Opera del Duomo Museum

This is where the square keeps its originals. The museum opened in 1986 and reopened in October 2019 after a full redesign, with about 380 works in 25 rooms. The statues that once crowned the Baptistery, by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano, are here, with Giovanni's sculpture groups from the Cathedral and Baptistery doorways.

Look for the bronze griffin, an Islamic piece that once stood on the Cathedral roof, and Giovanni Pisano's small ivory Madonna among the gold, silver and rock-crystal treasures. Embroidered vestments and a 14th-century altar frontal fill the textile rooms. Upstairs, a loggia looks straight out at the Leaning Tower before the route takes you back down.