# Giotto's Bell Tower, Florence > Giotto's Bell Tower is a slender tower of white, green and pink marble next to Florence Cathedral, about 85 metres tall. 414 steps with no lift lead to the top, which has the best view of Brunelleschi's dome, right in front of you. Entry is on the combined cathedral pass; allow about an hour up and down. Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/giottos-campanile - City: [Florence](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence), Italy - YesGo score: 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Paid, combined cathedral pass - Opening hours: Daily by day - Height: About 85 m - Steps: 414, no lift - Time needed: About an hour - Location: Piazza del Duomo, right of the cathedral front - Coordinates: 43.77281, 11.25581 - Facts checked: 11.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1334** — work began to Giotto's design (source: English Wikipedia) - **1359** — Francesco Talenti completed the tower (source: English Wikipedia) - **c. 85 m** — height of the bell tower (source: English Wikipedia) - **414** — steps to the top terrace (source: English Wikipedia) - **3 colours** — of marble: white, green and pink (source: English Wikipedia) ## History of Giotto's Bell Tower In **1334** the city put the famous painter **Giotto di Bondone**, by then head of the cathedral works, in charge of building its bell tower. Giotto completed only the lowest storey. The sculptor **Andrea Pisano** carried on, and the architect **Francesco Talenti** finished it in **1359**, adding the upper storeys with their large pointed windows. Although Giotto built only part of it, the tower still bears his name. It's clad in the same three-coloured marble as the [cathedral](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/florence-cathedral): white from Carrara, green from Prato and pink from near Siena. With the cathedral and the [Baptistery](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/florence-baptistery) it forms the famous Piazza del Duomo group. The tower is about **85 metres** tall. It stands apart from the cathedral, to the right of its front, and looks light and slender from below despite its thick walls. The windows widen from storey to storey, so the tower seems to grow lighter towards the top. ## The reliefs at the base Walk round the base first: the lowest storey is decorated with two rows of reliefs. Hexagonal panels tell the story of humanity and its crafts: the creation of Adam and Eve, the first farmers, weavers, builders, sailors, musicians and astronomers. It's a medieval encyclopaedia of knowledge about the world. Above them, in diamond frames, are the planets, the virtues, the liberal arts and the sacraments. Some reliefs were carved by Andrea Pisano to Giotto's designs, others by **Luca della Robbia**. The tower now carries copies; the originals are in the **Opera del Duomo Museum**, where you can see them close up. ## What to see on Giotto's Bell Tower - **Reliefs of the crafts** — on the base, outside. - **Three-coloured marble** — white, green and pink. - **Pointed windows** — at the landings on the way up. - **The bells** — visible from the upper storeys. - **Brunelleschi's dome** — right opposite the top terrace. - **Panorama of Florence** — out to the Fiesole hills. > **Bell tower or dome?** You can climb both the bell tower and the cathedral dome on the fuller version of the combined pass. From the dome you can't see the dome itself, while from the bell tower it's right in front of you, which is why many people pick the tower. It also usually needs no time slot and has a shorter queue. ## The climb There are **414 steps** to the top and no lift. The stairs are narrow and steep in places, and people coming down use the same stairs, so sometimes you have to squeeze against the wall. The good news is that there are several **landings** on the way where you can rest and look through pointed windows down onto the square and the Baptistery. The top terrace is fenced with a grille and looks out over the whole city: [Piazza della Signoria](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/piazza-della-signoria) and the Palazzo Vecchio tower, [Santa Croce](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/santa-croce), the Arno and its bridges, and the green hills all around. But the star is Brunelleschi's huge red **dome**, so close you can see people on its viewing gallery. The climb takes 20 to 30 minutes; with the descent and time at the top, about an hour. It isn't recommended if you're afraid of heights or tight stairwells, or have heart problems. ## How to get to Giotto's Bell Tower 1. The tower is on **Piazza del Duomo**, to the right of the cathedral front. 2. From **Santa Maria Novella** station, 10 minutes on foot. 3. From Piazza della Signoria, 5 minutes. 4. The entrance is at the foot of the tower, on the square side. ## Tickets and tips There's usually no separate tower ticket: the climb is part of the **combined cathedral pass**, together with the Baptistery, the Opera del Duomo Museum and, on the full version, the dome. Buy it on the official cathedral website or at the ticket office on the square. Come at opening time or towards evening: in summer it's hot at the top and stuffy on the stairs at midday. Bring water and wear comfortable shoes. Large backpacks and bags aren't allowed and must be left at the cloakroom. Sunset light on the dome is beautiful, but check what time the last entry is. ## Before you climb Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Buy the combined cathedral pass - [ ] Wear comfortable shoes and bring water - [ ] Leave a large backpack at your hotel - [ ] Look at the reliefs at the base first - [ ] Photograph Brunelleschi's dome from the top ## Views of Florence: compare and choose Viewpoints and panoramas in Florence rated by YesGo. - [Florence Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/florence-cathedral) — YesGo score 60/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · Free; dome paid - [Ponte Vecchio](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/ponte-vecchio) — YesGo score 60/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free - [Piazza della Signoria](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/piazza-della-signoria) — YesGo score 53/100 (Yes, go) · 40 min · Free - [Palazzo Vecchio](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/palazzo-vecchio) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Courtyard free, museum paid - [Vasari Corridor](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/vasari-corridor) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Paid, timed entry - [San Miniato al Monte](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/san-miniato) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free - [Piazzale Michelangelo](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/piazzale-michelangelo) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Giotto's Campanile](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/giottos-campanile) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Combined cathedral pass - [Boboli Gardens](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/boboli-gardens) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 45 min · Paid - [Fiesole](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/fiesole) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · Town free, ruins paid ## Piazza del Duomo in a morning Giotto's Bell Tower, the cathedral and the Baptistery, then Piazza della Signoria. 1. [Giotto's Campanile](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/giottos-campanile) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Combined cathedral pass 2. [Florence Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/florence-cathedral) — YesGo score 60/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · Free; dome paid 3. [Florence Baptistery](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/florence-baptistery) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Combined cathedral pass 4. [Piazza della Signoria](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/piazza-della-signoria) — YesGo score 53/100 (Yes, go) · 40 min · Free ## Don't mix it up Giotto's Bell Tower and the cathedral dome are two separate climbs with separate entrances: the tower from its base, the dome from the north side of the cathedral. Nor is it the Palazzo Vecchio tower on Piazza della Signoria. ## Tips - 414 steps, no lift. - The best view of the dome. - Come at opening time. - Large bags go in the cloakroom. ## Questions ### How many steps are there in Giotto's Bell Tower? 414 steps to the top terrace, with no lift; there are landings to rest on the way. ### Which is better, Giotto's Bell Tower or the dome? The bell tower gives you a view of Brunelleschi's dome and usually a shorter queue; the dome is higher but you can't see the dome from it. ### How much is it to climb Giotto's Bell Tower? The climb is on the combined cathedral pass; prices are on the official cathedral site. ### How tall is Giotto's Bell Tower? About 85 metres. ### How long does the climb take? 20 to 30 minutes up; about an hour including the descent and the view. ## How we checked History and dimensions from English Wikipedia. Prices and hours weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Giotto's Campanile - Official cathedral site, duomo.firenze.it --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.