“I had to climb the Duomo, I’m very religious and it’s my last night in Firenze. I had to climb up the dome dedicated to God.” Martina said.
Martina and Sergio traveled roughly 1086 Kilometers from Barcelona to Florence to experience the religious wealth of Italy. A middle-aged couple, both Sergio and Martina decided to add 463 steps to their tally of 1086 Kilometers to climb the most iconic landmark in Florence, the Duomo.
Florence’s Duomo is formally titled the Santa Maria del Fiore and is the tallest standing building in the city. It was built by Filippo Brunelleschi and took nearly two centuries for construction to be completed. The Dome is one of Florence’s pride and joys, and it costs only 18 euros for a ticket. The ticket includes 72-hour access to the octagonal baptistery, bell tower, main Duomo and Duomo museum.
As we walked through the Duomo’s spacious interior towards a small brown door leading to the staircase, I overheard Martina telling her husband how surprised she was at the simplicity of the Duomo’s interior. The walls were mostly white, with the exception of a beautifully frescoed ceiling titled “The Last Judgement.”
My heart skipped a beat as soon as I walked into the ancient stairwell. I looked around at the grimy gray walls, the low ceiling and narrow space between the walls. The stairs seemed to be bearable and the cool interior alone was well worth the 18 euros I paid for the ticket.
After five minutes of climbing, my legs began to feel warm and tight. I wondered how the builders of the Duomo were able to climb up and down these stairs with heavy building materials in hand.
Just as I thought my legs were about to give out, I pulled out my phone to check the time. My screen showed the numbers: 3:36. I had only been climbing for six minutes. These 463 stairs weren’t only getting the best of me because I could hear Martina and Sergio speaking in Spanish about how exhausted they felt. Just one minute afterward we reached a platform where there was space to rest.
Filling the space of the platform was a handful of larger than life restored sculptures depicting six unnamed saints. The small exhibit focused on the intense effort it took to restore these sculptures after poor construction and visitor graffiti had taken its toll on the art. Aside from displaying the Duomo’s rich history, the open space was perfect for exhausted climbers.
After spending about five minutes on the platform, I was ushered into another narrow corridor by a Duomo employee. This corridor had an even tighter staircase, which made my stomach clench and my breath catch in my chest.
To prevent myself from getting dizzy, I focused on counting the industrial lights attached to the walls. After number 35, I saw a stream of light pouring through a tiny window. I peeked through to catch a breathtaking glimpse of the smaller Duomo in Florence.
Even though I had climbed for about fifteen minutes, I didn’t realize how high I was because of the lack of windows in the stairwell.
Seeing how much height I had accomplished invigorated me for the rest of the hike. I was ushered into another hallway which led to the interior of the Duomo. I went from counting industrial lights to standing face to ceiling with the beautifully preserved frescoes within the Duomo.
I was shocked to see how close I was to the frescoed ceiling painted by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zucchari in 1579. There’s nothing quite like being an arm’s reach away from touching the surface of a historical fresco. Martina must have had the same thought because she stood on her tiptoes to run her fingers on the lower side of the rough plastered ceiling.
Unfortunately, security immediately reminded her to admire the art from afar which caused her to look at me with an embarrassed smile. When the security turned back around, I quickly grazed the ceiling with my fingers too. I mean, who wouldn’t?
I peered over the Lucite barricade keeping me from falling into the pulpit of the Duomo and felt my pre-hike gelato creeping up my throat. I swallowed hard and entered another tight corridor where the stairs were unbelievably dizzying.
Just when I thought the worst part was over, I looked upward to see a platform where the stairs began to sharply ascend. I looked back at Martina and Sergio to tell them about the stairs.
After giving myself a quick pep talk to prevent myself from running back all of the stairs I had just climbed, I took a deep breath and jogged the remaining steps. Once I reached the top, I saw a small piece of ceiling missing and a ladder, the exit from the stairwell that reached to the top of the Duomo.
As I climbed up the thin, rusty ladder and pulled myself out, I realized that I had finally made it to the top. I took another deep breath partly because I was exhausted and partly because of how stunning the view was.
In an instant, I was looking at the terracotta colored roofs of Tuscany. I walked toward the glass barrier located on the edge and spotted the Duomo bell tower.
The sun was just preparing for sunset and there was a warm breeze in the air. The view from the Cupola of the Duomo was without a doubt, worth every step. I peered up toward the sky to look at the details of the Cupola which had marble carvings and columns that acted as the cherry to the top of the Duomo.
There is minimal room to walk around on the Cupola, but many families were enjoying the break from climbing by admiring the breathtaking view of Florence.
INSERT MARTINA AND SERGIO VIEW
Hiking the Duomo is perfect for anyone who doesn’t have claustrophobia and/ or a fear of heights. The Duomo’s website strongly advises people to consider their fears and health before climbing the dome, as the hike is physically strenuous. I’m an active 20-year-old who has no problem with heights or tight spaces, and even I felt a little queasy.
If you’re interested in seeing Florence from above, I would highly suggest hiking the Duomo. If vigorous activity, heights and tight spaces aren’t for you, do yourself a favor and cross the Arno River and up the much easier path to the Piazza de Michelangelo.