Travel Guide to Florence, Italy - Tuscany’s Renaissance Masterpiece
Affiliate disclosure: some of the links in this article are affiliate links. If you book using one of them, we’ll earn a small commission. All of our info is free to read and free of ads, so we appreciate it!
Florence is known as the “cradle of the Renaissance” and that’s no small claim: this city changed the course of Western civilization in the 15th and 16th centuries with its achievements in art, architecture, literature, and science.
Witnessing the masterpieces and monuments of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Giotto, Brunelleschi, Donatello and other geniuses in the city where they were created is one of the world’s great travel experiences.
Aside from this weighty provenance, the Tuscan capital is also a beautiful and romantic place, and window shopping and browsing the markets, dining on bistecca alla fiorentina and other Tuscan classics, and enjoying an aperitif in a piazza next to a splashing fountain are among the many, many other pleasures that make Florence a mandatory stop on any Italian itinerary.
Whether you have a day to visit or 5, Florence has plenty to keep you occupied. From the majestic Duomo to the renaissance streets overflowing with lovely architecture and monuments, its world-famous galleries and museums, gorgeous palaces and gardens, and the markets, ranging from food and leather products to antiques and all kinds of used goods.
And of course, the rolling hills of the Tuscan countryside are right at the city’s doorstep, as are a plethora of medieval hilltop cities just waiting to be explored.
More Tuscany travel info:
For more info on travel in Tuscany, check out our Tuscany travel guide and our 7-day Tuscany itinerary.
And if you could use some one-on-one help planning your trip to Tuscany, consider scheduling a Tuscany travel consultation!
Table of Contents
Why visit?
Where is Florence
How to get here
When to visit
How long to spend
Where to stay
What to see and do
Restaurants & dining
3-day Florence itinerary
Local help with your planning
If you’re planning a visit to Florence, or Tuscany more broadly, and could use some help coming up with a great plan, consider scheduling an Italy travel consultation with one of our Local Experts!
These are one-hour Zoom calls where you get to chat with an Italy-based travel pro about the trip you’re planning and they’ll share their tips and advice, answer your travel questions, and help you perfect your itinerary.
Why visit Florence
To see art, of course. Art - namely Renaissance paintings, statuary, and architecture - is Florence’s claim to fame and stock in trade, and since the days of the Grand Tours, visitors have been finding their way around the city’s churches and museums to look at the great works of art that signaled the rebirth of Western civilization. The city does an admirable job of presenting its treasures and making them accessible to visitors.
Of course, seeing art is not the only reason to visit Florence (though even the most art-indifferent visitor should at least make a visit to the Uffizi and see the David). Another pleasure of being here is simply to enjoy a beautiful city that elevates urban living to an art form in itself.
Florence is a handsome and cosmopolitan place, small enough not to be overwhelming and pleasantly traffic-free in places. Most of the sights are within easy reach of one another in the Centro Storico on the so-called Right Bank, and those across the Arno, in the Oltrarno on the Left Bank, are an easy walk away.
Evidence of the good life is everywhere: shop windows show off the latest Italian fashions and restaurants elevate Tuscan cooking into feasts. You won’t find the sweeping vistas of Rome (well, maybe from the Piazzale Michelangelo) or clamorous street life of Naples, but Florence has a beauty all its own and is, in the words of Charles Dickens, “magnificently stern and somber.”
Then there are the Florentines, much less boisterous than their co-patriots to the south, well-groomed, sophisticated, and speaking a dialect that’s said to be the purest in the Italian language. They’re justly proud of their heritage and happy to share their city where Western Civilization emerged from the Dark Ages.
Where is Florence?
Florence is the capital of the region of Tuscany, and is found in the north-central part of the territory, about 275 kilometers north of Rome and 300 kilometers south of Milan.
The city is in a valley of the Arno River and its tributaries and is surrounded by green hills. By no means an indsutrial city, the outskirts quickly become rural and beautiful.
To the west, you have valleys planted with orchards, vineyards, and crops extending 100km to the seaside resort of Viareggio. All along that expanse, you’ll find other historic, art-rich cities including Prato, Pistoia, Pisa, and Lucca.
To the north and east, you have, mountainous and forested terrain, much of which is preserved in the Parco Nazionale delle Foreste Casentinesi. And if you head south, you’ll find beautiful Tuscan countryside and hills that rise and fall through the Chianti and Val d’Orcia wine regions.
How to get to Florence
By air
Many travelers from other parts of Europe fly directly into nearby Pisa’s Galileo Galilei airport, which is well connected to Florence by bus and train. Nonstop flights from the United States don’t serve Pisa, but you can make connections in many European hubs that handle overseas flights.
Florence also has its own small airport, Amerigo Vespucci, serviced by several European airlines and connected to the city center by tram.
By train
Florence is a major rail hub, with excellent connections to other cities in Italy and throughout Europe. Especially convenient are the high-speed trains that run frequently between Florence and Milan in a little under two hours and between Florence and Rome in an hour and a half.
A local train network also links Florence with cities and towns throughout Tuscany.
By car
Florence is just off the main A1 north–south autostrada and a drive of about three and a half hours north of Rome. The city is also well-connected by four-lane highways with Siena, Perugia, and Pisa.
Once in Florence, ditch the car as soon as possible, as driving in the center is severely restricted and parking is limited and expensive. Your best bet is to return your rental car upon arrival or to park in one of the lots on the outskirts that are connected to the center by bus or tram.
Connect with Tuscany travel expert Stefano for help perfecting your itinerary, answers to all your travel questions, and fabulous local tips for a better visit!
Best time to visit
Visiting in summer
This is a popular time to visit Florence, and the city can be crowded to the point of bursting and is often hot and humid. On the plus side the streets and squares, most of them closed to traffic, can seem quite festive.
Some leisurely time in the Boboli Garden, riverside walks, and getaways to Fiesole and other hillside towns are ways to escape the crowds and heat, and summertime visitors should consider hotels that have rooftop terraces, gardens, or (only a choice few) swimming pools.
Of course, being a very popular time, prices are high and availability is limited. Always book your accommodation well in advance.
Visiting in spring and fall
Prime times in Florence are April and early May and late September and October, and little wonder. The weather can be fresh and delightful, in the 70s F (20s C), and the sightseeing hordes aren’t present in full force.
Visiting in winter
Florence can be damp and chilly in the winter, but don’t let that deter you. The city is well-geared to a winter visit. Most attractions are indoors and much less crowded than they are in other months, hotel prices come down, and the somber palaces and narrow lanes can seem especially atmospheric in the gray weather.
How long to spend
However long you spend in Florence you’ll probably feel you don’t have enough time to see it all. Since you’ll be looking at a lot of art, the length of your visit will depend on how much time you want to spend staring into frescoes and paintings.
Don’t overdo it, though: several years ago it was noted that some visitors to Florence were falling prey to Stendhal syndrome, a condition in which spending too much time looking at beautiful art and architecture can induce dizziness, hallucinations, and fainting spells.
That said, consider three or four days to be the minimum for a visit. That will give you time to visit the Uffizi, Bargello, and Pitti Palace museums, see the David, step in and out of churches to view the city’s most important frescoes and statuary, and maybe climb the Duomo.
You’ll want some down time in the Boboli Garden or hilltop Fiesole, and if you’re not planning to move on from Florence to other parts of Tuscany, you should make a day trip into the Chianti or Val d’Orcia countrysides to enjoy some of Italy’s most gorgeous scenery and the many vistas across rolling hills and vineyards.
For a complete 3-day itinerary, see the corresponding section at the end of this article.
Where to stay
The rates below are for a double and include breakfast.
Pensione Bencista - Housed in a rambling villa in the hills above the city, this is family-run pensione serves up old world charm, stunning views, and shady gardens. The city center is a short bus ride away. 175 euros to 190 euros; closed some winter months.
Soprano Suites - On the top floors of an old mansion and filled with vintage furnishings, this is an appropriately bohemian, albeit luxurious, base in middle of the Oltrarno, the city’s artisan quarter. 180 euros to 260 euros.
Hotel Loggiato dei Serviti - A former monastery from the 16th century is loaded with old world character, filled with comforts, and surrounded by sights. 160 euros to 300 euros.
AdAstra - Character-filled salons and guest rooms ramble across the upper floors of a villa set in a private garden in the Oltrarno and provide a leafy retreat in the heart of the city. From 175 euros to 400 euros.
Hotel Helvetia and Bristol - One of the city’s historic bastions of luxury is just steps from the Duomo and steeped in hushed, antiques-filled elegance. 400 euros to 500 euros.
Il Tornabuoni - A medieval palazzo-turned-hotel has been welcoming guests for almost 200 years, and these days they are hosted in chic, frescoed surroundings and enjoy a roof terrace high above the city’s most stylish shopping street. 400 euros to 500 euros.
Villa Cora - This opulent retreat just above the city center was once home to Empress Eugenie, the widow of Napoleon, and comes with all sorts of perks, including attentive service, gardens, and a swimming pool. The Piazzale Michelangelo is a short walk away, and the centro storico is 15 minutes by foot. 400 euros to 500 euros.
What to see & do in Florence
1. Be awed by the Duomo
The city fathers wanted to make a big impression when they laid the cornerstone of the enormous Duomo, the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Fiore, in 1296. They were determined to outshine the magnificent cathedrals that had just risen in Siena and Pisa, and there’s no question that they succeeded.
The Duomo is still an outsized presence, and the third largest church in the world dwarfs the surrounding streets and by law is the tallest structure in the city. The exterior of red, white, and green marble fulfilled a mandate to make the church “piu bello chi si puo,” as “beautiful as can be,” while the vast interior is striking in its simplicity.
Soaring high above the church and the city is a dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi that was for many centuries the largest in the world.
Rising to one side is the octagonal baptistery of San Giovanni, entirely clad in marble and famous for its bronze doors depicting biblical scenes by the sculptor Ghiberti, dubbed the “Gates of Paradise” by Michelangelo (the ones now in place are replicas, and the originals are sheltered away from the elements in the Museo dell’Opera.
2. See the masterpieces in the Uffizi Gallery
The former offices, or uffizi, of the Medici now houses the most important collection of Renaissance art in the world. Rubens, Raphael, Bellini, Caravaggio are all here.
The standouts are Primavera and Birth of Venus, both by Botticelli and to the Uffizi what Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is to the Louvre. Leonardo is here, too, with an Annunciation in which the Virgin Mary wears the telltale enigmatic smile that became the artist’s trademark.
3. Learn about the first use of “perspective” in art
One of the great breakthroughs of the Renaissance was the use of perspective, departing from the flat lines of Gothic and Byzantine art into the use of rounded forms and vanishing points. Two of the first works of perspective are in the church of Santa Maria Novella.
Masaccio, whose name translates as “Slovenly Tom,” for his appearance, created the Trinita, a work of trompe l’oeil that creates the illusion that the scene is receding far into the distance. Uccello, or “little bird,” so called because of all the birds in his paintings, painted scenes of the Creation and Fall.
The artist supposedly became so obsessed with his work that his wife complained he would creep into bed late at night muttering how beautiful perspective is.
Masaccio’s greatest masterpieces are his scenes across town in the church of Santa Maria del Carmine, where his depictions of St. Peter and Adam and Eve are full of vivid emotion and were acclaimed as works of genius even before the paint was dry.
4. Feast on frescoes
Among the treasure trove of painting in Florence, the Renaissance frescoes that cover the walls of churches around the city are standouts. A sampling of the finest include the Death of Saint Francis by Giotto in the church of Santa Croce, where grief-stricken monks who surround the saint’s corpse display the artist’s genius for capturing human emotion.
The sublime religious scenes by the Dominican friar Fra Angelica in the former monastery of San Marco are meant to inspire prayer and contemplation.
Frescoes of the Annunciation and other religious moments in the church of Santissima Annunziata are by Andrea del Sarto and others - including, so the story goes, an angel who completed a face of the Madonna when artists laid down their brushes because they could not achieve the required perfection.
The facade of the Basilica of Santa Croce, where Giotto’s “Death of Saint Francis” fresco is housed. Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
5. Tour the Accademia Gallery and follow in the footsteps of Michelangelo
The great master of the High Renaissance, known even in his lifetime as “Il Divino” (the Divine One) completed the David in 1504. Carved out of an 18-foot-tall block of marble, the virile youth is a symbol of Florence - beautiful, arrogant, defiant, and the slayer of the city’s many Goliaths, among them the papacy, the Medicis, and rival republics.
This great achievement of Renaissance sculpture is in the Accademia, with copies in front of the Palazzo Vecchio on Piazza della Signora (where the original stood for many centuries) and on Piazzale Michelangelo.
The artist’s other great works in Florence are in the Cappelle Medici in the church of San Lorenzo, where the tombs he sculpted for the Medici are rich in their symbolism of the passage of time.
Michelangelo received a lavish state funeral here amid his works when he died in 1564 at the age of 89, and he is buried in the church of Santa Croce (next to a monument to the great poet Dante, who was exiled from Florence and is buried in Ravenna).
Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
6. Hunt for the great statues all over the city
Much of the statuary that once adorned the Duomo has been moved out to the nearby Museo dell’Opera, where treasures include a Pieta by Michelangelo and the original doors that Ghiberti crafted for the baptistery.
The nearby Bargello was the city’s medieval police headquarters and prison, where the corpses of the condemned were hung from the tower windows. Today the cells and torture chambers are filled with some of the city’s finest examples of Renaissance statues, and the Bargello is to statuary what the Uffizi is to painting. Michelangelo makes an appearance with a playful Bacchus, but pride of place belongs to Donatello, whose boyish David and other works made him the star of 15th century Florentine art.
The city’s other great showplace for statuary is Piazza della Signoria, the center of the city and an outdoor sculpture gallery where a copy of Michelangelo’s David is surrounded by Neptune, Perseus, and a phalanx of other legendary figures, rendered by the city’s finest sculptors.
Statues in the Piazza della Signoria. Photo: Arnaud 25, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
7. Take the high road on the Vasari Corridor
Duke Cosimo I Medici wanted to avoid the hoi polloi (and potential assassins) on his commute between his offices in the Palazzo Vecchio and Uffizi and his home in the Palazzo Pitti. So he commissioned architect Giorgio Vasari to build a walkway high above the city streets and across the Arno atop the Ponte Vecchio.
Today the so-called Vasari Corridor, reopening in May 2024 after a years’ long renovation, is lined with a remarkable collection of self-portraits and comes with a view of the Arno through windows that Mussolini ordered to be cut out so Adolph Hitler could enjoy the outlook in private.
The Ponte Vecchio, topped by the Vasari Corridor
8. Tour the Spedale degli Innocenti, Florence’s finest building
The Spedale degli Innocenti, one of the world’s first orphanages opened in 1445 and over the next 500 years cared for an estimated 375,000 boys and girls. This charitable institution, funded by the city’s powerful silk guild, occupies Florence’s first and most beautiful Renaissance building, designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, creator of the city’s famous dome.
Handsome loggias line the façade and two interior courtyards (one for men, and one for women), and the façade is emblazoned with beautiful rondels depicting babies by master ceramicist Andre della Robbia. The most notable feature is a small window through which an infant could be deposited into a turnstile and, via a slide, drop into the “basin of abandonment.”
Exhibits detail how the little ones were cared for and educated, and some galleries are hung with the silk guild’s impressive art collection.
9. Do some shopping
Via de’ Tornabuoni is hallowed ground for high fashion, lined with Gucci, Prada, Ferragamo and other chic designer shops. A walk through Mercato San Lorenzo is easier on the wallet, and you can pick up a new one here, too, along with belts, totes, and other practical gear.
If you’re feeling peckish, step into the adjoining Mercato Centrale, where stalls temptingly display cheeses, sweets, cold cuts, produce and much more, much of it packaged for a picnic or your trip home.
Mercato Nuovo, near the Ponte Vecchio, specializes in leather, though the “made in Italy” labels may be as bogus as the wares they emblazon. Overseeing all the haggling and buying is Il Porcellino, a bronze boar whose snout has been rubbed to a shiny sheen over the years.
A fruit and vegetable stand in the Mercato Centrale. Photo: Rufus46, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
10. Head to the Farmacia di Santa Maria Novella and buy some Medici-approved creams and ointments
Back in the 13th century, monks in the monastery attached to the church of Santa Maria Novella began concocting ointments and salves from plants they grew in their cloister garden. Word got out, and by 1612 they were providing the city’s elite with salves and scents from their Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, purported to be the world’s oldest operating pharmacy.
Their frescoed, vaulted Grand Sales Hall is stocked with soaps, scents, and other elixirs concocted over the centuries and guaranteed to make those who use them feel, and smell, like a duke or duchess.
The green room in the Farmacia di Santa Maria Novella. Photo: I, Sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
11. Climb to the top of the Brunelleschi Dome
The dome of the Duomo is actually two domes, an inner shell that supports the outer dome. You’ll witness this engineering marvel up close on one of the most arduous and thrilling ascents in Florence, up a series of 463 step stairs between the two structures.
The climb comes with dizzying looks into the church far below and, from the lantern at the top, a view that extends far across the city rooftops to the hills beyond. Slots are limited, so reserve well in advance.
Connect with Tuscany travel expert Stefano for help perfecting your itinerary, answers to all your travel questions, and fabulous local tips for a better visit!
12. Tour the Pitti Palace and other magnificent homes of the former nobility
Step back to the 14th century in the Palazzo Davanzati, the home of a noble family who enjoyed such comforts as their own well and toilet and frescoed bed chambers. One of the Medici’s first Florentine residences was the elegant Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, built around a courtyard in a style that became the prototype of grander palaces to follow.
The grandest of these is the Pitti Palace, home to the city’s ruling families into the early 20th century. Now home to five museums, the palace rooms are stacked with art and the gilt and stucco that a succession of dukes and duchesses left behind.
The southern facade of the Pitti Palace. Photo: Yanko Malinov, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
13. Relax in the Giardino Boboli
One of the top spots in Florence to catch a breath of fresh air is the Giardino Boboli, behind the Pitti Palace. An oasis of lawns, groves of cypress, and shady, statue-lined walkways, this is a wonderful place to escape away to for a couple of hours of relaxing.
Two focal points are the Isolotto, a little islet in the middle of a pond-like basin ringed by fountains depicting sea goods and marine creatures, and the Grotto Grande, a manmade cave fitted out with stalactites, stalagmites, and other fanciful creations.
14. Head for the hills in nearby Fiesole
When the somber streets of Florence start to close in on you, make a quick escape to airy Fiesole, an ancient town that despite its proximity to the Tuscan capital still feels like a pleasant hilltop Tuscan village.
The bus ride up green hillsides takes less than half an hour and at the end of the road are sweeping vistas over the valley below, cooling breezes, and even some Roman ruins.
Views from the hills in Fiesole
15. Venture into wine country - Chianti and the Val d’Orcia
Florence is at the edge of two of Italy’s most famous wine-growing regions. Plenty of organized tours will take you into the vineyards of the Chianti and Val d’Orcia, usually with winey visits, tastings, some stops in atmospheric villages, and lunch included. The best way to set off on your own is by car, since public transportation options are fairly limited.
Chianti
One day trip takes you across the Chianti, one of the most beautiful regions in Tuscany, a hilly landscape of vineyards, olive groves, stands of forests, and pretty stone villages. The best, most scenery-filled road through the heart of the region is the SR222, also called the Chiantigiana.
Along the way are dozens of wineries, many in historic castles, where you can taste the Chiantis and Super Tuscans that put the region on the wine map. Siena, at the end of the road, is a beautiful city that is locked in the Middle Ages the same way Florence preserves the Renaissance. The drive back to Florence takes a little over an hour.
Val d’Orcia
Another scenic drive takes you through the Val d’Orcia, a landscape of hills carpeted with golden fields and vineyards and topped here and there with storybook villages. Along the way is Montalcino, a walled medieval town where the surrounding vineyards produce Brunello di Montalcino wines.
An atmospheric setting in which to introduce yourself (but not your designated driver) to Brunello and slightly less distinguished Rosso di Montalcino is the Enotecca la Fortessa, within the walls of Montalcino’s fortress. Nearby Pienza is a pretty little town laid out in the 15th century as an ideal Renaissance city.
Last stop is Montepulciano, another noted wine town that climbs a hillside and where dozens of enotecas and wine caves introduce you to Rosso di Montepulciano and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. You can be back in Florence in an hour and a half.
Vineyards in Chianti
16. Make some day trips further afield
Pisa
With Florence’s excellent train connections, you can be in Pisa in less than an hour. First stop, of course, is the Leaning Tower and other monuments on the Campo dei Miracoli, but also take time to walk through this attractive medieval and Renaissance city on the banks of the River Arno and soak in the ambiance.
The most atmospheric quarter is around Piazza delle Vettovaglie, the medieval fish and vegetable market.
Bologna
By fast train, the trip from Florence to Bologna takes less than 40 minutes (given the speed and since most of the trip is through tunnels bored into the mountainsides, the experience is like riding the subway).
There’s a lot to like about this appealing city that’s not in Tuscany but in neighboring Emilia-Romagna. Just for starters, Bologna is Europe’s largest medieval enclave, home to the world’s oldest university, and famous for food, with an entire district, the Quadrilatero, filled with after shop after shop brimming with cheese, ham, and pastas.
Pisa
Bologna
Restaurants and dining
Among their many other accomplishments, the Florentines claim to have taught the French how to cook. Or so the story goes that when Catherine de Medici arrived in Paris to marry King Henry II she had with her a retinue of chefs and a list of Tuscan recipes. She’s also said to have taught the French how to use a fork.
These days Florentine cooking sticks to old-fashioned Tuscan basics, with lots of beans, pasta, olive oil, and fresh vegetables. Menus tend to be meat heavy and often include the city’s classic trippa alla fiorentina, tripe simmered in tomato sauce.
For visitors, the famous bistecca alla fiorentina, steaks from Tuscany’s Valdichiana that are grilled over charcoal, is always extremely popular.
These and other hearty meals are often accompanied with reds from neighboring Chianti.
Restaurants in Florence
Below are some of my other favorite restaurants in the city. Note that the prices below are for two, with wine:
Cammillo Trattoria - A decades-old institution is a favorite for Tuscan classics served in clamorous, no-frills surroundings. About 60 euros.
Cibrero Trattoria - In a bohemian room (not to be confused with the fancier, more expensive
Cibero Ristorante - Darm-fresh ingredients find their way into innovative antipasti, soups, and entrees that steer away from the city’s typical pasta and meat offerings. About 60 euros.
Garga - Small and cozy art-filled rooms are the setting for delicious pastas and risottos. About 80 euros.
Osteria Dell’Enotecca - Modern takes on Tuscan classics are paired with a large choice of wines. About 100 euros.
Osteria di Giovanni - The Latini family’s casual and friendly trattoria is said to grill the best bistecca all fiorentina in town. About 80 euros.
Rivoire - You’ll pay more than you should for a drink and a sandwich, but a seat on the terrace comes with a show, the comings and goings on the beautiful Piazza della Signoria. About 40 euros.
Mercato Centrale - For a quick bite, it’s hard to beat this very fun market, with dozens of food stalls.
Vivoli - over a century old, this is always a wildly popular gelato stop.
3-day Florence itinerary
Day 1: The main sights
Morning
Begin at the Galleria d’Uffizi, erstwhile headquarters of the Medici banking empire and now stuffed to the rafters with the masterpieces of the Renaissance. In gallery after gallery you’ll encounter Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo… this is one of the world’s great museums, so take your time and spend the entire morning here.
When you want to take a break from all the saints and swirling angels, head up to the view-filled rooftop café.
Next stop is another one of Florence’s great Renaissance achievements, the Duomo, the largest church in the world when it was completed around 1436, and topped with Filippo Brunelleschi’s dome that was also the largest in the world in its time.
The enormous cupola dominates the skyline of Florence, and climbing up narrow staircases wedged between the inner and outer shells is a not-to-be missed exertion, with acrophobia-inducing views at the top.
Next door is the octagonal Battistero (Baptistry), where the East Doors, executed in gilded bronze by Lorenzo Ghiberti, depict 10 scenes from the Old Testament with such grace that Michelangelo said “They are so beautiful they would grace the entrance to Paradise.” They’ve been known ever since as the Gates of Paradise. The doors now in place are copies, and the originals are in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo.
Afternoon
Now do some more art-gazing, along with a late lunch and the best people watching in Florence, from the terrace of Rivoire or one of the other cafes on the airy Piazza della Signoria.
This center of city government, with the Palazzo Vecchio, the Medici’s stronghold, on one side, is filled with statuary - a line-up that includes city fathers, Greek gods, and a copy of Michelangelo’s David. The original of the city’s most famous sculpture is in the Accademia Gallery, so make your way there next and prepare to spend a couple of hours seeing David and the other great works.
After seeing the David, make the five minute walk over to Piazza San Marco, where you’ll encounter another artistic genius, Fra Angelico, in the monks’ cells, cloisters and chapter house of a former convent that now comprise the Museo Nazionale di San Marco.
The good natured Dominican friar found time between his duties caring for the poor to cover the walls with magnificent frescos depicting religious scenes meant to inspire prayer and contemplation.
Evening
A walk at dusk takes you across the shop-lined Ponte Vecchio into the Oltrarno, or other side of the Arno. This artisans’ quarter is quite gentrified these days, but the narrow streets are still filled with artists’ studios, antiques shops, and fashion boutiques, along with many spots for an aperitivo and dinner.
Connect with Tuscany travel expert Stefano for help perfecting your itinerary, answers to all your travel questions, and fabulous local tips for a better visit!
Day 2: Markets and gardens
Morning
You can’t come to Florence without shopping, so plunge into the Mercato San Lorenzo. Many of the leather goods here are made in China, but it’s hard to walk away without at least a change purse, for which you should bargain relentlessly.
Nearby are the Capelle Medici in the church of San Lorenzo, housing the sumptuous sarcophagi that Michelangelo created for Florence’s ruling family.
Another treasure trove at this end of the Centro Storico is the church of Santa Maria Novella, covered with frescoes by Massaccio and Ghirlandaio. When the resident Dominican monks weren’t busy surrounding themselves with great art they were growing herbs with which they concocted similarly transcendent scents and soaps for their wealthy patrons.
The tradition continues and perfumes and other toiletries based on their recipes are on offer around the corner in the atmospheric Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, said to be the world’s oldest pharmacy.
Now relax over lunch or a snack in the nearby Mercato Centrale, a covered food hall.
Afternoon
Spend the rest of the day in the Oltrarno. Make the crossing on the Ponte Santa Trinita, a bridge noted not only for its elegant beauty but also for the fact that what you see is a complete reconstruction.
Retreating German troops blew up the original 16th century bridge in 1944, and in the 1950s workers painstaking reconstructed the span with the original stonework dredged from the river bottom.
Your first stop over here is the church of Santa Maria del Carmine, where Massaccio painted the “Expulsion from Eden” and other frescoes in the Cappella Brancacci that are said to have set the stage for the Renaissance masters who followed him (quite a legacy for a young man who died at age 26).
A ten-minute walk through the streets of the Oltrarno brings you to the monumental Palazzo Pitti, a fitting residence for the Medici dynasty. In the days before Louis XIV built Versailles this was the largest and most opulent palace in the world, and today the grand salons are yet another Florentine repository of works by Raphael, Titian, Rubens, and other European masters, along with the furnishings that Medici dukes left behind.
Behind the massive palace stretches the Boboli Garden, a lovely place to close out a day of sightseeing among ponds, fountains, and grottoes.
Evening
Take a look over Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo, the city’s favorite spot for watching the sunset—and with the Duomo gleaming in the slanting rays, what a sight it is.
Day 3: More art followed by some fresh air in Fiesole
Morning
Begin the day looking at statues. The Bargello, a couple of blocks south of the Duomo, was the city’s medieval police headquarters and prison, where the corpses of the condemned were hung from the tower windows.
Today the cells and torture chambers are filled with some of the city’s finest examples of Renaissance statues, and the Bargello is to statuary what the Uffizi is to painting. Pride of place belongs to Donatello, whose boyish David and other works made him the star of 15th century Florentine art.
With your newfound appreciation for statuary take another walk through the statue-filled Piazza della Signoria, just a few blocks west of the Bargello.
Just beyond the square is what might be the most charming church in Florence, Orsanmichele, occupying a converted grain warehouse. The doors are usually locked, but the show is on the exterior, where the Renaissance trade guilds filled the niches with statues of their patron saints.
Since you are in the neighborhood, stroll up the street to the Duomo, and this time set your sights on the Campanile that Giotto designed for the church. A climb of 400 steps brings you to another amazing city view, all the better here because you’ll get a close-up look at Brunelleschi’s dome.
Afternoon
Enjoy a well-deserved leisurely lunch then take an outing to airy Fiesole, an ancient town that despite the proximity to the Tuscan capital feels like another hilltop village.
The pleasant bus ride up green hillsides takes less than half an hour and at the end of the road are sweeping vistas over the valley below, cooling breezes, and even some Roman ruins.
Evening
Return to Florence for you final dinner, but don’t rush away from Fiesole. Enjoy a cocktail on a breezy café terrace and watch the sun set over the city below. In fact, many Florentines make the trip up at the end of a work day for the experience.
If you have a fourth day, all the better. Head into the nearby Chianti, , one of the most beautiful regions in Tuscany, a hilly landscape of vineyards, olive groves, stands of forests, and pretty stone villages.
On and off the scenery-filled road through the heart of the region, the SR222, also called the Chiantigiana, are dozens of wineries where you can taste the Chiantis and Super Tuscans that put the region on the wine map.
_01.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
