Visitors can take a close look at the mosaics of the Florence Baptistery

“We had to take this opportunity to make it even more accessible and usable to the public through special routes that would put visitors in direct contact with the mosaics,” said Samuele Caciagli, the architect in charge of the restoration site.

In an interview with The Associated Press, he called the new baptistery jetty tour “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that is unlikely to be repeated for decades to come.”

Visits to the jetty platform, which sprouts like a mushroom from the floor of the baptistery and reaches a height of 32 meters (105 feet) from the ground, begin on February 24 and must be booked in advance.

The octagonal baptistery is one of Florence’s most visible monuments, perhaps more famous for its exterior, with its alternating geometric pattern of white Carrara and green Prato marble and its three large bronze doors depicting biblical scenes.

Inside, however, are spectacular mosaic scenes of The Last Judgment and John the Baptist, dating back to the 13th century and using some 10 million pieces of stone and glass across 1,000 square meters of dome and wall.

The six-year restoration effort, the first in more than a century, will include diagnostic work on the current state of the mosaics and intervention where necessary. Planned works include addressing water infiltration from the roof, removing decades of dirt, and refitting the bricks to prevent them from loosening.