Welcome to the TravelPod forums

[starlagurl]

The best thing to do for free in Florence is a tour of the Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore)

Did you know that every 40 minutes Florence’s Center for Art and Culture also offers FREE guided tours of the church? Highlights of the jaunt include a look into the care and craft of that gorgeous facade, why the church was originally built, and more. Tours are available in English and Italian.

Before you go…

If you plan to take a tour, enter the sanctuary via the left-side doors. The church is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and on Fridays from 10 AM to 5 PM; Thursday it’s open from 10 AM to 3:30 PM; Saturday it opens at 10 AM and closes at 4:45 PM. On Sunday, the sanctuary is only open from 1:30 PM to 4:45 PM. And, the first Saturday of each month the church is only open from 10 AM to 3:30 PM. For information on special holiday hours and more, visit the Duomo’s official tourism site.

Found at Eurocheapo
http://www.eurocheapo.com/blog/florence-ti...uomo-tours.html

Has anybody been? I missed this when I was there, so I'd be interested.

[starlagurl]

???
What are the baptistry doors? Why are they special?

[bakasyonista]

The Baptistry Door is special because it once housed the original work of Ghiberti's "Gates of Paradise". Currently the original panels can be seen at the Museu dell'Opera Del Duomo.

[huckabmm]

The Duomo was amazing, so worth the time to hear all about the history of the place. We also toured other parts of the cathedral, my favorite being the Baptistry doors.

Hear hear! The Duomo is one of the best things in Florence.

I didn't know about these free tours though....what a shame, that sounds like a great way to learn more about the place! Although, when I was there I met up with a friend that was studying abroad there so she knew a great deal about the history of the place...but still, it wasn't quite up to these standards...makes me want to go back...