists and explore the cathedral in peace.

Santa Maria del Fiore is the third-largest cathedral in the world. Alongside the Baptistery of Saint John, Giotto’s Campanile, Opera del Duomo Museum, and Santa Reparata it’s a part of an architectural complex on Piazza del Duomo. Here are some of the things you can do in and around this cathedral:

• Explore an architectural masterpiece. It took more than 130 years to build this Gothic cathedral, but the result is truly spectacular. Designed by Arnolfo di Cambio, this massive cathedral went through a lot of stylistic changes and rebuilding that took place during its construction. Even though the result doesn’t fully match di Cambio’s design, the cathedral is still a one-of-a-kind landmark and a testament to human ingenuity and tenacity.
• Admire the magnificent dome of Santa Maria del Fiore. A century after the start of its construction, the church was still without its dome. Building a dome for such a massive building was a serious challenge; Filippo Brunelleschi, a renowned Italian engineer and architect, solved that problem and created the largest dome in the world (at the time of construction). The inner surface of the dome has the world’s largest mural by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari – The Last Judgment. You can climb the dome for a spectacular view of Florence, but you must purchase a separate ticket first.
• Marvel at the beautiful mosaic floors of the cathedral. The exterior of this cathedral is much more lavish and decorated than its austere interior, but mosaic floors inside the church are a work of art.

Santa Maria del Fiore is at the heart of Florence on Piazza del Duomo. You can get there by bus, taxi, or on foot.

For example, you can reach this cathedral from Palazzo Pitti by boarding a Line 11 bus, then exiting at the Olio bus stop. From there, walk towards Piazza di San Giovanni, and you will see the cathedral in front of you.

Entry to the cathedral itself is free of charge. If you want to explore the dome, the campanile, the baptistry, or the museum, you need to purchase a separate ticket.

• Via Roma
• Palazzo Pucci
• Leonardo Da Vinci Museum
• Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Ricci
• Natural History Museum