The most important building is the Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore, the episcopal seat of the Florentine diocese. Built in Gothic style by Arnolfo di Cambio beginning in 1296 and completed in 1434 with the magnificent Renaissance dome by Filippo Brunelleschi, it is entirely clad in polychrome marble.

The visit to the cathedral is completed by descending into the Crypt of Santa Reparata, rediscovered last century beneath the floor of the present church, where the remains of three earlier basilicas are preserved.

Next to the Duomo rises the famous Giotto’s Bell Tower, named after the artist who designed it in 1334.

Opposite stands the Baptistery of Saint John the Baptist, a magnificent example of Romanesque architecture, adorned inside with 13th-century mosaics.

The brand-new Opera del Duomo Museum houses paintings, ornaments, goldsmith works, and illuminated manuscripts created over the centuries for the buildings described above, as well as one of the world’s largest collections of medieval and Renaissance sculptures.

Among the most remarkable masterpieces are:

• the Gates of Paradise by Lorenzo Ghiberti, the famous door from the 1401 competition,
• the choir lofts (cantorie) by Luca della Robbia and Donatello,
• Michelangelo’s Pietà, featuring the artist’s self-portrait.

One section is dedicated to the construction of the Dome.