Piazza del Duomo

The Piazza del Duomo is the heart of Florence, and home to many of its most beautiful and historic attractions — chief among them the Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore. The cathedral stands tall in the centre of the piazza and Brunelleschi’s red-tiled dome dominates the city’s skyline to this day. It took 150 years to complete Florence’s most iconic building, and you can tell: the variety of its architecture and design reflects how the tastes of the time evolved over the period of its construction.

Alongside the cathedral is the Giotto Campanile, its showpiece Gothic bell tower. Both structures have the same distinctive pink, white and green marble facade. It is much more colourful and lively than most European churches, but manages to remain tasteful and harmonious. Completing the trio of buildings in the Piazza is the Baptistery of St John, the octagonal minor basilica that is among the oldest buildings in Florence. Altogether, these buildings earned the square its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Treasure trove

Over the centuries, many priceless works of art have been made for the trio of buildings in the Piazza del Duomo. Concerns over security and preservation led to the creation of the Cathedral Museum, where the works could be safely stored. It is a treasure trove. Don’t miss Ghilberti’s original bronze panels for the Baptistery doors, or Michaelangelo’s Pietà, one of his late works which he smashed as he was not satisfied with the quality of the marble, before it was painstakingly reassembled by a student.