The Outside of the Duomo, and the Bell–Tower.

 In Florence Italy there is a giant cathedral {Or Duomo} called the Santa Maria Del Fiore, or Saint Mary of the Flower, the flower of course being Jesus.

It’s really, really big, and impressive, and beautiful and has kept me from being lost on several occasions because it points almost exactly west, so it’s like having a giant compass you can see from almost everywhere.

It also helps that all the streets with cool stuff radiate from it, so most times I would Goto:Duomo Turn: Left/right and amble for awhile until I got there.

In our hotel “On the Roof” {really more like a penthouse} there was a breakfast type restaurant, with a buffet and giant windows. This picture was taken from inside, there.

This was taken from on the actual roof, which is a story I’ll tell tomorrow.

Another one from the restaurant, on the one day we got a really good sunrise.

This isn’t the door they let you into the duomo with, it’s just there to intimidate.

Everything about the duomo is really really big. 

Again with the decorations that don’t match! GET IT TOGETHER GUYS!

Detail: Every corner is highly decorated.

One morning I got to the duomo before it opened, so I was looking for something to do. 

The Bell–Tower next to the duomo opens about an hour before the duomo does, so right when it opened I walked in and bought a ticket. I would not suggest the climb to fat people, claustrophobic people, or people carrying large heavy camera bags {Such as myself.} 

Detail: Bell

I didn’t spend any money on this, but I did spend a lot of time thinking about how scary all this would be without the cage.

Scene: Terracotta roofs.

Scene: Santa Croce. I had to seriously rescue the skies on this one, but when I did they really turned out, I think.

I Spy: The Uffizi, The Santa Croce, The Palazzo Vecchio

Detail: The Palazzo Vecchio

Scene: An angle on the Piazza Della Repubblica most people don’t get. 

I Spy: Vans for Scale!

I Spy: The Santa Maria Novella, and our hotel; The Grand Hotel Baglioni

Detail: Martini

Detail: Tourists for scale, on top of the Duomo

Panorama: The Duomo from the Bell–Tower.

Detail: The Original railing of the Bell–Tower

Detail: One of many frescoes on the Duomo

Well, now I HAVE to get in there and take pictures of everything.

What the interesting sign was in front of.

The view most people have of the duomo

Detail: Neat door in the side of the duomo

The Bell–Tower. {It doesn’t really bend like that, that’s a lens artifact.}

The Duomo’s façade.