So we went back to the largest church in town, the Duomo. This cathedral was sure to satisfy both of us. The dome rivals San Pietro in size, and I marveled at its architecture as I climbed the steps up to the top, an intriguing series of progressively shorter and flatter switchbacks between the inner and outer domes, culminating in a sweeping view of the city from the cupola.
For good measure I did an encore ascent in the accompanying campanile of Giotto, while Sara wrote post-cards in the piazza. This bell tower, with its sheer, vertical height (85 meters), intricate polychrome facade of white, pink, and green marble, and hundreds of stairs winding around vast interior spaces, earned the distinction of being my favorite Euro-structure of the whole trip.
Read more
