Piazza Duomo in Florence, at 500 metres from Residence Hilda, is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful squares in the world, unanimously defined as the location with the greatest concentration of history, religion and art. Whoever visits Piazza del Duomo cannot but be charmed by the surrounding beauty.
We can start from the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the main Church in Florence, which at the time it was erected in 1436 was the largest church in the world and is now the third in Europe, after Saint Peter’s in Rome and St. Paul’s in London.
The symbol of Florence, the Cathedral is crowned by the Brunelleschi’s Dome, still considered nowadays as one of the major architectural masterpieces in the world, especially in consideration of the technology available at that time!
We then find the Baptistery dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, patron saint of Florence, with its non-original Gates of Paradise we will describe below, a building that dates back to the Middle Ages and was consecrated in 1059.
Giotto’s Campanile (Bell Tower), another symbol of Florence, standing in an unusual position with respect to most churches and featuring the finest white and red marble engravings, is a unique masterpiece.
The adjacent Museum Opera del Duomo of Florence has recently been refurbished and reopened to the public. It contains the works of art coming from the nearby complex of the Cathedral of Florence, Baptistery and Giotto’s Campanile.
The museum and the gates of paradise
The Opera Museum holds the highest concentration of florentine monumental sculpture in the world: medieval and renaissance statutes and low relief in marble, bronze and silver by the main artists of the time, among which Michelangelo, Arnolfo di Cambio, Donatello, Antonio del Pollaiolo, Luca della Robbia, Tino di Camaino, Ghiberti, Verrocchio.
Moreover, the Museum displays the original Gates of Paradise by Lorenzo Ghiberti – a goldsmith and sculptor of the 15th century – one of the doors of the nearby Baptistery that is kept in the Museum to avoid any damage due to adverse weather. It was Michelangelo himself to refer to these doors as “The Gates of Paradise” the first time he saw the unprecedented masterpiece of the Renaissance!
Residence Piazza Duomo Florence is therefore the ideal solution to enjoy your time and visit this place of unparalleled beauty, a must-see for any visitor of the main city in Tuscany.