Brunelleschi’s Dome

This is the most audacious piece of Renaissance engineering in the city. The climb moves through the tight space between the dome’s inner and outer shells, revealing the brick corridors that made this structure possible at a time when no one else could solve the problem of spanning such a massive octagon. The herringbone brick pattern, visible in several sections of the ascent, was Brunelleschi’s key innovation, locking each course into the next so the dome could rise without the wooden centering normally required. The interior gallery sits directly beneath the Last Judgment fresco, where the details of Zuccari and Vasari’s work come sharply into focus: skeletal figures, mythic beasts, and crowded tiers of the saved and damned arranged across the dome’s steep curvature. The contrast between the quiet stone passages and the overwhelming fresco cycle adds to the sense of scale. Near the top, the route passes under heavy beams and angled masonry originally used to stabilize the structure during construction, a reminder that the dome was built from within as the walls closed overhead. The ascent ends beside the lantern, where the view extends across Florence’s rooftops; an outlook earned through the same passages craftsmen once used while the dome was still an open shell.

Beautiful views of all of Florence and pretty well organized. It was roughly 30 euros for the ticket, (but gives you access to also to bunch of other cool things at the dome). The number of steps is significant, but for the height, traffic was very well organized and they made sure you will not run into anyone going up or down the stairs, (at least going the opposite direction of you). Beyond the views of the city, and the coolness factor of climbing, they organized some great exhibits of the history of the construction, and you can make out more of the domes painting. It also gives a great perspective of the sheer size of the cathedral. Definitely worth doing, and probably one of the best church climbs I've seen in Europe