Florence is one of the worlds best loved cities, attracting millions of visitors every year. Set in the heart of Italy’s Tuscany region, the city has a unique heritage, which once saw its leaders rule over the entire Italian kingdom. The powerful Medici family governed Florence from the early 15th century and sponsored many great works of art and architecture. The movement they helped create has become known as the Renaissance period and Florence was home to great artists including Michelangelo, Botticelli and Da Vinci. The result of their combined works is one of the most romantic cities anywhere, crammed with churches, palaces, public buildings and museums exhibiting an unrivalled selection of works paying tribute to Florence’s unique role in history. The city has an infinite list of must see sights and one visit will never be enough to enjoy every masterpiece on offer. To help you get the most from your visit to Florence we have prepared a list of a few of its more important sights.
1. The Galleria degli Uffizi
Once a home to the Medici family themselves, the Galleria degli Uffizi contains the most important collection of Renaissance art anywhere, including works by Giotto, Perugino, Raphael, Da Vinci and Michelangelo. This shrine to the city’s artistic heritage holds thousands of works, tracing its artistic history from the 13th century to the present day, and can become very crowded especially in the afternoon. A top tip is to buy tickets ahead of your visit and arrive early to avoid the queues, especially if you have limited time. This may not be Europe’s largest museum but it is the oldest and the volume of important art on display makes it Florence’s most visited attraction.
2. The Duomo
The Cattedrale de Santa Maria del Fiore, or simply Duomo, dominates the city’s skyline. The Duomo’s neo-Gothic façade dates from the 18th century, but work on the original building began in the 1200s and took almost 150 years to complete. Its stunning exterior, of pink, green and white marble is capped by a massive red brick dome, Brunelleschi’s masterpiece of medieval construction. Inside stunning Renaissance frescoes and the della Robbia sculptures mean theres plenty to look at while you wait to climb the 463 stairs to the top of Duomo, for the best aerial view of the city. The cathedral itself is a combination of Roman and Gothic architecture and its mosaics and stained glassed windows, are considered among the finest in Italy.
3. The Baptistery
Next to the Duomo, in neighbouring Piazza San Giovanni, the Baptistery of John the Baptist is one of Florence’s oldest and most important buildings. With a marble exterior of green and white, the baptistery has three sets of incredible gates, including the famous east facing entrance, so beautifully sculptured that Michelangelo gave it the nickname Gates of Paradise. Dedicated to the city’s patron saint, St John, the Baptistery contains dazzling mosaics and the exquisite marble Zodiac pavement. Its worth noting that the Baptistery only opens to visitors in the afternoon, making it a great place to see after the nearby cathedral of Bell Tower, but a lousy place to begin your day.
4. Giotto’s Bell Tower
Joining the Duomo and Baptistery around Piazza del Duomo is Giotto’s Campinile, or Bell Tower. Built in the 14th century, a hike to the top of the Campinile’s 414 stairs will take about an hour and offer excellent views of the nearby cathedral and the entire city. Standing at 85 metres high the Bell Tower is actually the work of three different architects, with its original creator, Giotto, dying during the early stages of its construction leaving its completion to Andrea Pisano and finally Francesco Talenti. The Campinile is a good place to start a days sightseeing around the Piazza della Signoria and is much quieter in the mornings when tour groups tend to head for the nearby Duomo.
5. Piazza della Signoria
If the Duomo is the religious centre of Florence then Piazza della Signoria is its political and social heart. Close to the Uffizi, this elegant square is home to a free sculpture garden featuring reproductions of many Renaissance masterpieces, including Michelangelo’s David. The square is a gathering place for locals and tourists alike and has been for centuries. Lined with bars and restaurants Piazza della Signoria is the ideal spot to rest up, enjoy a drink and enjoy a spot of people watching. After years of restorative work the Piazza is now back to its very best and the 14th century Loggia della Signoria, at its southern end, has finally been reopened to visitors.
6. The Palazzo Vecchio
Dominating the Piazza della Signoria is the medieval Palazzo Vecchio, which was for centuries, the overriding symbol of Florences power and influence. Its roughly when battlements still contain the city’s administrative headquarters and it was from the Palazzo Vecchio’s raised porch that political speakers once addressed the masses gathered in the Piazza below. Its imposing 13th century structure is severely gothic in appearance, but inside the palatial apartments and public rooms of the Palazzo make it a monument not just of historical importance but also Florence’s artistic heritage. One of Florence’s quieter museums, a section of the Palazzo Vecchio now houses an exhibition featuring works by Michelangelo and Vasari.
7. Ponte Vecchio
Meaning simply Old Bridge, Ponte Vecchio stands at the narrowest point of the River Arno and links the southern and northern sides of Florence. Another of the cities great symbolic structures, the first crossings were originally destroyed by fire or flood, until Taddeo Gaddi’s structure was built in the mid 1300s. The bridge has always been a place of trading, originally by butchers and tanners, but since the 16th century Ponte Vecchio has been home to Florence’s famous goldsmiths, and their tiny shops still line the bridge today. There are few bargains to be had, but most of the jewellers working on the bridge are descended from the original 41 artisans set to work by Cosimo Medici almost 500 years ago.
8. Oltrano
Crossing the Ponta Vecchio puts you close to the Mannelli Tower in the back streets of Oltrano, close to Palazzo Pitti. This area of town is home to dozens of artisans making and selling their work from tiny studios. Expect everything from reproductions of the masterpieces to original handmade jewellery. Oltrano has something of a left bank feel making it great to stroll around and where better than its delightfully authentic restaurants and cafes to enjoy genuine, uncomplicated Tuscan cuisine. Oltrano is the perfect setting to sample Fiorentina, Florence’s famous beef dish and any of the four different types of Chianti wine the region produces.
9. Palazzo Pitti
Once home to the Grand Medici Dukes, and later the Italian royal family, the Palazzo Pitti is a vast series of buildings, richly decorated in a mixture of Baroque and Victorian styles. Presented much as it was in the 18th century, the Piti is Florence’s grandest palace and is home to numerous galleries containing many Baroque and Renaissance masterpieces, most notably by Titian and Raphael. The Pitti sits in what is without doubt the finest tribute to Renaissance landscaping, the magnificent Giardino Boboli, packed with hidden grottos, statues and fountains. Head up to the Fort Belvedere for a great view back across Florence.
10. Centro Storico
Florence is a World Heritage Site and contains hundreds of churches, squares, piazzas and palaces. The old town area around the Duomo is a maze of high-sided buildings and you never know what will be around the next corner. A walking tour offers the chance to recover from the overload of art in one of its many restaurants and cafes, Florence also has a number of street markets selling leather goods, jewellery, antiques and art. Porcellino, or Mercato Nuovo, actually dates back to the 16th century, when gold, silk and wool were sold here, and although today its traders are targeting tourists it still makes for the odd bargain and is worth a look.
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