We were up early to visit the Opera del Duomo Museum (Museo dell’Opera del Duomo di Firenze), the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (aka Duomo di Firenze, aka The Duomo), and the Crypt of Santa Reparata (Santa Reparata Cathedral ruins that lie beneath the current church). But first, pastries and coffee at Caffè Degl’Innocenti.
Opera del Duomo Museum
The Duomo Museum is fantastic. The museum contains, among other things: ruins of the original medieval churgh, the original doors of the Baptistery (the current doors are exact replicas), the Penitent Magdalene (a wooden sculpture of Mary Magdalene, by Donatello), Michelangelo’s Pietà Bandini (a sculpture of Nicodemus, Mary Magdalene, and the Virgin Mary holding Christ’s body…it’s believed Michelangelo intended this piece for his own tomb), detailed models of the Duomo, tools used during construction, many different model versions of the cathedral façade that were submitted but never implemented, and so much more.
Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (aka The Duomo)
The access to the Cathedral is free, without ticket, from Monday to Saturday 10:15am-3:45pm. Due to worship, the Cathedral is closed to visitors on Sunday and religious celebrations.
Here are a few photos from both inside and outside the Cathedral.
Crypt of Santa Reparata
This was my favorite part: the excavation of Santa Reparata, directly beneath the current Cathedral. There are ruins from as far back as the 5th century, up through the 12th century. The crypt is also home to the tomb of Filippo Brunelleschi, the architect of the Duomo Florence’s dome. Access to the crypt requires a separate ticket, even though access is from inside the Cathedral, which is free. I highly recommend booking your tickets in advance!
The Tower of Palazzo Vecchio (Arnolfo Tower)
After a lunch of porchetta and salad, we headed back to Palazzo Vecchio so I could climb the tower. The tower takes its name from the architect Arnolfo di Cambio, and was built at the beginning of the 14th century. It’s a fairly easy climb, but if you don’t want to go all the way to the top, there’s a nice viewing area on the roof of the Palazzo, before you ascent the tower. There’s a small prison cell built into the tower where Cosimo de’ Medici was imprisoned before his exile.
The views from both the roof and the tower are remarkable.
La Passeggiata and Cena (Dinner)
After an afternoon siesta, we headed out for la passeggiata – the customary evening stroll that is popular among Italians. On the way to dinner at Osteria Belle Donne, we walked past the house where the Italian noblewoman Lisa del Giocondo once lived. You may not recognize the name, but you’ve seen her face – Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting The Mona Lisa is a portrait of Lisa del Giocondo. We then had our dessert before dinner, stopping at Vivoli Gelateria (which was excellent – second to Gelateria Passera).
At Osteria Belle Donne, we were able to see the same wine window we saw previously, but this time from the other side! Dinner was excellent. We shared a burrata appetizer, then I had the bistecca alla fiorentina (the famous steak made from Chianina cattle), and Teresa had gnocchi with pears.
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