I did both the Duomo stair climb, and, the St. Peter's stair climb in the late fall/winter. I can't imagine how hot it would be in the summer. I hope our Italy visitors won't be doing this in July! If so, double your gelato intake afterwards.

I'm a little less than half way through Ross King's book and it is fascinating. I can't wait to get there and climb the 463 steps to see everything that is described in the book. Does anyone know the name of the park where Ricci's model is located? Everything I read says it is on the south bank about a half mile downstream from the cathedral but I can't seem to find the name of it for sure.

It was a gorgeous day here yesterday and we practiced for the duomo by climbing the 600 steps to the top of Amicalola Falls near Dahlonega GA. We surprised ourselves by not only making it to the top and back but we were pain free today. We are looking forward to our reward of double gelatos followed by several glasses of prosecco after seeing Florence from the top!!!!

john, as an added confidence that you'll make to the top, I assume you'll be as happy as I was to learn that there is place to rest climbing the 463 steps. Actually, you'll want to stop and admire the artwork, which if my memory serves me correctly is about 2/3 the way up.
Personal historical note: The 463 steps was our longest vertical journey until we climbed the more than 700+ steps leading up to Vernal Falls in Yosemite. (Full disclosure: We didn't realize that climb was that great when he started it!)

After a little googling, I found that Professor Ricci constructed his scale model of the cupola in the Park of the Anconella, on the opposite side of the Arno to the Duomo. This reconstruction, made using tools of the time of Brunelleschi, established the methods he used to construct it, which were a mystery. Prof. Ricci predicted that certain tools and supports would be found in the empty spaces of the cupola, and they were indeed found, verifying his theory.

I found an article online saying that the model has recently been cleaned of the graffiti that vandals had sprayed on it. Visit it soon before it's defaced again.

Thanks Howard - I've said this before but we always try to be the tortoises and not the hares when climbing steps - and that philosophy works for us. The 600 steps we did Sunday is pretty close to our limit I think. Another 100 (especially if you weren't expecting that many) would be tough. Congrats on surviving!!

bvlenci - thanks for the info on the park - I didn't spend a lot of time googling it but none of the articles I found mentioned the park's name. And I'm really sorry that the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo is closing this spring. It sounds like a great place to visit. Do you know when it will reopen?

I finally finished Ross King's book and agree with the others who have given it a rave. It completely what I call the Brunelleschi's Dome trifecta: the Nova program, the book and actually climbing to the top.
Incidentally, the last chapter of the book does give a description of the 463-step climb.

I agree, Ross King's book is wonderful. I read it after climbing the Duomo, I just wish I had read it before.
Anything similar about St.Peter's, that we will climb in about a month?

St. Peter's is, in a way, a more complicated story because the building of the basilica took place over a longer period, with numerous popes and architects involved (Bramante, Raphael, Michelangelo, Maderno, Bernini among others). Some interesting power struggles.

You might try "Basilica: The Splendor and the Scandal: Building St. Peter's" by R. A. Scotti. Very interesting but not quite as good as Ross King's Brunelleschi book. I think this owes to the more complicated story.

Ross King does have a book on the Sistine Chapel: "Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling."

I had to read the following for an architecture class. Maybe a little more academic than you want, but still readable: "St. Peter's" by Keith Miller.

Also, “The Genius in the Design: Bernini, Borromini, and the Rivalry That Transformed Rome" by Jake Morrissey, which touches on both those artists' roles on works in St. Peter's. An okay book about two interesting artists/architects who shaped Baroque Rome.

Congrats on completing the trifecta Howard! I'm really enjoying King's book too but I'm so crazy busy right now I can't seem to find much time to read it. I'm about 2/3 of the way in to it and it's really getting me pumped up to climb the steps this summer. I'm looking forward to joining the trifecta club.

mama_mia - I guess we are gluttons for punishment because like xyz99 we are going to climb to the top of St Peter's this summer too. It sounds like I might enjoy Morrissey's book. At the slow rate I'm reading I'll probably be trying to finish reading it on the plane on the way over. LOL! Thanks for the recommendations.

mama_mia, great list, thank you so much! Now I need to go get and read them.

john183, we were 10 years younger when we climbed the Duomo, and I remember it was not easy. But we'll climb St. Peter's too...I just love that kind of views.

If anyone is looking for another climbing challenge in Italy, try the tower in Siena's Piazza del Campo. It's around 400 steps. While the views may not match those from the dome in Florence, they're still worth the climb. And the sight of the piazza from on night is interesting.

I'm proud to say I have joined Howard (and I'm sure many others) in completing the Brunelleschi's Dome trifecta by climbing to the top of the dome on Friday the 13th. It turned out to be a lucky day for us because the climb did not seem hard and it was an incredible experience. It was supposed to be a hot day so we went first thing in the morning and it worked out very well for us.

Thanks again Howard for starting this thread and thanks to all for the info and the encouragement. The Nova show and Ross King's book were great (as was the National Geographic article) but actually climbing to the top and seeing it in person was fantastic - well worth the effort.

You're welcome, John. And, I totally agree that the effort to climb to the top was well worth it....and then some!

Museo dell'Opera del Duomo was on my list for our Spring 2015 trip. I'm so bummed - it will not be open until Fall of 2015. The Pieta and the Gates of Paradise were at the top of my list. Well, I can't rearrange the time so I'll have to come back! And climbing the Duomo, well, we will see, but I'm going to attempt it. Thanks for the info and the link to the Nova program.