Il Duomo

Big, bold and beautiful: the symbol of the city

Noteworthy for: Head down into the crypt to see the unpretentious tomb of Brunelleschi, the architect of the dome. He also worked on the San Lorenzo and Santo Spirito churches.
Word to the wise: Like many of Florence's top sights, queues here get longer as the day progresses.

Best known locally as simply Il Duomo (The Church), the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is the most iconic building in Florence - and one of Italy’s most famous sights. An enormous gothic cathedral - once the largest on earth - that was started way back in 1296, its marble-covered exterior and magnificent dome are now considered true architectural masterpieces.
It might be a heaving tourist trap, but the fact is the Duomo is simply too good to miss. The ludicrously ornate church façade is contrasted by the relatively bare interior, although there are several small, ornate features dotted around the nave from paintings to pulpits, statues to stained glass windows. The undoubted highlight of the church however, is the enormous fresco of ‘The Last Judgment’ by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari. Painted inside the imposing dome, it’s definitely worth the 463-step climb.