Opera del Duomo Museum: the Gates of Paradise and Michelangelo's last Pietà
For seven hundred years one body, the Opera, has built and looked after the cathedral of Florence. Its museum, behind the east end, holds the sculpture made for the cathedral, the bell tower and the baptistery, and since it was rebuilt in 2015 it has been one of the best museums in Italy.
- What it is
- Museum
- Time to allow
- 1.5 to 2 hours
- Cost
- Ticket
- Best time
- Midday, when the square outside is at its fullest
Florence this week
Why the Opera del Duomo Museum is worth it
The doors of the baptistery in the square are copies. The originals are here, in a hall three storeys high, facing a full-size model of the cathedral front as it stood until 1587, with the original statues back in their niches. Ghiberti spent twenty-seven years, from 1425 to 1452, on the ten gilded panels of the east door. Michelangelo is said to have called them fit for the gates of Paradise, and the name stuck.
A room to itself holds the Pietà Michelangelo began in his seventies and meant for his own grave. He lost patience with the marble, took a hammer to it, and gave the pieces away. The hooded old man who holds up the body of Christ has his own face.
The museum opened in 1891 and was more than doubled between 2009 and 2015. It is included in every pass for the monuments of the square, and it is seldom crowded.
What to see
The Gates of Paradise
Ten scenes from the Old Testament in gilded bronze, each a picture in depth, with Ghiberti's own bald head looking out of the frame. The baptistery's two other bronze doors stand beside them.
Michelangelo's Pietà
Four figures cut from one block. You can see where the arm and leg he broke off were mended, and where a pupil finished the Magdalene at the left.
Donatello's Magdalene
Carved in wood in his old age: a gaunt woman clothed in her own hair, her hands not quite touching in prayer.
The singing galleries
Two marble balconies made for the cathedral in the 1430s, one by Luca della Robbia with children singing and playing instruments, one by Donatello with children in a wild dance.
Brunelleschi's dome, explained
A room with his wooden models, the tools and hoists used to build the dome, and his death mask.
The baptistery
Across the square: the eight-sided church of St John, faced in green and white marble, where Dante was baptised. Its ceiling of gold mosaic is under restoration, with scaffolding inside.
How to do it well
- The museum is covered by all three passes for the monuments. The cheapest one covers the museum, the baptistery and the crypt, without the climbs.
- It is closed on the first Tuesday of each month.
- Go up to the terrace on the top floor, which looks straight at the dome from close by.
- See the museum before you climb the dome, not after: the climb means more when you know how it was built.
- The baptistery closes early on the first Sunday of the month. Shoulders and knees must be covered inside.
Where it is
Address
Piazza del Duomo 9, behind the east end of the cathedral
Nearest station
Santa Maria Novella station, about ten minutes on foot
Museums and sights nearby
- Florence Cathedral150 m
- Bargello National Museum300 m
- Accademia Gallery400 m
- Medici Chapels450 m
Distances are in a straight line.
Tickets and tours: Opera del Duomo Museum and the Baptistery
Opera del Duomo Museum and the Baptistery: common questions
- Where are the original Gates of Paradise?
- In the Opera del Duomo Museum, behind the cathedral, where they have been kept since their restoration. The doors on the baptistery are copies put up in 1990.
- Is the Opera del Duomo Museum worth visiting?
- Yes. It has Ghiberti's doors, a late Pietà by Michelangelo, Donatello's Magdalene and the best account anywhere of how the dome was built, and it is far less crowded than the cathedral.
- How long does the Opera del Duomo Museum take?
- About an hour and a half, and another twenty minutes for the baptistery.
- How much time do you need for the Opera del Duomo Museum?
- Allow 1.5 to 2 hours. That is this site's estimate for an unhurried visit.
What visitors say about the Opera del Duomo Museum
Rating from Google
Things to do near the Opera del Duomo Museum
The nearest of this site's best things to do in the city. Distances are in a straight line.
- 3Climb Brunelleschi's dome on the Duomo150 m awayChurch, 2 to 3 hours, cathedral free, ticket for the dome
- 17Find the Medici in the Chapel of the Magi300 m awayMonument, 45 to 75 minutes, ticket
- 9See Donatello's David at the Bargello300 m awayMuseum, 1.3 to 2 hours, ticket
- 2See Michelangelo's David at the Accademia400 m awayMuseum, 1 to 1.5 hours, ticket
Artists to see near the Opera del Duomo Museum
The museums nearest to here, and the most famous artists on show in each.
Florence Cathedral, 150 m away
Bargello National Museum, 300 m away
Where to eat near the Opera del Duomo Museum
The nearest of the famous tables this site lists in Florence. Distances are in a straight line.
- Antico Ristorante Paoli4.7Restaurant, Orsanmichele300 m away
- Caffè Gilli4.3Café, Piazza della Repubblica350 m away
- Perché no!4.6Gelateria, Orsanmichele350 m away
- Caffè Paszkowski4.5Café, Piazza della Repubblica400 m away
Hotels near the Opera del Duomo Museum
The five-star hotels closest to it, of those this site lists in Florence. Distances are in a straight line.
- Palazzo Portinari Salviati4.8Five-star hotel, Via del Corso200 m away
- Hotel Savoy4.7Five-star hotel, Piazza della Repubblica300 m away
- Hotel Bernini Palace4.7Five-star hotel, Piazza della Signoria450 m away
- Helvetia & Bristol4.7Five-star hotel, Palazzo Strozzi500 m away