I can relate to what your friend is doing, even if only in a much, much smaller way. It's sort of why I bought a two-seat subscription to the ballet for this year. I can invite a friend to go along to the show, and I get to have company, and the ballet gets a little more support than if I just bought one ticket.
David, did you mean the duomo was just closed to
tourists on Sundays? Kinda difficult to imagine a
cathedral being closed on a Sunday.