The red-tiled dome is the most famous feature of the Duomo.
It's called the cupola.

The Duomo, also called the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, was Florence's most important church in the 13^th century.

The Duomo's construction took over 170 years. It was completed in 1436.

Federica is ready to make the
90-meter climb to the peak of
the dome.

Statues in the interior
of the Duomo...

...peer out from behind bars.

As you ascend the stairs, portals in the stone at various levels give views of the city.

Halfway up to the top there's a narrow walkway around the perimeter of the dome's interior...

...on which you can look through the plexiglass at the floor below or the
tip-top of the dome above.

These paintings on the interior of the cupola comprise one of the largest frescoed surfaces
in the world.

This portion of the frescoes, painted by Federico Zuccari, depicts Dante's vision of Hell.

view of the Duomo floor from the walkway, halfway up the dome

Federica

Federica readies and aims.

Here's the beautiful view through a portal as we climb higher.

And we're only a little over halfway up!

Federica at the threshold
of a stairwell

Most visitors find the 15-20 minute climb to the top of the dome
challenging and tiring.

There are 463 steps on the often narrow stone staircases.

Looking out another window... almost at the top, finally!

Just a little more climbing, Federica!

All of Florence is spread out below you from the top
of the cupola.

Matt looks cool with the Campanile... but who wouldn't?

The Campanile is the Duomo's bell tower. It was completed in 1359.

Florence the city is one enormous museum and gallery...

...with more art treasures per square meter than any other town on the planet.

Federica took a train from her town
of Prato to show Matt around
Florence today.

Matt

If you turn your back on the marvelous view of Florence, you can look up at the base of the lantern that crowns the cupola.

Afraid of heights? Don't lean over the edge of the dome's railing (like Matt did to get this shot).

You could never have this wide-open walkway with no barricades so high off the ground in the United States...

...because some friggin' crazy-ass American would pull a suicide jump every day.

Matt & Federica

This is the hatch you climb out of and back into.

Federica's wide-angle lens captures a cathedral
in the foggy distance.

Of course we're safe up here. The dome is padlocked in place. No worries.

Federica gets a shot of the center of the mammoth lantern.

The campanile is six meters shorter than the dome and has 414 steps to the top.

Crane your neck and tilt your camera upward for this view of the lantern structure.

And now for the descent.

An occasional electric light provides some help
on the way down.

Matt carried his Frommer's guidebook the whole day.

Primitive scaffolding inside the Duomo, as it might have looked centuries ago.

Ropes, pulleys, winches... early Italian architects made the best of
the tools they had.

Graffitti adorns the Duomo's passageways.

Matt's on the way down. As per usual.

Federica's back on level ground.

Adjusting the photo's contrast illuminates the walls behind her.

The cathedral is built as a basilica,
with a nave and two aisles,
forming a Roman cross.

Ornate carvings decorate the facade of the Duomo.