Florence’s Museo dell’Opera del Duomo will offer free admission from 8:30 a.m. until midnight on Tuesday, September 8, as the institution responsible for the Cathedral complex celebrates 730 years since its foundation.
The initiative coincides with the Feast of the Nativity of Mary and the anniversary of the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, which was founded in 1296 and has overseen the construction, maintenance and conservation of Florence Cathedral and its monuments for more than seven centuries.
No reservation will be required to enter the museum, located at Piazza del Duomo 9. Admission will be free throughout the day, with last entry at 11 p.m.
The museum houses works originally created for Florence Cathedral, the Baptistery and Giotto’s Bell Tower, including medieval and Renaissance sculptures by artists such as Donatello, Michelangelo, Arnolfo di Cambio, Lorenzo Ghiberti, Andrea Pisano and Luca della Robbia.
Inside the Opera’s restoration workshops
The September 8 programme will also include “Le Mani dell’Opera” — “The Hands of the Opera” — a new series of educational visits offering access to workshops that are normally closed to the public.
Participants will visit the Opera’s workshop in Via dello Studio and its laboratory in Piazza del Capitolo, where craftspeople and restorers work on the conservation of the Cathedral complex.
The programme includes demonstrations of marble working and an introduction to the materials used in Florence’s monuments. A tactile activity will help participants distinguish between different types of marble, sandstone and brick, as well as identify surfaces altered by ageing and exposure.
The visits will conclude outside, in front of the Cathedral and Baptistery, where participants will be shown how to recognise architectural and decorative elements connected with the conservation work carried out in the workshops.
The activities are intended for adults and families with children aged six and over.
Practical information
The Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, at Piazza del Duomo 9, will be open free of charge on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to midnight, with last admission at 11 p.m. No reservation is required for museum admission.
The “Le Mani dell’Opera” educational visits are also free but must be booked in advance. Reservations opened on September 1 and requests can be sent to [email protected]. Participation is confirmed by email.
Further information is available from the official website of the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore.
(Cover photo by Sailko, via Wikipedia)
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