Without a doubt, the Duomo has been the most impressive landmark I have seen in my time in Florence. I have also attended three masses inside of the Cathedral! I was very much impressed by the artwork featured on the inside of the dome, as well as with the height of the massive pillars, supported by arches and vaulting. There is the body of the Cathedral, with side altars, each of which have separate apses for more intimate prayer experiences. The altar itself was much more simple than I had originally imagined, especially back in high school when we studied the Duomo in an art history class... It was truly awesome to get to see everything in person. However, I personally found the most impressive part of the Cathedral to be its acoustics. The very first mass I attended there a few Sundays ago was at 7am, and the mass was held in the right side altar. The celebrant did not use a microphone, as the congregation was small.. but the projection of his voice resonated throughout the entire structure, giving me the chills. Likewise, at the more recent two masses, the organ's booming sound echoed about four or five times before its sound finally faded. With this in mind, we might consider how this lofty, heaven-like sound would have contributed to the Florentines' conceptions of heaven.
When I visited the Baptistry, I was surprised that it seemed to be even more heavily decorated than the Cathedral itself! With a ceiling of impressive gold decor, the interior of the Baptistery certainly contributes to a sense of the divine. I also noticed that from the way the ceiling was decorated, it gives a spectator the feeling that it is much taller than it actually is! I found it interesting that when people were baptized, they would systematically enter through the baptistery's facade, become baptized, then be 'granted access', or be welcomed, if you will, into the Cathedral itself. This was the same procedure that I saw at Pisa!
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