General Info

A city of artists, Florence offers visitors all kinds of beauty that is impossible not to fall in love with. First of all Santa Maria del Fiore, also known as the Duomo of Florence. It is a 153 metre long cathedral, built to compete with the churches of rival cities Pisa and Siena. Renowned names of Italian art participated in its creation: Giotto, Brunelleschi, Vasari and Ghiberti, to name but a few. Piazza del Duomo is also home to two other famous Florentine monuments, the Baptistery and the Bell Tower. While the former represents one of the oldest buildings in the city, the Campanile was designed by Giotto and is the bell tower of the Cathedral.

On the list of things to see in Florence, Ponte Vecchio cannot be missed. A peculiarity of this picturesque place, nowadays known not only for its beauty but also for its goldsmiths’ shops, is that until 1565 it was the greengrocers and butchers’ shops that were the main attraction of the place. Until 1218, the Ponte Vecchio was the only bridge crossing the River Arno in Florence. Above the goldsmiths’ shops on Ponte Vecchio is the Corridoio Vasariano, built by Giorgio Vasari to allow these workers to go from Palazzo Vecchio to Palazzo Pitti in complete safety.

Piazza della Signoria is home to another of the 10 things to see in Florence, Palazzo Vecchio. It is the political symbol of the Tuscan capital and is built on the ancient ruins of the Roman theatre of Florentia. Built in the shape of a castle, it has a distinctive 94-metre high tower that makes it very difficult to photograph the palace in its entirety. One of the most characteristic rooms in Palazzo Vecchio is the Sala dei Cinquecento, measuring 54 metres long, 22 metres wide and 17 metres high, making it the largest room in the whole of Florence.

Of all the things to see in Florence, Piazza della Signoria is a must-see. In addition to Palazzo Vecchio, in fact, this extraordinary city space also contains other wonders. In the square you can admire a copy of Michelangelo’s ‘David’, which the sculptor placed in front of Palazzo Vecchio to symbolise the power of the Florentine Republic as opposed to the tyranny of the Medici. Other statues in the square include the ‘Neptune’ by Ammannati, the equestrian sculpture of Duke ‘Cosimo I’ by Giambologna and ‘Hercules and Cacus’ by Bandinelli. On the right-hand side of the Palazzo Vecchio, we can instead be dazzled by the beauty of the Loggia dei Lanzi, a small open-air gallery containing several artworks. These include the ‘Rape of the Sabine Women’ by Giambologna and the statue of Perseus with the head of Medusa by Benvenuto Cellini.

The Uffizi Gallery is one of Florence’s most important treasures. Its construction dates back to 1560, when Giorgio Vasari designed these spaces as a perspective structure to enhance the Palazzo Vecchio Tower. Today, the Uffizi is one of the most important museums in the world, with its extraordinary collections of ancient sculptures and paintings, ranging from the Middle Ages to the modern age. In addition to 14thcentury and Renaissance paintings by artists such as Giotto, Piero della Francesca, Botticelli, Leonardo and Michelangelo, the Uffizi Gallery also features an extraordinary collection of busts and sculptures of the Medici family.

Another must-see place in Florence is the Church of Santa Maria Novella. From an architectural point of view, this building represents one of the most important Gothic churches in the whole of Tuscany. The exterior and façade of the church are the work of Fra Jacopo Talenti and Leon Battista Alberti. Inside, however, Santa Maria Novella contains magnificent artistic masterpieces, such as the ‘Trinity’ by Masaccio, the frescoes by Ghirlandaio and the ‘Crucifix’ by Giotto.

A cultural and artistic tour, in the company of friends or family, among the many beautiful sights in Florence must also include a stop at the Accademia Gallery. After the Uffizi Gallery, this museum is the most visited in the Tuscan capital. The Accademia Gallery is also called the ‘Michelangelo Museum’: in fact, of all the museums in the world, this is the one that exhibits the largest number of statues by the famous Renaissance artist.

By crossing the Ponte Vecchio you can easily reach the Oltrarno, where the first building that will catch your eye is Palazzo Pitti. This imposing palace was built by the Pitti family in 1457 based on a design by Filippo Brunelleschi. It is worth visiting this building because inside you will find some of the most important museums in Florence: the Palatine Gallery, the Gallery of Modern Art, the Porcelain Museum and the Fashion and Costume Museum. Besides the artistic beauties, the Palace also contains a natural marvel, the Boboli Gardens. A true open-air green museum, home to ancient species of holm oaks, sculptures, fountains: its design was the original prototype that also inspired the gardens of Versailles.