Visit Florence Italy; Museums, Monuments, Churches and Palaces

Florence has an exceptional artistic heritage that bears marvellous testimony to its centuries-old civilization. Figures of crucial importance for Western art were born in or around the city - artists like Cimabue and Giotto, the fathers of Italian painting; Arnolfo di Cambio and Andrea Pisano, who broke new ground in architecture and sculpture; Brunelleschi, Donatello and Masaccio, who initiated the Renaissance; Lorenzo Ghiberti and the Della Robbia family; Filippo Lippi and Fra Angelico; Botticelli and Paolo Uccello, and the universal geniuses Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Their works, together with those of generations of artists leading right up to the 20th century, can be found in the city’s many museums.

The most famous of them all is the Uffizi, one of the finest art galleries in the world, but there are also many other important and much-visited museums: the Palatine Gallery in Palazzo Pitti, which houses the paintings of the “golden age”; the Bargello National Museum, housed in a medieval palace and containing celebrated Renaissance sculptures; the Museum of San Marco, a convent frescoed by the painter Beato Angelico; the Accademia, the Medici Chapels and Casa Buonarroti; the Bardini, Horne and Stibbert Museums, the Gallery of Modern Art, the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, the Silver Museum and the Opificio delle Pietre Dure.

The city has a number of celebrated monuments marking the various phases of Florence’s artistic history: the Baptistery with its mosaics; the Cathedral, a majestic example of Gothic architecture topped by Filippo Brunelleschi’s dome, a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture; medieval churches decorated with fresco cycles; public and private palaces like Palazzo Vecchio, Palazzo Pitti, Palazzo Medici-Riccardi and Palazzo Davanzati, built by leading architects on behalf of the city’s most eminent families. Many artistic treasures can also be found in the city’s places of worship: monasteries; refectories frescoed by important artists with depictions of the Last Supper (cenacoli ); quiet, shady, cloisters; and, just outside the city, ancient country parish churches and monasteries such as the Certosa, which for centuries has housed art works of immense value. In the Archaeology Museum, besides an important Egyptian section, there is a rich collection charting the Etruscan civilization.

Explore the most famous sights of the ancient centre of Florence. Tread in the tantalising footsteps of more than 2000 years of tumultuous history. Florence became one of the greatest art centres the world has ever seen thanks to the works of famous artists during the Renaissance like Donatello, Michelangelo, Raffaello, Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio.

Of sure the best time to visit Florence is between March and June and from late September to Genuary. Days during those months are usually warm, quite long and perfect fo your visit. July and August are very hot and humid with lot of tourists; most inhabitants leave Florence in the summer and go to the sea, many restaurants or discos are closed.
Florence is considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and is famous for its magnificent art and architecture works.

Piazza della Signoria: in the past has been the political center of Florence. In the center of the square there is a copy of the famous David by Michelangelo and the Neptune Fountain. On one side the Palazzo Vecchio (old Palace) and near the entrance to the Uffizi Gallery. In front of the Old Palace the Loggia dei Lanzi with many statues, including Cellini's bronze Perseus.

Palazzo Vecchio (The Old Palace): is the main palace in Piazza della Signoria. Built In 1540 by Cosimo I of the Medici family, after was the residence of the Dukes of Florence. Inside Palazzo Vecchio works of famous artists like Michelangelo (statue the Victory). Old Palace is connected with the Pitti Palace through Vasari corridor constructed by Vasari (passing from over Ponte Vecchio to the other side of the river Arno).

Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge): The bridge is home of many handcraft jewelry shops selling antique and designer jewelry. From the Ponte Vecchio we can admire a unique panorama on the Arno river and Florence. The Old Bridge is the oldest bridge in Florence and crossing the Arno river. Ponte Vecchio dates back to the Roman Empire times but the actual structure is dated 1565 and the Old Bridge is the only bridge in Florence not bombarded in the second mondial war. The Old Bridge connecting by Vasari corridor the Palazzo Vecchio, the Uffizi and Pitti Palace. The corridor goes around the Manelli tower and over the famous bridge to the other side of river Arno.

Palazzo Pitti: The building project of the original palace was supervised by Brunelleschi. The Pitti Palace was built in the 15th century by the Pitti family, and after was occupied by the Medici family. Today inside The Pitti Palace are situate many private museum of paintings, sculptures and other like The Palatine Gallery, The Silver Museum, The Modern art Gallery, Galleria del Costume. In the back of Pitti Palace opens up to the beautiful Boboli gardens.

La Galleria degli Uffizi (Uffizi Gallery): The Uffizi gallery is between the most famous museums in the world. If you like arts the gallery is the principal attraction to see on your vacation to Florence. Uffizi Galley is home of numerous famous art works such as the Primavera by Botticelli, the Birth of Venus, The Annunciation by Leonardo da Vinci and more works by Michelangelo, Rubens and Titian. The Uffizi gallery was designed by Giorgio Vasari around 1560 and is is rectangular in shape, begin at the Signoria Palace and stretching to the Arno river. Inside the Uffizi Gallery, the Botticelli Rooms (The Birth of Venus, Pallas and the Centaur, Allegory of Spring, the Annunciation, Madonna of the Pomegranate, Adoration of the Magi and other works by Sandro Botticelli), The Leonardo Room (Annunciation of the Magi, Adoration of the Magi and other works by Leonardo da Vinci with also other works by Perugino and Luca Signorelli).

Duomo di santa Maria del Fiore (The Dome of Florence): The construction was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi began at the end of the 13th century and completed in 1434. From ever The Florence Dome (the fourth largest cathedral in the world) is the symbol of the population of Florence and of the Renaissance. The facade of the Duomo of Florence is very colorful with a design in white, red and green marble. The exterior, adorned with statues and windows, was designed in the second part of the 19th century by Emilio de Fabris, following the design of Giotto's bell tower. The inside of the Cathedral has walls with beautiful frescoes made by famous artists as Paolo Uccello and Andrea del Castagno. The visitors can go to the top of the dome's cupola and views a fantastic panorama of the city of Florence.

Il Battistero di san Giovanni (the Baptistry): located in the Piazza del Duomo (Dome Square) in front of the Dome, is separate structure. The Baptistry is famous for its glod doors panels designed by Ghiberti which in Renaissance period. The Baptistry also features beautiful paintings and mosaics from the 13th century.

Campanile di Giotto (Bell Tower of Giotto): The bell tower of Giotto was designed by Giotto as a decoration for the Dome square. The marble pieces comes from different areas in Italy: white marble from Carrara, green marble from Prato, and red marble from Siena. The Giotto's bell tower is about 20 feet shorter than the Florence Dome.

If you decide to visit Florence in one day you can follow the instruction below: In one morning you can also visit the Duomo and the Brunelleschi Chapel, Giotto's Campanile Bell Tower, and the famous bronze doors of the Baptistery. See the magnificent Pitti Palace, the last home of the Medici family, and the Boboli Gardens behind the palace. In your visit you can also included a visit to Piazzale Michelangelo, where you will enjoy an extraordinary panoramic view of the city and take advantage of the photo opportunities!
In the afternoon you can to program a brief excursion to Fiesole, the beautiful historic town on the hill overlooking Florence. After admiring the panoramic view of Florence, return to the city and visit the Santa Croce church, where the tombs of Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo, and Rossini rest. In this excursion you can also include a visit to the Galleria dell'Accademia in order to see Michelangelo's spectacular David.