Before the pandemic, there was a single “pass” to visit all of the monuments around Florence’s cathedral, where the “Opera del Duomo” entity manages all of them. Reduced hours and closures during the pandemic meant single site tickets, but starting a few weeks ago, the Opera del Duomo finally reopened all of the sites with the same longer hours that were active before the pandemic… and with the introduction of 3 new “passes”.
I’d like to highlight the changes in a very simple way, so that it is easy to understand and figure out your visit to the Duomo, the climb up the Cupola, the Museo dell’Opera Museum, the Baptistry, the Bell tower and the Crypt under the cathedral, called Santa Reparata.
- the Cathedral remains FREE for everyone, but it will be closed all day on Sundays for religious services. The change is that before it was open on Sundays for a few hours in the afternoons, so make note of this.
- there are separate entrances into the Cathedral whether you buy a pass or are just visiting without having bought a pass.
Three new PASSES
First, all passes are valid for 3 days from the day you buy them in a local ticket office or from the date you select for activation if you buy them ahead of time online. No time limits are set, it’s a full 3 calendar days.
Second, only the Cupola requires you to book a time for your visit. All the other sites do not require booking any longer. You cannot change the date and time you select for the Cupola! You are allowed up to 5 minutes of delay after the time you booked.
Third, as mentioned above, all pass holders have an entrance dedicated to them to enter the Cathedral, located on the south side by the entrance to the bell tower. The front entrance on the facade of the Cathedral, facing the Baptistery, is reserved for anyone who wants to visit the Cathedral (free entrance) but does not purchase any of the passes. This is a smart move, to use additional doors and thus control the flow of visitors better.
Here are the passes:
- BRUNELLESCHI PASS: This is the all-inclusive pass that includes ALL of the monuments in Piazza del Duomo, including the climb up the Cupola. It is, of course, the most expensive at €30 per person, reduced for kids between 7 and 14 years old to €12 and free to kids under 6 years old.
- GIOTTO PASS: Includes all of the sites EXCEPT for the Cupola. It costs €20 for adults, €7 for ages 7-14 and free under 6.
- GHIBERTI PASS: Includes all of the sites that do not require climbing; that is, it excludes the Bell tower and Cupola. It thus includes the museum, the Baptistery, and the Crypt of Santa Reparata. Cost is €15 for adults, €5 for ages 7-14, and again free to kids under 6.
Last important “novelty” of this spring is that all local residents (those that live in Florence and “metropolitana area”) can visit the sites included in the Ghiberti pass above (the Museum, the Crypt of Santa Reparata and the Baptistery) for FREE every first Sunday of the month. This is to align themselves to local city government which offers free access to city museums on the first Sunday of the month, called the “Domenica Metropolitana“. So on the same day you can include visits to these religious sites in addition to museums. You do, however, need to first stop at the ticket office in either Piazza del Duomo 14 or Piazza San Giovanni 7 and pick up the special “GIGLIO” pass. You need to show your local ID card that shows you’re a resident to pick up the ticket. This pass is only valid on this one day.
Ok, last but not least, the map below shows the entrances and ticket offices (in green) to the complex. See the two red dots on the top middle part? The one on the left is for pass holders to enter the cathedral, the one on the right is the entrance to the bell tower.
Any questions? Make sure to post below or on our forum!
