I never meant to climb to the top of the Duomo in Florence, but then I did. And, as often happens while traveling, this accident turned into a very special memory. I wandered the same tight turns and corridors as Duomo’s mastermind Filippo Brunelleschi and his workers. I even saw tools — some of them original! — used during construction.

Want to know how I accidentally climbed to the top of Brunelleschi’s engineering marvel? Here’s my story! For a well-written, quick read of the Duomo’s construction, I recommend Ross King’s Brunelleschi’s Dome.

Very happy to be at the top!

 I invite you to sign my guestbook, and to join me on Facebook, where I share often about Italy! This post first appeared on Prayers and Piazzas.