Giotto's bell tower under scaffolding

What is happening to Giotto's bell tower?

Its first complete restoration: an 86-metre scaffold, more than 7 million euros paid by the Opera, and four to five years of work on the marble facing.

The tower was begun by Giotto in 1334, continued by Andrea Pisano and finished by Francesco Talenti in 1359 (Opera del Duomo). It has been patched many times since 1939, always in sections. This is the first time the whole exterior is being treated at once, according to Finestre sull'Arte.

The problem is the stone. White marble, green Verde di Prato and red Cintoia marble have collected black crusts, deposits and colour changes, and the corbels near the top are the worst. The scaffold took just over four months to build and reaches 86 metres against a tower of 89.2 metres. Restorers work from the top down. When a band is finished, the scaffold drops and the clean marble shows.

One detail we like: a peregrine falcon was found nesting on the tower while the works were planned. The Opera shifted the schedule, and three chicks hatched and flew (report).

Can you still climb Giotto's bell tower during the restoration?

Yes. The 414 steps and the top terrace stay open every day, with the last slot at 18:45. You need a Giotto Pass or a Brunelleschi Pass.

The Opera's FAQ says it plainly: "Access to the top terrace remains open throughout the duration of the project." The scaffold was designed around the tower's internal route, and nothing about the climb itself has changed: 414 steps, no lift, and three loggias on the way up where you can stop and breathe.

The Giotto Pass costs 20 euros (7 euros for ages 7 to 14) and gives you a fixed time slot for the tower, plus the Baptistery, the museum and Santa Reparata over 3 days. The Brunelleschi Pass at 30 euros adds the dome, and on it the bell tower needs no slot. Both are on the official price list. If you would rather climb with some context first, the bell tower tour gives you an hour with a guide around the complex and Santa Reparata, then the climb.

What is the view like from the bell tower with the scaffolding?

Still good, but framed. The Opera says views may be partly reduced, and the summit already had a tall safety mesh that gets in the way of photos.

The terrace sits at 84.7 metres, just under the top of the scaffold. On top of the tubes, the terrace has long been fenced with wire mesh, and visitors find it hampers photos (Where Are Those Morgans). You can still see the dome close up, which is the whole point of this climb. You will be shooting between wires and poles to do it.

Our tip: hold your phone lens flat against a gap in the mesh rather than a few centimetres back. The wire blurs out. Late slots get the sunset over the rooftops to the west.

When is the bell tower closed in November 2026?

From Monday 9 to Friday 13 November 2026, for maintenance. The dome then closes from 16 to 20 November.

Both closures are listed in the official opening hours. They do not overlap, which helps: in the week of 9 November you can still climb the dome, and in the week of 16 November the bell tower. Everything else in the complex keeps its usual hours.

If you hold a Brunelleschi Pass for the week of 9 November, you get the dome, the Baptistery, the museum and Santa Reparata, but not the tower. The pass is valid for 3 days and cannot be moved or refunded, so check your dates against the calendar before you pay. More in our tickets and prices guide.

Should you climb the dome or the bell tower while the scaffold is up?

The dome, if you only do one. The bell tower is still worth it for the view of the dome, as long as you accept the frame.

Before 2026 this was a fair fight: the dome is higher and takes you past the Last Judgment fresco, the tower has landings and puts the dome in your photos. With the scaffold up, the tower loses part of its one big advantage. The dome's lantern terrace has no scaffold, and its view back down to the bell tower now includes the restoration itself.

The Brunelleschi Pass gives you both for 30 euros, and on it you can walk into the tower any time in the 3 days. One listing to watch: Walks in town, which sells the Duomo tour with dome climb, states that from 1 January 2027 its pass no longer includes the bell tower and Santa Reparata. The Opera's own price list, as of October 2026, still shows both on the Brunelleschi Pass. If the tower matters to you, read the inclusions on the day you book. The full comparison is in dome or bell tower.

A held slot on Brunelleschi's dome, two hours with a guide in the Baptistery and museum, and a 3-day pass. The climb itself is on your own.

★ 4.9 · 3 hours · from $125

Explore the Duomo tour with dome climb → Tour details

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