Florence
Ponte Vecchio
Located in the Tuscany region, Florence is the centre of the Italian
Renaissance, famous for its architecture and art. There is beauty,
history and culture every where you look.
Most of the main sights in Florence lie within the historical centre
and this means that everything is within walking distance. However,
a short visit is not enough to enjoy the numerous sights including
many beautiful "piazzas", amazing churches and museums full of
splendid works of art.
Florence develops along the River Arno and one of the symbols of
the city is Ponte Vecchio. Built in 1345, this was Florences' first
bridge across the river; it is the only surviving medieval bridge of
Florence, as all the other were destroyed during the Second World War.
On the bridge you will still find gold and silver jewellery shops.
Florence is the perfect base to explore the rest of the Tuscan region,
from the Chianti hills just south of the city where you can taste
world-famous wines to the other important towns of Pisa, Lucca,
Siena and San Gimignano.
The Uffizi
The Uffizi Palace were designed and started by Giorgio Vasari in
1560 under Cosimo I de' Medici (Grand Duke of Tuscany). Initially it was meant to house the administrative offices of the Grand Duchy. However, the Medici family soon started to use some of the rooms to display their art collections, and in time more and more paintings and sculptures were added. Two centuries later, Anna Maria Luisa (or Ludovica), the last Medici heiress, left the Palace and the entire collection to the city of Florence, and the first modern museums were then created. In 1765 the Gallery was officially opened to the public and today it is one of the best arts galleries in the world. The 45 rooms of the Uffizi house masterpieces by many famous Italian artists like
Michelangelo, Botticelli, Titian and da Vinci, and also important
foreign works of art. There are paintings, sculptures and frescoes.
A visit to the Uffizi is not complete without seeing also the renowned Vasari Corridor that links the Uffizi and Palazzo Vecchio to Palazzo Pitti across Ponte Vecchio. The passage way is over 1km long and was commission by Cosimo I in 1565. The private corridor was used by the Medici family to commute between their residence and the government offices easily and without an escort, and to avoid walking on the street like
commoners.The corridor itself contains an interesting collection of
paintings; the city views from the circular windows are lovely.
Please note that visits have to be pre-booked and only small groups
with guide are allowed.
Botticelli (Nascita di Venere)
Piazza della Signoria
Built towards the end of the 13th Century, the L-shaped Piazza della Signoria was and still is a focal point for local people as well as tourists. This elegant square is surrounded by several important buildings: Palazzo della Signoria or Palazzo Vecchio, Galleria degli Uffizi, Loggia della Signoria, Palazzo degli Uguccioni, Palazzo del Tribunale della Mercanzia and Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali. In the square you also find the beautiful Fontana del Nettuno, also known as "Biancone" by Ammannati, and the equestrian statue of Cosimo I de' Medici (1595) by Giambologna.
Fontana di Nettuno
Equestre di Cosimo I De' Medici
Davide di Michelangelo
The Galleria dell' Academia is another popular museum; it houses many important paintings and sculptures spanning three centuries (13th to 16th Century). Here you will find what can be considered the most famous sculpture in the world: the magnificent carrara marble statue of David by Michelangelo (1504). Recently the Galleria has been enriched with a collection of musical instrument from the Medici and the Lorenesi Families.
The Galleria is open every day except Mondays.
Duomo di Firenze
Construction of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore started in 1296; the Duomo was built on top of the old foundation of the Church of Santa Reparata and was completed in March 1436. The Cathedral is composed of three buildings: the Duomo with its impressive dome roof by Brunelleschi, the Battistero of San Giovanni with its famous doors called Porte del Paradiso (Gates of Paradise) by Lorenzo Ghiberti, and Giotto's Campanile (Bell Tower) with its 414 steps to reach the top.
The Cathedral is the 4th largest in Europe and has over 3,600 sq. m. of frescoes been done between 1572-1579 by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari.
Battistero (baptistrey)
Basilica di Santa Croce
The Basilica di Santa Croce is the largest Franciscan church in the world. It was founded by Saint Francis and built by Arnolfo di Cambio in May 1294. The Basilica has sixteen chapels,s ome of which decorated by Giotto. It is also the burial place of many famous people such as Michelangelo, Dante, Rossini, Machiavelli, Galileo and many others, and this is the reason why it is also known as the Pantheon of the Italian Glories.
Basilica di Santa Maria Novella
The Basilica di Santa Maria Novella was designed by two dominican monks (Fra Ristoro and Fra Sisto) and was built between 1246-1360. By then, the church with its Romanesque-Gothic bell tower and the sacrity were completed, but only the lower part of the Gothic facade was finished.The church was consacrated in 1420.
Giovan Battista Alberti, who was already a famous architect, designed the upper part of the black and white marble facade; this work was commissioned by Giovanni Rucellai and carried out between 1456 and 1470.
There are several important chapels in the Basilica, all dating back to the 14th and 15th century, all containing magnificent works of art. We will only list some of these treasures: the marble sculpture Madonna with Child by Nino Pisano (1368) in the Rucellai Chapel and the beautiful frescoes by Nardo di Cione inspired by Dante's "Divina Commedia" in the Cappella Strozzi di Mantova, as well as various stained-glass windows and lots more. Of particular importance is the painting The Holy Trinity by Masaccio (1427) located in the left aisle of the church.
Please note that there is a small admission fee.
Basilica di San Lorenzo (Basilica of Saint Lawrence)
The Basilica di San Lorenzo is one of the largest in Florence. It dates back to 393 and for three centuries it was the city's main cathedral, and also the church of the Medici family as well as their resting place. The church is only a part of a much larger monastic complex rich with important architectural works such as the Laurentian Library by Michelangelo, the Medici Chapels by Matteo Nigetti, the Sagrestia Vecchia or Old Sacristy by Brunelleschi and the new Sacristy based on Michelangelo's designs, and many other works of art.
Other Places to see in Florence
Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens
Not far from Ponte Vecchio there is the beautiful Palazzo Pitti and its wonderful Boboli Gardens. Built in 1458 and owned by a wealthy banker Luca Pitti, the palace was then purchased by the Medici family in 1539 and became the residence of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. This "palazzo" was also used by Napoleon and later became the principal royal palace of the newly united Italy. In 1919 the palace was donate by King Vittorio Emmanuel III to the Italian people. Today it is one of Florence's largest and most famous art galleries: it house the important Palatine Gallery, the Silver museum, the Royal Apartments and many more interesting things.
The Boboli Gardens are very lavish 16th Century Italian gardens. They were started by Nicolo Tribolo in 1549 and then continued by Ammannati and Buontalenti. The gardens are really stunning, with grotto, statues and beautiful fountains.