Florence Cathedral monuments reopen: hours and ticketing change. Losses of 20million euros

Starting tomorrow, Friday, May 22, the monuments of the Florence Cathedral will reopen to the public: it will be possible to visit the Cathedral, Baptistery, Giotto ’s Bell Tower and the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo free of charge (until the end of May), subject to mandatory online reservations. The Brunelleschi Dome will remain closed to the public until June 18 for maintenance work on the lighting system.

“The Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore reopens albeit with a completely different face,” commented President Luca Bagnoli. "The loss of the tourist season will have a heavy impact on our institution. 20 million euros in lost revenues - like the commitment of four years of restorations that are made impossible under these conditions - will force the Opera to take drastic action to fulfill its legal obligation to preserve the monumental heritage entrusted to it. Inevitable consequence is the reorganization of the conduct of activities and the painful resetting of cultural programming, for which the Celebrations for the 600th anniversary of the Dome, the musical festivals O Flos Colende and Notes at the Museum have been suspended and the collaboration with the Pergola for the use of the Niccolini Theater discontinued. Despite this we are reopening to give a concrete signal of hope, to tell the Florentines and the whole world that we are ready to welcome safely those who come to Florence."

Starting June 1, visiting hours will change: the monuments and museum will be open every weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) and on June 24, the Feast of St. John. For the following months, opening hours may increase gradually, depending on tourist flows, and then return to the usual hours as soon as possible.

Ticketing will also change : from a single ticket to five daily tickets for each monument. Even to visit the Cathedral it will be necessary to reserve free admission with the day and time. To access the Dome and Bell Tower, the ticket will cost 15 euros for each of the monuments; admission to the Museum will be priced at 10 euros and 5 to the Baptistery. The Crypt of Santa Reparata will remain, for the time being, not accessible to the public, as there are not the necessary conditions for a safe visit.

In order to ensure maximum security, the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore has adopted government-mandated measures, including the controlled and planned management of visitor flows through compulsory reservations with one-way routes. As a result, there will be a significant reduction in the number of admissions, which will drop per day from 3,500 in 2019 to a maximum of 1,000 at the Opera del Duomo Museum and 80 on Giotto’s Campanile. As for the other monuments, 304 people will have access to the Dome every weekend, 1,710 to the Baptistery, and 3,750 to the Cathedral. On Brunelleschi’s Dome and Giotto’s Bell Tower, access will be allowed only accompanied in small groups. In the Baptistery, guides will be available to explain the monument and the ongoing restoration. In the Museum, the route excludes visits to the top floor for the time being due to the impossibility of creating a one-way itinerary.

As previously announced, the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore will be the first institution in the world to adopt the new wearable device in museums to maintain a safe distance between visitors.

Other safety measures adopted include certified sanitation and hygiene of the premises, controlled entry, temperature measurement, hand sanitizing stations, and anti-infection protections at the ticket counters and checkroom. Visitors will be required to wear a mask.

For all information: www.duomo.firenze.it

Florence Cathedral monuments reopen: hours and ticketing change. Losses of 20million euros

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