Brunelleschi's Dome

Early this morning, we walked the two blocks to the Duomo to climb its famous dome.  Many people think that “Duomo” means “dome,” but it means “cathedral,” and there are duomos all over Italy.  In this case the cathedral is the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, and it is a magnificent structure, the third largest church in the world.

Construction was begun on the cathedral in 1296 and for over a hundred years it was open to the elements, although a covering of some kind had been planned from the very beginning.  A competition was held for construction of a dome, and the design was awarded to Filippo Brunelleschi and built between 1420 and 1436.  Brunelleschi based his design on domes that he studied in Rome, and it is still the largest masonry vault in the world, constructed without reinforcements in wood or other material since none could have sustained a cupola this large.  I am still absolutely amazed at how the cathedral and a dome like this could have been constructed 600 years ago!  We may be able to build skyscrapers in this day and age, but it boggles the mind how such structures were built and have stood over the centuries without a crack.  The only thing comparable in my admittedly limited experience is the Eiffel Tower, constructed between 1887 and 1889 made of steel, not brick.  Our ancestors were brilliant architects and builders.

The dome is actually two domes, one internal and the other external, and in the cavity between the domes there is a narrow, steep stairway and 463 steps to the “lantern” at the top.  The bricks are laid in herringbone pattern and the external dome is covered in terracotta tiles, and along the way were mysterious dead-end passages blocked off and puzzling details of construction.  I lost track of how many times I struck my head as we climbed upward and upward in relentless, ever-narrowing spirals.  We had been chilly when we started the climb but had warmed up very quickly.

But the panoramic view of Florence from the very top was worth it.   After descending the 463 steps, we enjoyed a well-earned breakfast in the Piazza del Duomo with cappuccino.

Afterwards we toured the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, the Duomo museum, which contained many of the original works of art created for the cathedral and baptistry.  It is considered one of the most important museums in the world and contains masterpieces of art by Michelangelo, Donatello, Brunelleschi, Ghiberti, and countless others.

Dinner that evening was just around the corner from Studio Michelangelo, a little place called Bistrot 74 that we had passed many times and been attracted to because just outside the door there was a vintage turntable playing music from vinyl records, mostly opera.  We shared a plate of simple spaghetti pomodoro and enjoyed more vino della casa rosso.  Delicious!