Florence Duomo Accessibility

What is step-free at the Florence Duomo

Three of the six monuments are reachable without stairs. The cathedral's ground floor, the Opera del Duomo Museum and the Baptistery of San Giovanni all have step-free access, and the museum in particular is a modern, lift-served building that is comfortable to move through. If your visit is about the art and the interiors rather than the climbs, most of the Duomo is open to you.

What is not accessible

The two climbs are the exceptions, and there is no way around it: neither has a lift.

• Brunelleschi's Dome — 463 steps through narrow, one-way passages between the shells. Not accessible to wheelchair users, and demanding for anyone with limited mobility, heart or breathing conditions, vertigo or claustrophobia.
• Giotto's Bell Tower — 414 steps, also stairs only, with no lift.

The Santa Reparata crypt is reached by a staircase down from the cathedral floor, so it is likewise not step-free.

Services on site

• Accessible entrances are marked at the cathedral, the museum and the Baptistery.
• Luggage storage is available near Piazza del Duomo — useful because you cannot enter the monuments with luggage or large bags.
• Toilets and the ticket office / info point are on Piazza San Giovanni.

What the climbs are actually like

If you are weighing up the dome or the bell tower with a knee, a hip or a nervous head for heights, it helps to know their shape. Both are continuous stone staircases with no lift and no exit once you have committed to going up. The dome's upper stretch curves with the shell and narrows to a single-file, one-way passage, and the final climb to the lantern is the steepest part; the bell tower is more regular but just as long at 414 steps. There are landings to pause on, but no seating on the way, and in summer the enclosed stairwells get warm. If any of that gives you pause, the museum and the cathedral floor offer the art and the atmosphere without the ascent.

Planning an accessible visit

If stairs are out, build your visit around the cathedral, the Baptistery and the museum, which together hold most of the complex's great art — Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise, Michelangelo's Bandini Pietà and Donatello's Magdalene are all in the step-free museum. For anything you are unsure about, the official Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore can confirm current access arrangements for your date.

To choose a suitable tour, compare the Florence Duomo tours and check each card's accessibility note, or see the full visiting guide for hours and entrances.