Cathedral Complex Free Admission with the ‘Giglio Pass’

The original Baptistery doors displayed at the Cathedral Museum (Museo del Opera del Duomo)

A step towards normalcy and a sign of hope is the message that the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore wants to give by reopening to the public. Starting in March 2022, all the landmarks in the Florence Cathedral complex began to offer extended hours as before the COVID-19 pandemic.

There will also be free admission for residents of the Metropolitan Area of Florence (*see list municipalities included below),  every first Sunday of the month for the Cathedral Museum (Museo dell’Opera del Duomo), Baptistery and Santa Reparata. Residents can get a special ticket called “Giglio Pass,” which can be collected by presenting a photo ID at the cash desk of the Opera of Santa Maria del Fiore in Piazza Duomo 14 and Piazza San Giovanni 7.

In the Cathedral Museum, visitors can see the new exhibition showcasing Michelangelo’s three Pietà statues (one original and two casts). Along with the iconic statues, the museum hosts Ghiberti’s original sets of bronze doors of the Baptistry: the Gates of Paradise (East Doors) and the North Doors in addition to medieval sculptures by such masters as Donatello and Pisano.

The Baptistery (built between 1059 and 1128) is the octagon-shaped building, located across of the Duomo (Santa Maria del Fiore) and the Belltower of Giotto (Campanile di Giotto). Many notable historical figures, such as Dante Alighieri, Amerigo Vespucci, Niccolò Machiavelli, and Cosimo I de’Medici were christened in the “Battistero di San Giovanni.” The Baptistery is built on the remains of a pagan temple and the design is possibly inspired by Islamic designs and bears strong influences of Byzantine art. The mosaic ceiling portrays different subjects and aspects of the hierarchy of angels, the Last Judgement, and the Book of Genesis.

Santa Reparata are the ruins of the oldest Christian basilica of Florence and lie beneath the Santa Maria del Fiore. The name Santa Reparata refers to a Catholic virgin, martyr and patron saint of the third century AD.  A statue of her is located on the left side of the central door on the Santa Maria del Fiore. The Santa Reparata ruins are found right under the front entrances of the current cathedral. With the original length and width approximately 58 meters (190 ft) and 25 meters (82 ft.), it was no small church. The basilica has a magnificent Paleochristian mosaic floor. In the center of the geometric polychromatic floor lies the beautifully intricate and colorful peacock emblem, which is thought to have been designed by North African craftsmen in the fifth century A.D.

*the Metropolitan Area of Florence includes the following municipalities:

  • Bagno a Ripoli
  • Calenzano
  • Campi Bisenzio
  • Fiesole
  • Firenze
  • Impruneta
  • Lastra a Signa
  • Sandicci
  • Sesto Fiorentino
  • Signa

For more information regarding the Cathedral Museum, Baptistery and Santa Reparata, visit the website: https://duomo.firenze.it/en/home     (ted de veer)