Florence, Italy

Hailed as the ‘jewel of Florence,’ the Florence Cathedral, formally known as the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore and now better known as the Duomo di Firenze is a beautiful domed cathedral and the striking centerpiece of the city.

Designed by Arnolfo di Cambio in the Gothic style, construction on the cathedral began in 1296 and was completed 140 years later in 1436 with the massive dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi. Standing out for miles and surrounded by other incredible buildings, the Duomo creates an impressive sight that can be seen for miles. Visitors can climb up to the lantern at the top of the dome via 463 steps and head up the adjacent Giotto’s Campanile (bell tower) for spectacular views over the city.

Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore - Duomo di Firenze (Florence Cathedral), Piazza del Duomo, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy

Located in the Piazza del Duomo, Il Battistero di San Giovanni (Florence Baptistery), also known as the Baptistery of Saint John, is an exquisite octagonal basilica of green and white marble that forms part of the Duomo Complex and is the oldest building in Florence. Boasting awe-inspiring interiors of golden Byzantine mosaics, which is home to the tomb of Antipope John XXIII whose sepulchre was designed by Donatello. The Baptistery is renowned for its three sets of striking bronze doors made up of 10 bas-relief bronze panels representing several scenes of the Old Testament known as the Gates of Paradise, which were sculpted by Lorenzo Ghiberti and took 26 years to complete.

Il Battistero di San Giovanni, Piazza San Giovanni, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy

Located in the Piazza del Duomo, Campanile di Giotto, also known as the Florence Cathedral bell tower, is the magnificent bell tower of the Florence Cathedral. Built in the 14th century by Giotto and completed by Andrea Pisano, the tower is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture and is renowned for its harmonious coloring of white, green, and red marble, striking sculptural decorations, and awe-inspiring spire. Split into five distinct levels, the lower section of the tower is decorated with 54 bas-reliefs, and the belfry has many alcoves adorned with statues of saints and prophets, while the highest point of the structure can be reached by 414 steps and boasts one of the most beautiful panoramic views of Florence.

Campanile di Giotto, Piazza del Duomo, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy, Phone: +39-05-52-30-28-85

Ponte Vecchio is a medieval multi-arched bridge over the Arno River and the oldest stone bridge in Europe. One of the most famous bridges in the world, the Ponte Vecchio is Florence’s most legendary symbol with its hanging houses and shops, as was once common in past centuries. Built in 1345, the stone bridge was once home to a variety of butcher shops during the 15th and 16th centuries, which were closed due to the bad smell, and taken over by goldsmiths and jewelers, which are still present today. The ‘Old Bridge’ also houses the Vasari Corridor, a passageway that connects the Palazzo Vecchio to the Palazzo Pitti and is famous for its numerous padlocks left by lovers that cover the sides of the bridge.

Ponte Vecchio, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy

Piazza della Repubblica is one of the main squares in Florence and is home to the Colonna dell'Abbondanza, or Column of Abundance, which marks the exact geographical center of the city and the ancient point where the Roman forum stood. The column also marks border between three of Florence’s four historic neighborhoods, namely San Giovanni Verdi, Santa Croce Azzurri, and Santa Maria Novella Rossi. During medieval times, the Piazza della Repubblica was densely populated with markets, tabernacles and churches and was the location of the city’s main market and the Jewish Ghetto, who were forced to live here by Cosimo I. Legend has it that the column once held a bell, which was rung when pickpockets were found to be roaming in the busy market.

Piazza della Repubblica, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy

Located next to the Piazza della Signoria, The Uffizi Gallery is a world-renowned art museum and one of the most important Italian museums in the world. Housed in a building that is an artwork in itself with an inner courtyard lined with intricate columns and arches adorned with marble statues, the museum houses an immense and wonderous collection of Renaissance art from artists such as Da Vinci, Botticelli, Raphael, and Titian. The U-shaped Renaissance building features an interminable labyrinth of rooms with incredible works of art displayed in chronological order with famous works like Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus and the Allegory of Spring, Leonardo da Vinci's The Annunciation, and the unmistakable Portraits of the Dukes of Urbino by Piero della Francesca. The Uffizi has a new reservation system, which allows visitors to take timed tickets and come back and explore without having to wait in line.

The Uffizi Gallery, Piazzale degli Uffizi, 6, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy

Piazza della Signoria (Signoria Square) is Florence’s main square and one of the liveliest areas of the city. Located between the Arno River and the Piazza del Duomo, the L-shaped square lies in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, also known as the Palazzo della Signoria, and is the main point of the origin, history and political focus of the Florentine Republic. The piazza is home to several famous monuments, including the Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace) with its two sculptures of Adam and Eve, and a copy of the statue of Michelangelo’s David; the small open-air museum of the Logia dei Lanzi or the Loggia della Signoria; the Fountain of Neptune; and the Equestrian Monument of Cosimo I, which was sculpted in 1594 by Giambologna. The Piazza della Signoria is the city’s liveliest square with bustling restaurants, café, and bars packed with people watching street artists, who use the square as a stage.

Piazza della Signoria, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy

Overlooking the Piazza della Signoria, the Palazzo Vecchio is the town hall of Florence and the most important administrative building in the city. Built as the palace of the Signoria of the Republic of Florence in 1299 and later transformed into a town hall, the square castle-like building features a bell tower, several crenulations, and a series of coast of arms relating to the history of the city on the front façade. The interior of the palace boasts beautifully decorated rooms with magnificent pieces of artwork and frescoes like The Hercules Room and The Room of Cybele. A must-see attraction in the palace includes Dante’s death mask and the prison cells where the famous Savonarola was kept before he was executed in the piazza in front of the building.

Palazzo Vecchio, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy

Named after the beautiful Basilica of Santa Croce that overlooks the square, the Piazza Santa Croce is bordered by important buildings that are characterized by protruding planes supported by supports called sporti. Taking center stage and framing the square perfectly, the Basilica Santa Croce is one of the biggest Franciscan churches in Italy and is famous for housing frescoes by Giotto, sculptures of Benedetto da Maiano, and being the burial place of Michelangelo and Galilei. Other notable buildings around the piazza include the 14th century Pazzi Chapel; the Palazzo Cocchi-Serristori; the Palazzo dell’Antella, with its lively façade embellished with allegorical figures, cherubs, foliage, flowers and arabesques; and a monument dedicated to Dante Alighieri by Enrico Pazzi, dating back to 1865.

Piazza Santa Croce, 16, Piazza Santa Croce, 50122, Florence, Italy

Located just above the San Niccolò neighborhood on the South banks of the River Arno, the Piazzale Michelangelo offers some of the most spectacular panoramic views of the city. The enormous piazza features a bronze replica of Michelangelo’s David and is bordered by many cafés, restaurants, and coffee shops where visitors can relax and soak up the incredible views. The bustling square is packed with souvenir-touting carts, buskers, and sightseers, but is one of the best places in the city to soak up the Duomo, the Arnolfo Tower of the Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizi across the river.

Piazzale Michelangelo, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy