Dominating the Florence skyline is the russet-domed Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore , with its furiously pretty façade in pink, white and green marble. Begun in 1296 by Arnolfo di Cambio, the world’s fourth-largest cathedral took almost 150 years to complete. The restrained interior is a surprise after the tumultuous decoration of the façade. It’s also surprisingly secular in places (a sizeable chunk of the cathedral was not paid for by the church). It’s a must to scale the 463 steps to the Brunelleschi-designed dome for unforgettable panoramas, and you can also climb the Giotto-designed, 82m campanile (8.30am-7.30pm). The 11th-century Romanesque baptistry has three sets of doors, executed by Pisano and Ghiberti, the finest being the latter’s Gates of Paradise . The originals are in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo ; those in situ are copies.
