Climb to the top of Brunelleschi Dome

The Florence Cathedral, formally known as the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, is an iconic basilica in the city of Florence, Italy.  The cathedral has the third largest dome of any structure in the world and is one if Italy's largest structures drawing millions of visitors each year.   

 Work on this enormous cathedral began in 1296 but wasn't structurally completed until 1436. The dome was built by Filippo Brunelleschi who won the competition for commission in 1418.  The raising of the dome, the largest in the world at the time, was no easy architectural feat.  There are 463 stairs to climb to the top of the cupola.  The stairs take you up close to the interior of the dome where you can admire Giorgio Vasari's frescoes up close.  The way up to the cupola was actually tight corridors used by the workers who built the cathedral.  These corridors were never designed to be used by the public.  Because of the limited capacity, the only way to see the cupola and the amazing views of Florence is to reserve a time slot in Advance.  Once you book a time slot, the reservation can not be changed so be sure to plan accordingly.