Students Climb to the Top of the Duomo

Summer is drawing to an end here in Florence, but Fall put off its arrival for a couple more days and provided a group of 7 Palazzo Rucellai students and staff with the perfect evening to brave the 463 steps that lead to the top of Florence’s Duomo. The “cupola del duomo” is the city’s best known landmark, and it may be seen looming over the red-shingled roofs of the more modest palazzos from nearly every corner of Florence. For those who feel up to the task of climbing the steps, their efforts do not go uncompensated; from the peak of the massive dome the viewer is rewarded with a 360° sprawling panorama of the city that lies at the Duomo’s feet.

After a brief wait at the entrance we began our ascent, pausing occasionally in the designated areas to catch our breath and take in the view from above of the cathedral’s interior. After about 15 minutes and a bit of vertigo, we made it to the top. The evening air was warm, a slight breeze was blowing and the sun was setting in a perfectly clear sky – needless to say, we were not disappointed by what we saw! We circled the terrace several times and had fun spotting our apartments, the school and the various sites of the city. After several photos we braced ourselves for the descent (which went decidedly more quickly then the climb) and arrived safely at ground level. Straining our necks to look up at the structure we had just scaled, we took a moment to marvel at the stunning achievements of this city, which we are learning to call “home.”