Tourists were not discouraged by the downpour. They surround the Duomo with a huge ring of umbrellas. The cathedral's door open every half hour, allowing a small group to get inside. The spiral staircase leads to the lantern - the top of the world's largest brick dome. Although Illegal trafficking prospers well on the streets of Florence anyway, on 14th September 2016 the weather helped especially. As soon as the first dark clouds appeared in the sky, the hucksters left the street for a while, and then returned with umbrellas and foil ponchos.