Church
Octagonal striped-marble baptistery facing the Duomo, famous for Ghiberti's gilded bronze doors and a glittering mosaic ceiling.
One of the oldest buildings in the city, the Baptistery is where Florentines, Dante among them, were baptised for centuries. Lorenzo Ghiberti spent decades on its bronze doors; Michelangelo reputedly called the east pair the Gates of Paradise. The doors on the building are copies, but the thirteenth-century mosaic ceiling, with its huge Last Judgement, is original. While it is restored, much of it is screened from below, and guided visits climb the scaffolding to see it up close.
Best time to go: Mid-morning; during the restoration, book the guided climb onto the scaffolding to see the mosaics face to face.
Rules change, check official sources
Traffic zone
The whole historic centre is a ZTL watched by cameras at every entry gate. Without a permit you are fined by post, often months later and through your rental company. Sectors A, B and O apply Monday to Friday 7:30 to 20:00 and Saturday 7:30 to 16:00; from April to early October a night ZTL also runs on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Park outside and walk in. The outline shown is approximate.
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