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Cathedrals of Florence: Santa Maria del Fiore; ascent to the cupola Baptistery, Giotto's Bell Tower Church of Santa Maria Novella and Historical Pharmacy of the Convent

This itinerary takes you through the heart of the historical center of Florence where we suggest you visit the best known sites and take in some of the special aspects. If you are in shape, a walk up to the top of the cupola or bell tower (about 450 steps) will allow you to enjoy one of the most beautiful views of the city.
This walk begins in Piazza Duomo, after arriving by private shuttle from the Relais Certosa, which takes approximately 15-20 minutes.
Period Suggested: All year round.
Arriving in Piazza Duomo we suggest you walk around the church to admire its construction. Also admire the shops that are found nearby which represent the best craftsmanship in the city, such as the old workshops where Panerai clocks, writing stationary, pens and jewelry are made and antique books are sold.


DUOMO
Up until the middle of the 11th century, the Duomo ) in Florence was that of San Giovanni, which then became the Battistero (Baptistery), and later the cathedral became that of Santa Reparata.
In 1294, they thought of building a new and bigger church and Arnolfo di Cambio was summoned for the job. The construction of the church proceeded slowly and after the death of Arnolfo, Giotto and Andrea Pisano continued the project. In 1420, Brunelleschi began work on the Cupola.
The Duomo was consecrated in 1436. The construction of the church, with a Roman-cross floor plan, lasted for 140 years, and the façade remained incomplete until Emilio De Fabris completed it in 1875.
The Duomo is grandiose in its Gothic style; inside, the pure architectural line can be admired which does not have the contrasts in marble or the decoration of a typical gothic cathedral.
From the church you can admire the continuing punctuation of arches ) and the solidity of the pilasters and vaults where, upon which the splendid Cupola of Filippo Brunelleschi is set. His final structure consists of a double cupola in brick, set in herringbone-laid brick, 91 m high, completely self-supporting on a never-before-seen system of moveable rather than fixed centering (impossible considering the diameter of the cupola).
The external cupola, in stone with angular vaulted ribbing, was much larger and "expanded" than the inside one, which, nevertheless, exactly repeated the profile of an acute arch.
We strongly recommend that you climb the 450 steps to become better acquainted with the structure and to admire the view of the city from the top.
Inside, there are works by Ghiberti, Paolo Uccello, and Gaddo Gaddi.
On the doors of the Sacristies are the lunettes by Luca della Robbia, and in the chapel of the Apse is the "Deposition" by Michelangelo.
On the floor of the Apse, a sundial meridian, executed by the Florentine Astronomer Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli, lays on the left side. He constructed it in order to calculate the summer solstice when the sun, at 12:15 and 58 seconds solar time on June 21st, passes through the brass bushing inside the cupola of the Duomo enters perfectly in the white marble circle measuring 90 cm in diameter, specifically created on the church floor.

CAMPANILE DI GIOTTO (GIOTTO's BELL TOWER)
In an octagonal plan, entirely covered in white and green marble slabs from Prato, the Baptistery is crowned with a cupola with 8 edges resting on the perimeter walls, hidden on the outside by the elevation of the walls above the arch of the second level, and a flattened pyramidal roof.
The Baptistery that we see today is the result of an enlargement of the original Baptistery, dating back to the 4th and 5th centuries AD. The excavations of the last century revealed remains of the Roman structure under both the Baptistery and the Duomo. In the floor, in fact, some grates reveal a sub-level where, remains of a Roman house with mosaic floors with a geometric motif were found.
The most significant parts of the sculptured furnishings are the three bronze portals by Andrea Pisano and Andrea Ghiberti.

BATTISTERO (BAPTISTERY)
In an octagonal plan, entirely vested in white and green marble slabs from Prato, the Battistero is crowned with a cupola with 8 edges resting on the perimetral walls, masked on the outside by the elevation of the walls above the arch of the second level, and a flattened pyramid roof.
The Battistero that we see today is the fruit of an enlargement of a primitive Battistero, dating back to the4th and 5th centuries. The excavations of the last century have indeed revealed remains of the Roman structure under both the Battistero and the Duomo. On the ground, in fact, some grids gave light to a sub-level where, remains of a Roman house with mosaic floors with a geometric motif were found.
The most significant parts of the sculptured furnishings are the three bronze portals by Andrea Pisano and Andrea Ghiberti.

SOUTH DOOR BY ANDREA PISANO
The oldest is the south door, originally installed on the East and then replaced with that called "Paradiso" by Ghiberti; it was assigned to the sculptor Andrea Pisano, who completed it real between 1330 and 1336. In the upper twenty compartments, it shows the episodes of the life of John the Baptist and in the remaining eight, the Christian Virtues.
The ornamental carving that it contains, sculpted in the middle 1400s, was done by Vittorio Ghiberti, son of Lorenzo Ghiberti and the "Bronze group with John the Baptist", his beheading and Salomé" on the beam were done by Vincenzo Danti in 1570.

NORTH DOOR
Lorenzo Ghiberti: North door 1403 - 1424
The North door, was the second door to be finished. It was the test bench during the contest of 1401, won by Lorenzo Ghiberti and lost by various artists among which included Brunelleschi and Jacopo della Quercia.
Fundamentally laid out as the South door, the upper twenty blocks represent scenes from the New Testament and in the lower eight blocks the Evangelists and the four Fathers of the Church. The knockers, decorated with the story of the life of Christ, are also by Lorenzo Ghiberti, while on the beams you can see the group of the Preaching's of John the Baptist by Giovan Francesco Rustici and above the window, the eagle of Calimala supporting the torso (beam).

DOOR OF PARADISE
Lastly, the East door, called Door of Paradise by Michelangelo, the Renaissance masterpiece, by Ghiberti and his apprentices, including Luca della Robbia.
Ghiberti, and his crew secured the assignment of this door without a competition and the door was done in a different form than the other two, in ten large blocks.
These blocks, which illustrate scenes from the Old Testament, are not restricted to the Gothic cornice , and therefore proposed new prospective solutions and Donatelliano "sieving". The sculptures above the door, from 1502, are works by Andrea Sansovino and Innocenzo Spinazzi. On the sides of the Door of Paradise, note the two porphyry columns donated by the people of Pisa to the Florentines, for military help given to them in 1117 defending them against the Lucchesi, while the fleet of Pisa was occupied in the Balearic islands against the Muslims.
After you have ended your visit at the Duomo, we suggest a 10-minute walk to Piazza Santa Maria Novella through Via Cerretani and Via dei Banchi. Here you can admire the splendid façade of the church in white and black inlay marble; begun in 1300, it was then completed in 1470 by Leon Battista Alberti. Inside, this Basilica contains a number of works by Giotto, Orcagna, Brunelleschi, Ghiberti, Benedetto da Maiano, Masaccio, Ghirlandaio and Filippino Lippi. In the Cloister, you can see frescoes by Paolo Uccello and the Florentine school of the 13th to 15th centuries.
Leaving the church go along the length of the piazza until you arrive in Via dalla Scala where at number 16 you will find one of the oldest pharmacies in the world, the "Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella" which you are highly recommended to see. and smell.
Like a jewelry box, this pharmacy contains various treasures: frescoes, furniture pieces, antique pharmaceutical instruments and above all its products, a vast range of preparations that can charm even the most demanding public. No one whoever crosses this threshold could ever forget the indescribable universe of perfumes in the air, the magic of the potpourri, the skilful mixture of flowers and herbs from the Florentine hills, the unmistakable aroma, the results of a long maturing phase in antique terracotta jars.
The origins of the Antique Pharmacy go back to the Dominican Brothers who settled in Florence in 1221.