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| The dome of Florence's cathedral |
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| View of the dome from the bell tower |
If you look closely at the photo above, you might notice people at the top of the dome. Visitors are allowed to climb 400+ steps to reach the summit.
Susan had never climbed the dome, until recently. Susan and visiting friends ascended the narrow stairways and walkways to the top of the dome. It was a cloudless day and the air was very clear. So, the views were amazing.
The climb to the top starts with walking up stairs in the wall of the cathedral. Climbers emerge from the stairway inside the cathedral at the base of the dome. The view of the interior is breathtaking. The photo below is the frescoed interior of the dome. Below that is a shot of the floor of the cathedral.
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| The Last Judgment by Vasari and Zuccari (1568-1579). The panting is more than one acre in size, about 48,000 square feet, making it one of the largest in the world. |
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| View of the cathedral's interior from the base of the dome |
After viewing the interior, the climb continues inside the dome. The dome is actually two domes--an inner dome connected to an outer dome. The stairway is sandwiched between the two domes.
Along the way, a window provides a view of what is to come.
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| View of Florence from the cathedral's dome. |
Finally, after rising more than 400 steps, the summit is reached and breathtaking views are the reward.
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| Pretty view. The background is nice too. |
P.S. To see a cool video about the dome's construction, click here. The video depicts the double dome, the stairway to the top and frescoed interior.
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