Florence Travel Guide
Florence is an open-air exhibition of art and culture. It is famous worldwide, the heart of the Renaissance period and the home of the fine arts and literature. Florence has powerful symbols of Italian and European culture in every nook and cranny, to the extent that it is hard to identify this city with just one symbol.
Santa Maria del Fiore
Florence’s Duomo of the church of Santa Maria del Fiore, stands tall over the city. It is a vast Gothic structure built on the site of the 7th century church of Santa Reparata, the remains of which can be seen in the crypt. The Piazza della Signoria on which it stands has been the center of political life in Florence since the 14th century. The graceful Loggia dei Lanzi, which functions as an open-air sculpture gallery, was designed by Orcagna in 1376, its curved arches foretell Renaissance classicism. The statue of Perseo holding Medusa’s head, by Cellini (1554), is a stark reminder of what happened to those who crossed the Medici, and along with Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabines, are two of many statues found under the Loggia’s arches.
Galleria degli Uffizi
Right behind the Loggia dei Lanzi is the Galleria degli Uffizi (the Uffizi Gallery), Italy’s premier art museum. The Galleria degli Uffizi is the most important and visited museum in Florence. The Uffizi was designed and begun in 1560 by the architect Giorgio Vasari. Built in the shape of a horseshoe extending from Piazza della Signoria to the Arno River and linked by a bridge over the street with Palazzo Vecchio, the Uffizi was intended to house the administrative offices (uffizi) of the Grand Duchy. From the beginning, however, the Medici set aside a few rooms on the third floor to house the finest works of their collections and, over time, various members of the Medici family enriched the gallery with further works of art. In 1737 the palace and collections were left to the city by Anna Maria Luisa, the last Medici heir. Of the hundreds of magnificent works of art, must-sees include Botticelli’s Primavera and Birth of Venus, Filippino Lippi’s Madonna and Child with Two Angels, Titian’s Venus of Orbino, and lots of other works, including those from the early Masters, Cimabue and Giotto, early Renaissance pioneers, Frangelico and Masaccio, and Caravaggio and Rembrandt.
Galleria dell’Accademia
The Galleria dell’Accademia is Florence’s second most popular museum. In 1784, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Pietro Leopoldo, converted the friary of San Matteo and the convent of San Niccolò di Cafaggio to house the Gallery so students in the adjoining Accademia delle Belle Arti (Fine Arts Academy) could study the greatest works of the past. The museum houses Michelangelo’s David - undoubtedly the world’s most famous sculpture – as well as five other Michelangelo sculptures – the four unfinished Prisoners and St. Matthew. It also houses a collection of Gothic and Renaissance paintings that were once in the Medici collections. Michelangelo’s David arrived in 1873, and moved here from the Piazza della Signoria in order to better conserve it. A copy of the statue still stands in Piazza della Signoria. Despite the familiarity of the statue’s image, the sheer size of the marble statue comes as a surprise. Commissioned by the Opera del Duomo in 1501, the work was deliberately designed to symbolize the virtues of Republican Florence and freedom from foreign and papal domination. Recently it has come to symbolize the ultimate symbol of the artistic and intellectual ambitions of the Renaissance. The 16-foot high block of marble was transformed in 3 years into the work of art that was to establish, along with the Pietà displayed at the Vatican, Michelangelo’s reputation as the foremost sculptor of his day. David was always intended as an outdoor sculpture which explains some of the extraordinary physical distortions evident in the statue, such as the overly large hands and head, and the position of the eyes, which are made to be looked at from below. Among the other works housed in the Galleria are Giambologna’s original Rape of the Sabines (the copy is located in the Loggia dei Lanzi in Piazza della Signoria), Botticelli’s Madonna and Child and Madonna of the Sea, and a few works by Perugino, Filippino Lippi, Pontormo and Bronzino. The treasured collection of musical
Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio
Florence's most famous square is Piazza della Signoria, the heart of the historic center and a free open-air sculpture exhibit. The Loggia della Signoria holds some important statues including a copy of Michelangelo's David. The piazza has been Florence's political center since the middle ages and Florence's town hall, the medieval Palazzo Vecchio, sits on the piazza. The palazzo contains elaborately decorated public rooms and private apartments that can be visited. Around the piazza are cafes and restaurants.
The Baptistery
The Baptistery of John the Baptist, from the 11th century, is one of Florence's oldest buildings. Its exterior is made of green and white marble and has three sets of amazing bronze doors (reproductions - the originals are in the Duomo Museum, also worth a visit). Inside, you can see some mosaics and a marble pavement of the zodiac. In Piazza San Giovanni, off Piazza del Duomo, open 12:00-7:00 daily except holidays and 8:30-2:00 Sundays (ticket).
The Campanile, bell tower
The Campanile, bell tower, is in Piazza del Duomo. The first story was designed by Giotto and it is commonly called Giotto's Campanile. Buy a ticket and climb the 414 stairs (no lift) for great views of the Cathedral and its dome and the city of Florence and surroundings.
Boboli Garden and Pitti Palace
Cross the Ponte Vecchio to the Giardino di Boboli, a huge park on a hillside in the middle of Florence behind the Pitti Palace. Here you'll find beautiful gardens and fountains and a great view of Florence from the Forte Belvedere (picture). Open daily at 8:15 (except some Mondays in winter) with seasonal closing times. The Pitti Palace, Florence's largest palazzo, was once the seat of the Medici family. You can visit 8 different galleries, including art, costumes, jewelry, and apartments.
Santa Croce
Santa Croce, in Piazza Santa Croce, is the largest Franciscan church in Italy and holds the tombs of several important Florentines including Michelangelo and Dante. The vast interior contains some exceptional stained glass windows and frescoes. One of Brunelleschi's most important works, the Cappella dei Pazzi, is in Santa Croce. Admission includes the museum and tours given by volunteers when available. Audio tours are extra. Open Monday-Saturday, 9:30-5:30 and Sunday, 1-5:30.
Architectural
The architectural Renaissance capital of Europe. Things you must see are: Academy of fine arts (you’ll see Michelangelo’s David there), Art museum („Uffizi“), the town hall (Palazzo Vecchio)… The churches are also admirable – Basilica di Santa Croce or the Santa Maria del Flore for example. One of the must see attractions is definitely a medieval bridge Ponte Vecchio.