A G: Italy Day 7 - Florence Day 1 Part 1 by Aaron, Brunelleschi's dome, Duomo Florence, Giotto's Bell Tower, Gate of Paradise & Baptistery of Saint John

Brunelleschi's dome, Duomo Florence, Giotto's Bell Tower, Gate of Paradise & Baptistery of Saint John

~ Aaron

Brunelleschi's dome at Duomo Florence, Giotto's Bell Tower

Ceiling of Baptistery of Saint John

I had a great time in Florence. We climbed 2 tall buildings. The history of the Duomo was very amazing. The Campanile also is very interesting. This was an excellent day in Florence.

The total number of steps to go up and down the Duomo and Campanile are both about 1000 each. I was exhausted by the time I finished climbing them. There were so many people climbing the Duomo, there were restrictions on how many people could go in at a time. The view from their tops were worth it, however. From the top, I could see all of Florence!

The Duomo has a long history. It was started in the late 1200s and finished in 1436. It took many people to make the current design of the church. The dome, however, only needed 1 person to complete it. From 1420 to 1436, Brunelleschi worked on the dome. The Duomo looks like a multi-colored flower. The underside of the Duomo dome is covered in paintings of the Last Judgement.

There are many beautiful works of art on the Campanile. The bell tower was built from 1334 to 1359. The 7 bells are are all very heavy, and some are much older then the rest. The Campanile was built as part of the Duomo itself. There are 16 statues total on the Campanile.

We also went inside the Florence Baptistry. It may not seem like anything important because it is small, but it is actually a very famous building. The ceiling mosaics were completely made of gold. The baptistry is also known for its 3 gates in the south, north, and east. The south doors are made by Andrea Pisano, and the north and east doors are made by Lorenzo Ghiberti. Arguably the most famous doors are the east doors, known also as the Gates of Paradise. The baptistry is also extremely old, and may have initially been a Roman temple. It is said to be one of the oldest buildings in the city.

This was an awesome day in Florence. The Duomo and Campanile were fun to climb. I learned some fantastic history. The Florence Baptistry ceiling was beautiful. I wish I could have seen these places again!