Brunelleschi's Dome, An Architectural Marvel

Useful information

Have you ever wanted to climb the world's biggest dome? If this is the case, I'm glad to tell you that it's actually possible! But first, buy a ticket with a skip-the-line pass. The Brunelleschi’s Dome is part of Florence' Duomo Complex which includes other buildings like the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in town! You'll need an 72-hour pass for access (but don't worry because they sell them at museums' ticket points).

Climbing the Dome is an experience like no other. The 463 steps will test your physical endurance, but it's worth every step when you reach the top! When making a reservation for this place, try to set up the visit at least one day before.

A bit of history

The Duomo is a stunning Cathedral in Florence, Italy. The building's construction started with the architect Arnolfo di Cambio and was finished when Francesco Talenti's time became the head of construction. A portion of the original design has been expanded upon without any unintended consequences until the moment when problems of the existing techniques emerged.

After decades being incomplete, in 1418 Florence decided to hold a design contest on how best complete this temple. While there was no official winner and Filippo Brunelleschi received his commission without providing many details about his project, he explained that he would build another smaller dome--this time as support to help reaching up high enough, with an outer shell made out of large stones whose weight would in certain circumstances destroy any building below it.

His idea was critized with a good amount of skepticism from his fellow architects and engineers, and even the ones who awarded the commission had serious doubts about the design, to such an extent that they also appointed Brunelleschi's lifelong rival Lorenzo Ghiberti (the two had competed against each other for many commissions, such as the Baptistery doors, plus Ghiberti had also entered the contest for the Dome).

Brunelleschi's designs for the construction of Florence Cathedral were so complex that it took him years to refine them. He had visions of building an entire cathedral with his precise machine but, before he could get started on this demanding task, he had to handle a major concern: he had to realize larger cranes and pulleys than any previously created! Nowadays, copies of these can be seen at the Duomo museum.

The Dome of Florence's Cathedral was built using an ingenious technique that combined both structural engineering and brickwork. When it came time for construction, architect Brunelleschi used a series of internal scaffolds along with placing bricks in herringbone patterns- all so he could keep things standing erect; something no one had accomplished before then! The project took six years from start to finish but once completed this beautiful edifice would stand as not just one huge church that tourists can also visit today. It was more that this. 

The dome turned out to be his last architectural project. In fact, Brunelleschi passed away just a few months after beginning construction; but thanks to Giorgio Vasari in 1466, it was finally completed (nearly 100 years later)!