FLORENCE & TUSCANY, ITALY
Duomo
Galleria dell’Accademia
Towers of San Gimignano
Leaning Tower of Pisa
Driving Tuscany
Florence
Siena
Arezzo
Montepulciano
Florence & Tuscany, Italy
With its lyrical landscapes, world-class art and superb cucina contadina (food from the farmer’s kitchen), Tuscany offers a splendid array of treats for travellers. No land is more caught up with the fruits of its fertile earth than Tuscany, a gourmet destination where locality, seasonality and sustainability are revered. And oh, the art! During the medieval and Renaissance periods, Tuscany’s painters, sculptors and architects created world-class masterpieces. Nowhere is this more apparent than in magnificent Florence and in towns and cities like Siena, Arezzo and Montepulciano.
Two Days in Tuscany
Base yourself in Florence, and spend your first day exploring this illustrious city, including a visit to the Duomo and the Galleria dell’Accademia. On day two, head to San Gimignano’s famed towers, or to Arezzo for churches, museums and, if the timing is right, antiques.
Four Days in Tuscany
With an additional two days, head to legendary Siena on day three, and over to Pisa and its famous tower on day four or to Montepulciano for hilltop wonders.
After leaving Tuscany, Rome and Venice are ideal next stops.
Arriving in Tuscany
Pisa International Airport Tuscany’s principal international gateway; from here, buses run to Pisa, Florence and Siena. The automated, speedy PisaMover links the airport with Pisa Centrale train station.
Florence Airport This smaller airport serves flights from Italian and European destinations.
Stazione di Santa Maria Novella Florence’s station is the region’s biggest and busiest; it’s served by regular fast trains on the main Rome–Milan line.
Where to Stay
In Florence, advance reservations are essential between Easter and September, while winter ushers in some great deals for visitors – room rates are practically halved. Elsewhere in Tuscany, an agriturismo (rural accommodation on a working farm, winery or agricultural domain) is an idyllic five-star way of experiencing country life. It’s perfect for those with a car and usually highly practical for those travelling with children. Tuscany also abounds in historic palatial palazzo hotels.
TOP EXPERIENCE
Duomo
Florence’s Duomo is the city’s most iconic landmark. Capped by Filippo Brunelleschi’s red-tiled cupola, it’s a staggering construction, and its breathtaking pink, white and green marble facade and graceful campanile (bell tower) dominate the medieval cityscape.
Great For…
yDon’t Miss
The flamboyant dome frescoes by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari.
8Need to Know
Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore; 
%055 230 28 85; www.museumflorence.com; Piazza del Duomo; 
h10am-5pm Mon-Wed & Fri, to 4.30pm Thu & Sat, 1.30-4.45pm Sun 
F
5Take a Break
Take time out over a taste of Tuscan wine at stylish Coquinarius (map Google map; %055 230 21 53; www.coquinarius.com; Via delle Oche 11r; h12.30-3pm & 6.30-10.30pm Wed-Mon).
oTop Tip
Reservations are required to climb the dome. Book online or at the ticket office at Piazza San Giovanni 7, opposite the Baptistry’s northern entrance.
Sienese architect Arnolfo di Cambio began work on the Duomo in 1296, but construction took almost 150 years and it wasn’t consecrated until 1436.
Facade
The neo-Gothic facade was designed in the 19th century by architect Emilio de Fabris to replace the uncompleted original, torn down in the 16th century. The oldest and most clearly Gothic part of the cathedral is its south flank, pierced by the Porta dei Canonici (Canons’ Door), a mid-14th-century High Gothic creation (you enter here to climb up inside the dome).
Dome
One of the finest masterpieces of the Renaissance, the cupola (Brunelleschi’s Dome; adult/reduced incl baptistry, campanile, crypt & museum €18/3; h8.30am-7pm Mon-Fri, to 5pm Sat, 1-4pm Sun) is a feat of engineering that cannot be fully appreciated without climbing its 463 interior stone steps. It was built between 1420 and 1436 to a design by Filippo Brunelleschi, and is a staggering 91m high and 45.5m wide.
Taking his inspiration from Rome’s Pantheon, Brunelleschi arrived at an innovative engineering solution of a distinctive octagonal shape of inner and outer concentric domes resting on the drum of the cathedral rather than the roof itself, allowing artisans to build from the ground up without needing a wooden support frame. Over four million bricks were used in the construction, all of them laid in consecutive rings in horizontal courses using a vertical herringbone pattern.
The climb up the spiral staircase is relatively steep. Be sure to pause when you reach the balustrade at the base of the dome, which gives an aerial view of the octagonal coro (choir) in the cathedral below and the seven round stained-glass windows (by Donatello, Andrea del Castagno, Paolo Uccello and Lorenzo Ghiberti) that pierce the octagonal drum.
Interior
After the visual wham-bam of the facade, the sparse decoration of the cathedral’s vast interior, 155m long and 90m wide, comes as a surprise – most of its artistic treasures have been removed over the centuries according to the vagaries of ecclesiastical fashion, and many are on show in the Grande Museo del Duomo. The interior is also unexpectedly secular in places (a reflection of the sizeable chunk of the cathedral not paid for by the church): down the left aisle two immense frescoes of equestrian statues portray two condottieri (mercenaries) – on the left Niccolò da Tolentino by Andrea del Castagno (1456), and on the right Sir John Hawkwood (who fought in the service of Florence in the 14th century) by Uccello (1436).
Between the left (north) arm of the transept and the apse is the Sagrestia delle Messe (Mass Sacristy), its panelling a marvel of inlaid wood carved by Benedetto and Giuliano da Maiano. The fine bronze doors were executed by Luca della Robbia – his only known work in the material. Above the doorway is his glazed terracotta Resurrezione (Resurrection).
A stairway near the main entrance of the cathedral leads down to the Cripta Santa Reparata (crypt), where excavations between 1965 and 1974 unearthed parts of the 5th-century Chiesa di Santa Reparata that originally stood on the site.
Campanile
The 414-step climb up the cathedral’s 85m-tall campanile (map Google map; bell tower; adult/reduced incl baptistry, cupola, crypt & museum €18/3; h8.15am-7pm), begun by Giotto in 1334, rewards with a staggering city panorama. The first tier of bas-reliefs around the base of its elaborate Gothic facade are copies of those carved by Pisano depicting the Creation of Man and the attività umane (arts and industries). Those on the second tier depict the planets, the cardinal virtues, the arts and the seven sacraments. The sculpted Prophets and Sibyls in the upper-storey niches are copies of works by Donatello and others.
TOP EXPERIENCE
Galleria dell’Accademia
A lengthy queue marks the door to the Galleria dell’Accademia, the late 18th-century gallery that’s home to one of the Renaissance’s most iconic masterpieces, Michelangelo’s David.
Great For…
yDon’t Miss
David – look for the two pale lines visible on his lower left arm where it was broken in 1527.
8Need to Know
map Google map; %055 238 86 09; www.galleriaaccademiafirenze.beniculturali.it; Via Ricasoli 60; adult/reduced €12/6; h8.15am-6.50pm Tue-Sun
5Take a Break
Grab a pizza slice at the much-loved Pugi, a stone’s throw from the Galleria.
oTop Tip
Cut queuing time by booking tickets in advance at www.firenzemusei.it; the reservation fee is €4.
David
Fortunately, the world’s most famous statue is worth the wait. Standing at over 5m tall and weighing in at 19 tonnes, it’s a formidable sight. But it’s not just its scale that impresses, it’s also the subtle detail – the veins in David’s sinewy arms, the muscles in his legs, the change in expression as you move around him. Carved from a single block of marble, Michelangelo’s most famous work was also his most challenging – he didn’t choose the marble himself, it was veined, and its larger-than-life dimensions were already decided.
When the statue of the boy-warrior, depicted for the first time as a man in the prime of life rather than a young boy, assumed its pedestal in front of Palazzo Vecchio on Piazza della Signoria in 1504, Florentines immediately adopted it as a powerful emblem of Florentine power, liberty and civic pride. It stayed in the piazza until 1873, when it was moved to its current purpose-built tribune in the Galleria.
Other Works
Michelangelo was also the master behind the unfinished San Matteo (St Matthew; 1504–08) and four Prigioni (‘Prisoners’ or ‘Slaves’; 1521–30), also displayed in the gallery. The prisoners seem to be writhing and struggling to free themselves from the marble; they were meant for the tomb of Pope Julius II, itself never completed.
Adjacent rooms contain paintings by Andrea Orcagna, Taddeo Gaddi, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Filippino Lippi and Sandro Botticelli.
What’s Nearby?
To the east of the Galleria, Giambologna’s equestrian statue of Grand Duke Ferdinando I de’ Medici lords it over Piazza della Santissima Annunziata, a majestic square dominated by the facades of the Chiesa della Santissima Annunziata, built in 1250, then rebuilt by Michelozzo et al in the mid-15th century, and the Ospedale degli Innocenti (Hospital of the Innocents), Europe’s first orphanage founded in 1421. Look up to admire Brunelleschi’s classically influenced portico, decorated by Andrea della Robbia (1435–1525) with terracotta medallions of babies in swaddling clothes.
About 200m southeast of the piazza is the Museo Archeologico (map Google map; %055 23 57; www.archeotoscana.beniculturali.it; Piazza della Santissima Annunziata 9b; adult/reduced €4/2, with Uffizi ticket free; h8.30am-7pm Tue-Fri, to 2pm Sat, Mon & 1st & 3rd Sun of month). Its rich collection of finds, including most of the Medici hoard of antiquities, plunges you deep into the past and offers an alternative to Renaissance splendour.
TOP EXPERIENCE
Towers of San Gimignano
A favourite of day trippers, San Gimignano lies deep in the Tuscan countryside northwest of Siena. Known as the ‘medieval Manhattan’, it features 15 11th-century towers that soar above its hilltop centro storico (historic centre).
Great For…
yDon’t Miss
The town’s Galleria Continua (%0577 94 31 34; www.galleriacontinua.com; Via del Castello 11; h10am-1pm & 2-7pm) F, one of the best contemporary art galleries in Europe.
8Need to Know
Frequent buses run to/from Florence (€6.80, 1¼ to two hours) and Siena (€6, one to 1½ hours).
5Take a Break
Stop by for some earthy local fare at Locanda Sant’Agostino (%0577 94 31 41; g.pompei@me.com; Piazza Sant’Agostino 15; meals €45; h11.30am-11pm Mar–mid Jan, closed Wed Mar, Apr, Nov & Dec).
oTop Tip
San Gimignano’s helpful tourist office (%0577 94 00 08; www.sangimignano.com; Piazza del Duomo 1; h10am-1pm & 3-7pm Mar-Oct, 10am-1pm & 2-6pm Nov-Feb) organises a range of English-language tours.
Originally an Etruscan village, the town was named after the bishop of Modena, San Gimignano, who is said to have saved it from Attila the Hun. It became a comune in 1199 and quickly flourished, thanks in no small part to its position on the Via Francigena. Up to 72 towers were built as the town’s prosperous burghers sought to outdo their neighbours and flaunt their wealth.
Collegiata
San Gimignano’s Romanesque cathedral, the Collegiata (Duomo; Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta; %0577 28 63 00; www.duomosangimignano.it; Piazza del Duomo; adult/reduced €4/2; h10am-7pm Mon-Sat, 12.30-7pm Sun Apr-Oct, 10am-4.30pm Mon-Sat, 12.30-4.30pm Sun Nov-Mar, closed 2nd half Jan and 2nd half Nov), is named after the college of priests who originally managed it. Parts of the building were built in the second half of the 11th century, but its remarkably vivid frescoes date from the 14th century.
Entry is via the side stairs and through a loggia that originally functioned as the baptistry. Once in the main space, face the altar and look to your left (north). On the wall are scenes from Genesis and the Old Testament by Bartolo di Fredi, dating from around 1367. On the right (south) wall are scenes from the New Testament by the workshop of Simone Martini, which were completed in 1336. On the inside of the front facade is Taddeo di Bartolo’s striking depiction of the Last Judgement – on the upper-left side is a fresco depicting Paradiso (Heaven) and on the upper-right Inferno (Hell).
Palazzo Comunale
The 12th-century Palazzo Comunale (%0577 28 63 00; www.sangimignanomusei.it; Piazza del Duomo 2; combined Civic Museums ticket adult/reduced €9/7; h10am-7pm Apr-Sep, 11am-5pm Oct-Mar) has always been the centre of local government – its Sala di Dante is where the great poet addressed the town’s council in 1299, urging it to support the Guelph cause. The room (also known as the Sala del Consiglio) is home to Lippo Memmi’s early 14th-century Maestà, which portrays the enthroned Virgin and Child surrounded by angels, saints and local dignitaries. Upstairs, the pinacoteca has a charming collection of paintings from the Sienese and Florentine schools of the 12th to 15th centuries.
In the Camera del Podestà is a meticulously restored cycle of frescoes by Memmo di Filippuccio, illustrating a moral history – the rewards of marriage are shown in the scenes of a husband and wife naked in a bath and in bed.
After you’ve enjoyed the art, be sure to climb the 218 steps of the palazzo’s 54m-tall Torre Grossa for spectacular views of the town and surrounding countryside.
TOP EXPERIENCE
Leaning Tower of Pisa
One of Italy’s signature sights, Pisa’s stunning Torre Pendente (Leaning Tower) truly lives up to its name, leaning a startling 3.9 degrees off the vertical. Visit Pisa as a day trip from Florence or another charming Tuscan town.
Great For…
yDon’t Miss
Planning an enchanting after-dark visit: if you’re in Pisa from mid-June to late August, doors don’t close till 10pm.
8Need to Know
Torre Pendente; %050 83 50 11; www.opapisa.it; Piazza dei Duomo; €18; h8.30am-10pm mid-Jun-Aug, 9am-8pm Apr-mid-Jun & Sep, to 7pm Oct & Mar, to 6pm Nov-Feb
5Take a Break
For honest, unpretentious Tuscan cooking, go to old-timer Ristorante Galileo (%050 2 82 87; www.ristorantegalileo.com; Via San Martino 6-8; meals €25-35; h12.30-2.30pm & 7.30-11pm).
oTop Tip
With two million visitors every year, crowds are the norm; November to March queues are shorter.
The 56m-high tower, officially the Duomo’s campanile (bell tower), took almost 200 years to build, but was already leaning when it was unveiled in 1372. Over time, the tilt, caused by a layer of weak subsoil, steadily worsened until it was finally halted by a major stabilisation project in the 1990s.
Planning Your Visit
Access to the Leaning Tower is limited to 40 people at a time – children under eight are not allowed in and those aged eight to 10 years must hold an adult’s hand.
Visits last 35 minutes and involve a steep climb up 251 occasionally slippery steps. All bags, handbags included, must be deposited at the free left-luggage desk next to the central ticket office – cameras are about the only thing you can take up.
Tower & Combo Tickets
Admissions to the Leaning Tower are limited: book in advance online or grab the first available slot as soon as you arrive. Ticket desks are behind the tower and in the Museo delle Sinopie. Ticket offices in Pisa also sell combination tickets for other city sights.
What’s Nearby?
Pisa’s medieval heart lies north of the water; from Piazza Cairoli, with its evening bevy of bars and gelato shops, meander along Via Cavour. A daily fresh-produce market fills Piazza delle Vettovaglie.
DuomoCathedral
(map Google map; Duomo di Santa Maria Assunta; %050 83 50 11; www.opapisa.it; Piazza dei Duomo; h10am-8pm Apr-Oct, 10am-6pm or 7pm Nov-Feb) F
The Romanesque Duomo was begun in 1064 and consecrated in 1118. Admission is free, but you’ll need an entrance coupon from the ticket office or a ticket from one of the other Piazza dei Miracoli sights.
BattisteroChristian Site
(Battistero di San Giovanni; %050 83 50 11; www.opapisa.it; Piazza dei Miracoli; €5, with Camposanto & Museo €8; h8am-8pm Apr-Oct, 9am-6pm or 7pm Nov-Mar)
This unusual round baptistry (1395) has one dome piled on top of another, each roofed half in lead, half in tiles, and topped by a gilt-bronze John the Baptist.
Florence
1Sights
Florence’s wealth of museums and galleries house many of the world’s most exquisite examples of Renaissance art, and its architecture is unrivalled. Yet don’t feel pressured to see everything: combine your personal pick of sights with ample meandering through the city’s warren of narrow streets broken by cafe and enoteca (wine bar) stops.
Churches enforce a strict dress code for visitors: no shorts, sleeveless shirts or plunging necklines. Photography with no flash is allowed in museums, but leave the selfie stick at home – they are officially forbidden.
Galleria degli UffiziGallery
(Uffizi Gallery; %055 29 48 83; www.uffizi.it; Piazzale degli Uffizi 6; adult/reduced Mar-Oct €20/10, Nov-Feb €12/6; h8.15am-6.50pm Tue-Sun)
Home to the world’s greatest collection of Italian Renaissance art, Florence’s premier gallery occupies the vast U-shaped Palazzo degli Uffizi (1560–80), built as government offices. The collection, bequeathed to the city by the Medici family in 1743 on condition that it never leave Florence, contains some of Italy’s best-known paintings, including a room full of Botticelli masterpieces.
A combined ticket (valid three days) with Palazzo Pitti, Giardino di Boboli and Museo Archeologico is available for €38/21 (€18/11 November to February).
Museo dell’Opera del DuomoMuseum
(map Google map; Cathedral Museum; %055 230 28 85; www.museumflorence.com; Piazza del Duomo 9; adult/reduced incl cathedral bell tower, cupola, baptistry & crypt €15/3; h9am-7pm)
The awe-inspiring story of how the duomo and its cupola came to life is told in this well-executed museum. Among its sacred and liturgical treasures are the baptistry’s original doors: the gloriously golden, 16m-tall gilded bronze Porta del Paradiso (Door of Paradise; 1425–52) designed by Ghiberti for the eastern entrance; the northern doors (1402–24), also by Ghiberti; and – from the end of 2019 – the spectacular Porta Sud (South Door; 1330-36) by Andrea Pisano, illustrating the story of John the Baptist.
Palazzo VecchioMuseum
(map Google map; %055 276 85 58; www.musefirenze.it; Piazza della Signoria; adult/reduced museum €12.50/10, tower €12.50/10, museum & tower €17.50/15, museum & archaeological tour €16/13.50, archaeological tour €4, combination ticket €19.50/17.50; hmuseum 9am-11pm Fri-Wed, to 2pm Thu summer, 9am-7pm Fri-Wed, to 2pm Thu summer, tower 9am-9pm Fri-Wed, to 2pm Thu summer, 10am-5pm Fri-Wed, to 2pm Thu winter)
This fortress palace, with its crenellations and 94m-high tower, was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio between 1298 and 1314 for the signoria (city government). Today it is home to the mayor’s office and the municipal council. From the top of the Torre d’Arnolfo (tower), you can revel in unforgettable views. Inside, Michelangelo’s Genio della Vittoria (Genius of Victory) sculpture graces the Salone dei Cinquecento, a magnificent painted hall created for the city’s 15th-century ruling Consiglio dei Cinquecento (Council of 500).
Battistero di San GiovanniLandmark
(map Google map; Baptistry; %055 230 28 85; www.museumflorence.com; Piazza di San Giovanni; adult/reduced incl campanile, cupola, crypt & museum €18/3; h8.15-10.15am & 11.15am-7.30pm Mon-Fri, 8.15am-6.30pm Sat, 8.15am-1.30pm Sun)
This 11th-century baptistry – the oldest religious building on the vast cathedral square – is a Romanesque, octagonal-striped structure of white-and-green marble with three sets of doors conceived as panels illustrating the story of humanity and the Redemption. Most celebrated are Lorenzo Ghiberti’s gilded bronze doors at the eastern entrance, the Porta del Paradiso (Gate of Paradise). What you see today are copies – the originals are in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo. Buy tickets online or at the ticket office at Piazza di San Giovanni 7, opposite the main Baptistry entrance.
Piazza della SignoriaPiazza
The hub of local life since the 13th century, Florentines flock here to meet friends and chat over early-evening aperitivi at historic cafes. Presiding over everything is Palazzo Vecchio, Florence’s city hall, and the 14th-century Loggia dei Lanzi (map Google map) F, an open-air gallery showcasing Renaissance sculptures, including Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabine Women (c 1583), Benvenuto Cellini’s bronze Perseus (1554) and Agnolo Gaddi’s Seven Virtues (1384–89).
Piazza della RepubblicaPiazza
The site of a Roman forum and heart of medieval Florence, this busy civic space was created in the 1880s as part of a controversial plan of ‘civic improvements’ involving the demolition of the old market, Jewish ghetto and slums, and the relocation of nearly 6000 residents. Vasari’s lovely Loggia del Pesce (Fish Market) was saved and re-erected on Via Pietrapiana.
Museo delle Cappelle MediceeMausoleum
(map Google map; Medici Chapels; %055 238 86 02; www.bargellomusei.beniculturali.it/musei/2/medicee; Piazza Madonna degli Aldobrandini 6; adult/reduced €8/4; h8.15am-2pm, closed 2nd & 4th Sun, 1st, 3rd & 5th Mon of month)
Nowhere is Medici conceit expressed so explicitly as in the Medici Chapels. Adorned with granite, marble, semiprecious stones and some of Michelangelo’s most beautiful sculptures, it is the burial place of 49 dynasty members. Francesco I lies in the dark, imposing Cappella dei Principi (Chapel of Princes) alongside Ferdinando I and II and Cosimo I, II and III. Lorenzo il Magnifico is buried in the graceful Sagrestia Nuova (New Sacristy), which was Michelangelo’s first architectural work.
Museo di San MarcoMuseum
(map Google map; %055 238 86 08; Piazza San Marco 3; adult/reduced €4/2; h8.15am-1.50pm Mon-Fri, to 4.50pm Sat & Sun, closed 1st, 3rd & 5th Sun, 2nd & 4th Mon of month)
At the heart of Florence’s university area sits Chiesa di San Marco and an adjoining 15th-century Dominican monastery where both gifted painter Fra’ Angelico (c 1395–1455) and the sharp-tongued Savonarola piously served God. Today the monastery, aka one of Florence’s most spiritually uplifting museums, showcases the work of Fra’ Angelico. After centuries of being known as ‘Il Beato Angelico’ (literally ‘The Blessed Angelic One’) or simply ‘Il Beato’ (The Blessed), the Renaissance’s most blessed religious painter was made a saint by Pope John Paul II in 1984.
Ponte VecchioBridge
Dating from 1345, iconic Ponte Vecchio was the only Florentine bridge to survive destruction at the hands of retreating German forces in 1944. Above jewellery shops on the eastern side, the Corridoio Vasariano (map Google map; Vasari Corridor; guided visit by reservation Mar-Oct €45, Nov-Feb €20) is a 16th-century passageway between the Uffizi and Palazzo Pitti that runs around, rather than through, the medieval Torre dei Mannelli at the bridge’s southern end.
Palazzo PittiMuseum
(map Google map; %055 29 48 83; www.uffizi.it/en/pitti-palace; Piazza dei Pitti; adult/reduced Mar-Oct €16/8, Nov-Feb €10/5, combined ticket with Uffizi Mar-Oct €38, Nov-Feb €18; h8.15am-6.50pm Tue-Sun)
Commissioned by banker Luca Pitta in 1458, this Renaissance palace was later bought by the Medici family. Over the centuries, it was a residence of the city’s rulers until the Savoys donated it to the state in 1919. Nowadays it houses an impressive collection of silver and jewellery, a couple of art museums and a series of rooms re-creating life in the palace during House of Savoy times. Stop by at sunset when its entire facade is coloured a vibrant pink.
Giardino di BoboliGardens
(map Google map; %055 29 48 83; www.uffizi.it/en/boboli-garden; Piazza dei Pitti; adult/reduced incl Giardino Bardini & Museo delle Porcellane Mar-Oct €10/2, Nov-Feb €6/2; h8.15am-6.50pm summer, reduced hours winter, closed 1st & last Mon of month)
Behind Palazzo Pitti, the fountain- and sculpture-adorned Boboli Gardens – slowly but surely being restored to their former pristine glory thanks to a €2 million investment by Florence’s homegrown fashion house Gucci – were laid out in the mid-16th century to a design by architect Niccolò Pericoli. At the upper, southern limit, beyond the box-hedged rose garden and Museo delle Porcellane (Porcelain Museum; %055 29 48 83; www.uffizi.it/giardino-boboli; Giardino di Boboli, Piazza dei Pitti; adult/reduced incl Giardino Bardini & Giardino di Boboli Mar-Oct €10/2, Nov-Feb €6/2; h8.15am-6.50pm summer, reduced hours winter, closed 1st & last Mon of month), beautiful views over the Florentine countryside unfold.
Basilica di San LorenzoBasilica
(map Google map; %055 21 40 42; www.operamedicealaurenziana.org; Piazza San Lorenzo; €6, with Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana €8.50; h10am-5.30pm Mon-Sat)
Considered one of Florence’s most harmonious examples of Renaissance architecture, this unfinished basilica was the Medici parish church and mausoleum. It was designed by Brunelleschi in 1425 for Cosimo the Elder and built over a 4th-century church. In the solemn interior, look for Brunelleschi’s austerely beautiful Sagrestia Vecchia (Old Sacristy) with its sculptural decoration by Donatello. Michelangelo was commissioned to design the facade in 1518, but his design in white Carrara marble was never executed, hence the building’s rough, unfinished appearance.
Basilica di Santa Maria NovellaBasilica
(map Google map; %055 21 92 57; www.smn.it; Piazza di Santa Maria Novella 18; adult/reduced €7.50/5; h9am-7pm Mon-Thu, 11am-7pm Fri, 9am-6.30pm Sat, noon-6.30pm Sun Jul & Aug, shorter hours rest of year)
The striking green-and-white marble facade of 13th- to 15th-century Basilica di Santa Maria Novella fronts an entire monastical complex, comprising romantic church cloisters and a frescoed chapel. The basilica itself is a treasure chest of artistic masterpieces, climaxing with frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio. The lower section of the basilica’s striped marbled facade is transitional from Romanesque to Gothic; the upper section and the main doorway (1456–70) were designed by Leon Battista Alberti. Book in advance online to avoid queues.
Piazzale MichelangeloViewpoint
(
g13)
Turn your back on the bevy of ticky-tacky souvenir stalls flogging David statues and boxer shorts and take in the spectacular city panorama from this vast square, pierced by one of Florence’s two David copies. Sunset here is particularly dramatic. It’s a 10-minute uphill walk along the serpentine road, paths and steps that scale the hillside from the Arno and Piazza Giuseppe Poggi; from Piazza San Niccolò walk uphill and bear left up the long flight of steps signposted Viale Michelangelo. Or take bus 13 from Stazione di Santa Maria Novella.
Guided Tours of Florence
In a city with such an immense, and at times overwhelming, art heritage, guided tours can be an excellent means of navigating to the heart of the matter – particularly for first-time visitors who might be uncertain quite where to start. On a very practical level, signing up for a guided tour can also mean bypassing the headache of securing tickets in advance for popular museums like the Uffizi and Galleria dell’Accademia, which get booked up quickly in high season.
Research carefully what sort of guided tour you are signing yourself up for. Some tours cater specifically to families; some are specialist tours for die-hard art connoisseurs; some, such as walking or cycling tours, might involve exerting more energy than you want to or are capable of. If you are taking a food tour, be sure to tell the tour company in advance if you have any food allergies.
7Shopping
Lorenzo VilloresiPerfume
(map Google map; %055 234 11 87; www.lorenzovilloresi.it; Via de’ Bardi 14; h10am-7pm Mon-Sat)
Artisan perfumes, bodycare products, scented candles and stones, essential oils and room fragrances crafted by Florentine perfumer Lorenzo Villoresi meld distinctively Tuscan elements such as laurel, olive, cypress and iris with essential oils and essences from around the world. His bespoke fragrances are highly sought after and visiting his elegant boutique, at home in his family’s 15th-century palazzo, is quite an experience.
BenheartFashion & Accessories
(map Google map; www.benheart.it; Via dei Calzaivoli 78; h10am-7.30pm)
This flagship store of local superstar Ben, a Florentine-based fashion designer who set up the business with schoolmate Matteo after undergoing a heart transplant, is irresistible. The pair swore that if Ben survived, they’d go it alone – which they did, with huge success. For real-McCoy handcrafted leather designs – casual shoes, jackets and belts for men and women – there is no finer address.
Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria NovellaGifts
(map Google map; %055 21 62 76; www.smnovella.it; Via della Scala 16; h9am-8pm)
In business since 1612, this exquisite perfumery-pharmacy began life when Santa Maria Novella’s Dominican friars began to concoct cures and sweet-smelling unguents using medicinal herbs cultivated in the monastery garden. The shop, with an interior from 1848, sells fragrances, skincare products, ancient herbal remedies and preparations for everything from relief of heavy legs to improving skin elasticity, memory and mental energy.
Luisa Via RomaFashion & Accessories
(map Google map; %055 906 41 16; www.luisaviaroma.com; Via Roma 19-21r; h10.30am-7.30pm Mon-Sat, from 11am Sun)
The flagship store of this historic boutique (think: small 1930s boutique selling straw hats) turned luxury online retailer is a must for the fashion-forward. Eye-catching window displays woo the digital generation with giant screens, while seasonal themes transform the interior maze of rooms into an exotic Garden of Eden, all sorts. Shop here for lesser-known designers as well as popular luxury fashion labels.
Pre- or post-shop, hob-nob with the city’s fashionista set over fair-trade coffee, organic cuisine and creative cold-press juices in Luisa’s chic 1st-floor cafe-bar Floret (map Google map; %055 29 59 24; www.floret-bar.com; salads & bowls €12-16; h10.30am-7.30pm Mon-Sat, from 11am Sun; 
W) 
S.
Florence’s Best Panini
’Ino (map Google map; %055 21 45 14; www.inofirenze.com; Via dei Georgofili 3r-7r; panini €6-10; hnoon-4.30pm) S Made-to-measure, gourmet panini by the Galleria degli Uffizi.
Semel (Piazza Ghiberti 44r; panini €3.50-5; h11.30am-2.30pm Mon-Sat) Irresistibly creative sandwiches to go in Sant’Ambrogio.
Mariano (map Google map; %055 21 40 67; Via del Parione 19r; panini €3.50-6; h8am-3pm & 5-7.30pm Mon-Fri, 8am-3pm Sat) Local neighbourhood cafe serving superfresh panini.
5Eating
Osteria Il BuongustaiOsteria€
(map Google map; %055 29 13 04; www.facebook.com/ibuongustaifirenze; Via dei Cerchi 15r; meals €15-20; h9.30am-3.30pm Mon-Sat)
Run with breathtaking speed and grace by Laura and Lucia, ‘The Gourmand’ is unmissable. Lunchtimes heave with locals and savvy students who flock here to fill up on tasty Tuscan home cooking at a snip of other restaurant prices. The place is brilliantly no-frills – watch women in hair caps at work in the kitchen, share a table and pay in cash.
Trattoria MarioTuscan€
(map Google map; %055 21 85 50; www.trattoria-mario.com; Via Rosina 2; meals €25; hnoon-3.30pm Mon-Sat, closed 3 weeks Aug; 
a)
Arrive by noon to ensure a spot at this noisy, busy, brilliant trattoria – a legend that retains its soul (and allure with locals) despite being in every guidebook. Charming Fabio, whose grandfather opened the place in 1953, is front of house while big brother Romeo and nephew Francesco cook with speed in the kitchen. No advance reservations; cash only.
PugiBakery€
(map Google map; %055 28 09 81; www.focacceria-pugi.it; Piazza San Marco 9b; per kilogram €15-25; h7.45am-8pm Mon-Sat, closed 2 weeks mid-Aug)
The inevitable line outside the door says it all. This bakery is a Florentine favourite for pizza slices and chunks of schiacciata (Tuscan flatbread) baked up plain, spiked with salt and rosemary, or topped or stuffed with whatever delicious edible goodies are in season.
Il Teatro del SaleTuscan€€
(%055 200 14 92; www.teatrodelsale.com; Via dei Macci 111r; brunch/dinner €20/30; hnoon-2.30pm & 7-11pm Tue-Fri, noon-3pm & 7-11pm Sat, noon-3pm Sun, closed Aug)
Florentine chef Fabio Picchi is one of Florence’s living treasures. He steals the Sant’ Ambrogio show with this eccentric, good-value, members-only club (everyone welcome, membership €7) inside an old theatre. He cooks up brunch and dinner, culminating at 9.30pm in a live performance of drama, music or comedy arranged by his wife, artistic director and comic actress Maria Cassi.
Il Santo BevitoreTuscan€€
(map Google map; %055 21 12 64; www.ilsantobevitore.com; Via di Santo Spirito 64-66r; meals €40; h12.30-2.30pm & 7.30-11.30pm, closed Sun lunch & Aug)
Reserve or arrive right at 7.30pm to snag the last table at this ever-popular address, an ode to stylish dining where gastronomes eat by candlelight in a vaulted, whitewashed, bottle-lined interior. The menu is a creative reinvention of seasonal classics: pumpkin gnocchi with hazelnuts, coffee and green-veined blue di Capra (goats’ cheese), tagliatelle with hare ragù, garlic cream and sweet Carmignano figs...
EssenzialeTuscan€€€
(%333 7491973 055 247 69 56; www.essenziale.me; Piazza di Cestello 3r; 6-/8-course tasting menu €65/80; h7-10pm Tue-Sat; W)
There’s no finer showcase for modern Tuscan cuisine than this loft-style restaurant in a 19th-century warehouse. Preparing dishes at the kitchen bar, in rolled-up shirt sleeves and navy butcher’s apron, is dazzling young chef Simone Cipriani. Order one of his tasting menus to sample the full range of his inventive, thoroughly modern cuisine inspired by classic Tuscan dishes.
If you’re lucky, it will be the chef himself who brings the dish to your table and treats you to a detailed explanation: don’t miss the tale behind his remarkable Fior d’Evo dessert, notably with kale (another of his desserts includes artichokes). Reservations essential.
La Leggenda dei FratiTuscan€€€
(map Google map; %055 068 05 45; www.laleggendadeifrati.it; Villa Bardini, Costa di San Giorgio 6a; menus €105 & €130, meals €90; h12.30-2pm & 7.30-10pm Tue-Sun; W)
Summertime’s hottest address. At home in the grounds of historic Villa Bardini (%055 2006 6233; www.villabardini.it; Costa San Giorgio 2, Via de’ Bardi 1r; adult/reduced villa €10/5, gardens €6/3, gardens with Giardino di Boboli ticket free; hvilla 10am-7pm Tue-Sun, gardens 8.15am-7.30pm summer, shorter hours winter, closed 1st & last Mon of month), Michelin-starred Legend of Friars enjoys the most romantic terrace with a view in Florence. Veggies are plucked fresh from the vegetable patch, tucked between waterfalls and ornamental beds in Giardino Bardini, and contemporary art jazzes up the classically chic interior. Cuisine is Tuscan, gastronomic and well worth the vital advance reservation.
6Drinking & Nightlife
Le Volpi e l’UvaWine Bar
(map Google map; %055 239 81 32; www.levolpieluva.com; Piazza dei Rossi 1; h11am-9pm summer, 11am-9pm Mon-Sat winter)
This humble wine bar remains as appealing as the day it opened in 1992. Its food and wine pairings are first class – taste and buy boutique wines by small Italian producers, matched perfectly with cheeses, cold meats and the finest crostini in town; the warm, melt-in-your-mouth lardo di Cinta Sienese (wafer-thin slices of aromatic of pork fat) is absolutely extraordinary.
La Terrazza Lounge BarBar
(map Google map; %055 2726 5987, 342 1234710; www.lungarnocollection.com; Vicolo dell’Oro 6r; h3.30-10.30pm Apr-Sep)
This rooftop bar with a wood-decked terrace accessible from the 5th floor of the Hotel Continentale is as chic as one would expect of a fashion-house hotel. Its aperitivo buffet is a modest affair (simple nuts and juicy olives), but who cares with that gorgeous panorama of Florence. Dress the part, or feel out of place. Count around €20 for a cocktail.
EmpireoRooftop Bar
(%055 262 35 00; www.hotelplazalucchesi.it; Lungarno della Zecca Vecchia 38; h7.30am-midnight; W)
Many a Florentine’s favourite cocktail bar, Empireo – located inside the historic Plaza Hotel Lucchesi – has been seducing cocktail lovers since 1860. Expertly mixed cocktails are de rigueur and the fashionable ground-floor bar frequently hosts cocktail masterclasses, live music etc. In summer, the drinking action moves to the rooftop – overlooking the rooftop pool.
8INFORMATION
Tourist Office (%055 21 22 45; www.firenzeturismo.it; Piazza della Stazione 4; h9am-7pm Mon-Sat, to 2pm Sun) Florence’s main tourist office, handily located across from the Santa Maria Novella train station, sells the Firenze Card, has accommodation lists and helps with bookings for organised tours.
Other options include:
Airport Tourist Office (%055 31 58 74; www.firenzeturismo.it; Via del Termine 11, Florence Airport; h9am-7pm Mon-Sat, to 2pm Sun)
Infopoint Bigallo (%055 28 84 96; www.firenzeturismo.it; Piazza San Giovanni 1; h9am-7pm Mon-Sat, to 2pm Sun)
8GETTING THERE & AWAY
Most people arrive one of two ways: by air from international airports in Florence and Pisa, or by train to Stazione Campo di Marte or Stazione di Santa Maria Novella (www.firenzesantamarianovella.it; Piazza della Stazione), both in central Florence. Florence is on the Rome–Milan highspeed train line.
8GETTING AROUND
Florence itself is small and best navigated on foot; most major sights are within easy walking distance.
Bicycle Rent city bikes from in front of Stazione di Santa Maria Novella and elsewhere in the city.
Car & Motorcycle Nonresident traffic is banned from the historic centre; parking is an absolute headache and best avoided.
Public Transport There’s an efficient network of buses and trams, most handy for visiting Fiesole and getting up the hill to Piazzale Michelangelo.
Taxi Cabs can’t be hailed on the street; find ranks at the train and bus stations or call 055 42 42 or 055 43 90.
o
Top Five Florence Panoramas
Siena
Siena is one of Italy’s most enchanting medieval towns. Its walled centre is a beautifully preserved warren of dark lanes punctuated with Gothic palazzi, and at its heart, Piazza del Campo, the sloping square that is the venue for the city’s famous annual horse race, Il Palio.
1Sights
Piazza del CampoPiazza
Popularly known as ‘Il Campo’, this sloping piazza has been Siena’s social centre since being staked out by the ruling Consiglio dei Nove (Council of Nine) in the mid-12th century. Built on the site of a Roman marketplace, its paving is divided into nine sectors representing the number of members of the consiglio and these days acts as a carpet on which young locals meet and relax. The cafes around its perimeter are the most popular coffee and aperitivi spots in town.
Palazzo PubblicoHistoric Building
(map Google map; Palazzo Comunale; Piazza del Campo)
Built to demonstrate the enormous wealth, proud independence and secular nature of Siena, this 14th-century Gothic masterpiece is the visual focal point of the Campo, itself the true heart of the city. Architecturally clever (notice how its concave facade mirrors the opposing convex curve), it has always housed the city’s administration and been used as a cultural venue. Its distinctive bell tower, the Torre del Mangia (map Google map; %0577 29 26 15; ticket@comune.siena.it; adult/family €10/25; h10am-6.15pm Mar–mid-Oct, to 3.15pm mid-Oct–Feb), provides magnificent views to those who brave the steep climb to the top.
Museo CivicoMuseum
(map Google map; Civic Museum; %0577 29 26 15; Palazzo Pubblico, Piazza del Campo 1; adult/reduced €10/9, with Torre del Mangia €15, with Torre del Mangia & Complesso Museale di Santa Maria della Scala €20; h10am-6.15pm mid-Mar–Oct, to 5.15pm Nov–mid-Mar)
Entered via the Palazzo Pubblico’s Cortile del Podestà (Courtyard of the Podestà), this wonderful museum showcases rooms richly frescoed by artists of the Sienese school. Commissioned by the city’s governing body rather than by the Church, some of the frescoes depict secular subjects – highly unusual at the time. The highlights are two huge frescoes: Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s Allegories of Good and Bad Government (c 1338–40) and Simone Martini’s celebrated Maestà (Virgin Mary in Majesty; 1315).
DuomoCathedral
(map Google map; Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta; %0577 28 63 00; www.operaduomo.siena.it; Piazza Duomo; Mar-Oct/Nov-Feb €5/free, when floor displayed €8; h10.30am-6.30pm Mon-Sat & 1.30-5.30pm Sun Mar-Oct, 10.30am-5pm Mon-Sat & 1.30-5pm Sun Nov-Feb)
Consecrated on the former site of a Roman temple in 1179 and constructed over the 13th and 14th centuries, Siena’s majestic duomo (cathedral) showcases the talents of many great medieval and Renaissance architects and artists: Giovanni Pisano designed the intricate white, green and red marble facade; Nicola Pisano carved the elaborate pulpit; Pinturicchio painted the frescoes in the extraordinary Libreria Piccolomini (map Google map; Piccolomini Library; %0577 28 63 00; www.operaduomo.siena.it; Piazza Duomo; €2; h10.30am-6.30pm Mon-Sat & 1.30-5.30pm Sun Mar-Oct, 10.30am-5pm Mon-Sat & 1.30-5pm Sun Nov-Feb); and Michelangelo, Donatello and Gian Lorenzo Bernini all produced sculptures.
Complesso Museale di Santa Maria della ScalaMuseum
(%0577 28 63 00; www.santamariadellascala.com; Piazza Duomo 2; adult/reduced €9/7; h10am-7pm Fri-Wed, to 10pm Thu mid-Mar–mid-Oct, 10am-5pm Mon, Wed & Fri, to 8pm Thu, to 7pm Sat & Sun)
Built as a hospice for pilgrims travelling the Via Francigena, this huge complex opposite the Duomo dates from the 13th century. Its highlight is the upstairs Pellegrinaio (Pilgrim’s Hall), featuring vivid 15th-century frescoes by Lorenzo di Pietro (aka Vecchietta), Priamo della Quercia and Domenico di Bartolo. All laud the good works of the hospital and its patrons; the most evocative is di Bartolo’s Il governo degli infermi (Caring for the Sick; 1440–41), which depicts many activities that occurred here.
Pinacoteca NazionaleGallery
(map Google map; %0577 28 11 61; http://pinacotecanazionale.siena.it; Via San Pietro 29)
Closed for a long-overdue renovation since December 2018, 4th-century Palazzo Buonsignori is home to an extraordinary collection of Gothic masterpieces from the Sienese school. These include works by Guido da Siena, Duccio (di Buoninsegna), Simone Martini, Niccolò di Segna, Lippo Memmi, Ambrogio and Pietro Lorenzetti, Bartolo di Fredi, Taddeo di Bartolo and Sano di Pietro. The museum’s re-opening date is yet to be announced.
7Shopping
Il MagnificoFood
(map Google map; %0577 28 11 06; www.ilmagnifico.siena.it; Via dei Pellegrini 27; h7.30am-7.30pm Mon-Sat)
Lorenzo Rossi is Siena’s best baker, and his panforte (spiced fruit-and-nut cake), ricciarelli (sugar-dusted chewy almond biscuits) and cavallucci (chewy biscuits flavoured with aniseed and other spices) are a weekly purchase for most local households. Try them at his bakery-shop behind the Duomo, and you’ll understand why.
Wednesday MarketMarket
(map Google map; h7.30am-2pm) F
Spreading around Fortezza Medicea and towards the Stadio Comunale, this is one of Tuscany’s largest markets and is great for cheap clothing; food is also sold.
5Eating & Drinking
La Vecchia LatteriaGelato€
(map Google map; %0577 05 76 38; www.facebook.com/GelateriaYogurteriaLaVecchiaLatteria/; Via San Pietro 10; gelato €2-4.50; hnoon-11pm, to 8pm winter)
Sauntering through Siena’s historic centre is always more fun with a gelato in hand. Just ask one of the many locals who are regular customers at this gelateria artigianale (maker of handmade gelato) near the Pinacoteca Nazionale. Using quality produce, owners Fabio and Francesco concoct and serve fruity-fresh or decadently creamy iced treats – choose from gelato or frozen yoghurt.
Osteria Il VinaioTuscan€
(%0577 4 96 15; Via Camollia 167; dishes €6.50-13; h10am-10pm Mon-Sat)
Wine bars are thin on the ground here in Siena, so it’s not surprising that Bobbe and Davide’s neighbourhood osteria is so popular. Join the multigenerational local regulars for a bowl of pasta or your choice from the generous antipasto display, washed down with a glass or two of eminently quaffable house wine.
Ristorante EnzoTuscan€€€
(map Google map; %0577 28 12 77; www.daenzo.net; Via Camollia 49; meals €52; hnoon-2.30pm & 7.30-10pm Tue-Sun)
The epitome of refined Sienese dining, Da Enzo, as it is popularly called, welcomes guests with a complimentary glass of prosecco and follows up with Tuscan dishes made with skill and care. There’s plenty of fish on the menu, as well as excellent handmade pasta and nonstandard meat dishes. The setting is equally impressive, with quality napery and glassware.
Osteria La Taverna di San GiuseppeTuscan€€€
(%0577 4 22 86; www.tavernasangiuseppe.it; Via Dupré 132; meals €49; hnoon-2.30pm & 7-10pm Mon-Sat)
Any restaurant specialising in beef, truffles and porcini mushrooms attracts our immediate attention, but not all deliver on their promise. Fortunately, this one does. A favoured venue for locals celebrating important occasions, it offers excellent food, an impressive wine list with plenty of local, regional and international choices, a convivial traditional atmosphere and efficient service.
Bar Pasticceria NanniniCafe
(%0577 23 60 09; www.pasticcerienannini.it/en; Via Banchi di Sopra 24; h7.30am-10pm Mon-Thu, to 11pm Fri & Sat, to 10pm Sun)
Established in 1886, Nannini’s good coffee and location near the Campo ensure that it remains a local favourite. It’s a great place to sample Sienese treats including cantuccini (crunchy, almond-studded biscuits), cavallucci (chewy biscuits flavoured with aniseed and other spices), ricciarelli (chewy, sugar-dusted almond biscuits), panforte (dense spiced cake with almonds and candied fruit) and panpepato (panforte with the addition of pepper and hazelnuts).
8INFORMATION
Tourist Office (%0577 28 05 51; www.terresiena.it; Piazza Duomo 2, Santa Maria della Scala; h10am-6pm mid-Mar–Oct, to 4.30pm Nov–mid-Mar)
8GETTING THERE & AWAY
Bus service Siena Mobilità (%800 922984; www.sienamobilita.it) links Siena with Florence (€7.80, 2¾ hours, at least hourly) and San Gimignano (€6, 2¾ hours, 10 daily Monday to Saturday). There’s regular train service to Florence.
Celebrating Il Palio
Dating from the Middle Ages, Il Palio is a spectacular annual event in July and August that includes a series of colourful pageants and a wild horse race in Piazza del Campo. Ten of Siena’s 17 contrade (town districts) compete for the coveted palio (silk banner). Each contrada has its own traditions, symbol and colours, plus its own church and palio museum.
Arezzo
Arezzo may not be a Tuscan centrefold, but those parts of its historic centre that survived merciless WWII bombings are as compelling as any destination in the region – the city’s central square is as beautiful as it appears in Roberto Benigni’s classic film La vita è bella (Life is Beautiful).
Today, the city is known for its churches, museums and fabulously sloping Piazza Grande, across which a huge antiques fair spills during the first weekend of each month. Come dusk, Arentini (locals of Arezzo) spill along the length of shop-clad Corso Italia for the ritual passeggiata (evening stroll).
1Sights
Cappella BacciChurch
(%0575 35 27 27; www.pierodellafrancesca.it; Piazza San Francesco; adult/reduced €8/5; h9am-6pm Mon-Fri, to 5.30pm Sat, 1-5.30pm Sun, extended hours summer)
This chapel, in the apse of 14th-century Basilica di San Francesco, safeguards one of Italian art’s greatest works: Piero della Francesca’s fresco cycle of the Legend of the True Cross. Painted between 1452 and 1466, it relates the story of the cross on which Christ was crucified. Only 30 people are allowed in every half hour, making advance booking (by telephone or email) essential in high season. The ticket office is down the stairs by the basilica’s entrance.
Chiesa di Santa Maria della PieveChurch
(Corso Italia 7; h8am-12.30pm & 3-6.30pm) F
This 12th-century church – Arezzo’s oldest – has an exotic Romanesque arcaded facade adorned with carved columns, each uniquely decorated. Above the central doorway are 13th-century carved reliefs called Cyclo dei Mesi representing each month of the year. The plain interior’s highlight – being restored at the RICERCA Restoration Studio (%0575 2 86 70, 333 2851179; www.ricercarestauro.wordpress.com; Via G Mazzini 1; by donation; hby appointment) at the time of writing – is Pietro Lorenzetti’s polyptych Madonna and Saints (1320–24). Below the altar is a 14th-century silver bust reliquary of the city’s patron saint, San Donato.
Duomo di ArezzoCathedral
(Cattedrale di SS Donato e Pietro; Piazza del Duomo; h7am-12.30pm & 3-6.30pm) F
Construction of Arezzo’s cathedral started in the 13th century but wasn’t completed until 1511. In the northeast corner, next to the vestry door left of the intricately carved main altar, is Piero della Francesca’s fresco of Mary Magdalene (c 1459). Also notable are five glazed terracottas by Andrea della Robbia and his studio in the Cappella della Madonna del Conforto.
Museo Archeologico Nazionale ‘Gaio Cilnio Mecenate’Museum
(Gaius Cilnius Maecenas Archeological Museum; %0575 2 08 82; www.facebook.com/archeologicoarezzo; Via Margaritone 10; adult/reduced €6/3; h8.30am-7.30pm Mon-Sat)
Overlooking the remains of a Roman amphitheatre that once seated up to 10,000 spectators, this museum – named after Gaius Maecenas (68–8 BC), a patron of the arts and trusted advisor to Roman Emperor Augustus – exhibits Etruscan and Roman artefacts in a 14th-century convent building. The highlight is the Cratere di Euphronios, a 6th-century-BC Etruscan vase decorated with vivid scenes showing Hercules in battle.
Also of note is an exquisite tiny portrait of a bearded man from the second half of the 3rd century AD that was executed in chrysography, a method in which a fine sheet of gold is engraved then encased between two glass panes.
The museum is open on occasional Sundays; call ahead to confirm dates and times.
Arezzo Money Saver
A combined ticket (adult/reduced €12/8) covers admission to Cappella Bacci, Museo Archeologico Nazionale and Museo di Casa Vasari (Vasari House Museum; %0575 29 90 71; www.museistataliarezzo.it/museo-casa-vasari; Via XX Settembre 55; adult/reduced €4/2; h8.30am-7.30pm Mon & Wed-Sat, to 1.30pm Sun). It’s valid for two days and can be purchased at each museum.
5Eating & Drinking
CremìGelato€
(www.facebook.com/gelateriaartigianalecremi; Corso Italia 100; cones & tubs €2-5; h9am-8pm Tue-Fri & Sun, to midnight Sun)
Follow the locals to this bright, modern gelateria artigianale (artisan gelato shop) on Arezzo’s main passeggiata (late afternoon–strolling) strip. Enticing seasonal flavours include pear and vanilla, strawberry cheesecake, peanut, and walnut and fig. Or opt for the luscious and wildly popular house speciality – mousse di nutella (a creamy, light-as-air chocolate- and hazelnut-flavoured mousse-like ice cream).
Crepes to take away too.
Antica Osteria AganiaTuscan€
(%0575 29 53 81; www.agania.com; Via G Mazzini 10; meals €20; hnoon-3pm & 6-10.30pm Tue-Sun)
Operated by the Ludovichi family since 1905, Agania serves the type of die-hard traditional fare that remains the cornerstone of Tuscan dining. Specialities include sensational antipasti (with lots of vegetarian options), rustic soups, home-made pasta and secondi ranging from lumache (snails) to grifi (lambs’ cheeks) with polenta, baccalà with chickpeas, and sausages with beans.
Caffè VasariCafe
(%0575 04 36 97; Piazza Grande 15; h7.30am-9pm summer, 8.30am-6pm winter)
Bathed in Tuscan sunrays from dawn to dusk, this cafe is the perfect spot for lapping up the ancient elegance and beauty of Piazza Grande over a coffee or aperitivo. Find it enviably squirrelled beneath the cinematic porticoes of Palazzo delle Logge Vasariane.
8INFORMATION
Tourist Office (%0575 40 33 19; www.centroguidearezzo.it)
8GETTING THERE & AWAY
Arezzo is on the Florence–Rome train line. Service is frequent.
Montepulciano
Exploring this reclaimed narrow ridge of volcanic rock will push your quadriceps to failure point. When this happens, self-medicate with a generous pour of the highly reputed Vino Nobile while drinking in the spectacular views over the Val di Chiana and Val d’Orcia.
1Sights
Il CorsoStreet
Montepulciano’s main street – called in stages Via di Gracciano, Via di Voltaia, Via dell’Opio and Via Poliziano – climbs up the eastern ridge of the town from Porta al Prato and loops to meet Via di Collazzi on the western ridge. To reach the centre of town (Piazza Grande) take a dog-leg turn into Via del Teatro.
In Piazza Savonarola, up from the Porta al Prato, is the Colonna del Marzocca (Piazza Savonarola), erected in 1511 to confirm Montepulciano’s allegiance to Florence. The late-Renaissance Palazzo Avignonesi (Via di Gracciano nel Corso 91) is at No 91; other notable buildings include the Palazzo di Bucelli (Via di Gracciano nel Corso 73) at No 73 (look for the recycled Etruscan and Latin inscriptions and reliefs on the lower facade), and Palazzo Cocconi (Via di Gracciano nel Corso 70) at No 70.
Continuing uphill, you’ll find Michelozzo’s Chiesa di Sant’Agostino (Piazza Michelozzo; h9am-noon & 3-6pm), with its lunette above the entrance holding a terracotta Madonna and Child, John the Baptist and St Augustine. Opposite, the Torre di Pulcinella (Piazza Michelozzo), a medieval tower house, is topped by the town clock and the hunched figure of Pulcinella (Punch, of Punch and Judy fame), which strikes the hours. After passing historic Caffè Poliziano (%0578 75 86 15; www.caffepoliziano.it; Via di Voltaia 27; h7am-9pm Mon-Fri, to 10.30pm Sat, to 9pm Sun; W), the Corso continues straight ahead and Via del Teatro veers off to the right.
Museo Civico & Pinacoteca CrocianiArt Gallery, Museum
(%0578 71 73 00; www.museocivicomontepulciano.it; Via Ricci 10; adult/reduced €6/4; h10am-6.30pm Wed-Mon Apr-Oct, 10am-6pm Sat & Sun Nov-Mar)
It was a curatorial dream come true: in 2011 a painting in the collection of this modest art gallery was attributed to Caravaggio. The work, Portrait of a Man, is thought to portray Cardinal Scipione Borghese, the artist’s patron. It’s now accompanied by a touch-screen interpretation that allows you to explore details of the painting, its restoration and diagnostic attribution. Other works here include two terracottas by Andrea Della Robbia, and Domenico Beccafumi’s painting of the town’s patron saint, Agnese.
Palazzo ComunalePalace
(Piazza Grande; terrace & tower adult/reduced €5/2.50, terrace only €2.50; h10am-6pm Apr-Christmas)
Built in the 14th century in Gothic style and remodelled in the 15th century by Michelozzo, the Palazzo Comunale still functions as Montepulciano’s town hall. Head up the 67 narrow stairs to the tower to enjoy extraordinary views – you’ll see as far as Pienza, Montalcino and even, on a clear day, Siena.
5Eating & Drinking
Osteria AcquachetaTuscan€
(%0578 71 70 86; www.acquacheta.eu; Via del Teatro 22; meals €24; h12.30-3pm & 7.30-10.30pm Wed-Mon mid-Apr–Dec)
Hugely popular with locals and tourists alike, this bustling osteria specialises in bistecca alla fiorentina (chargrilled T-bone steak), which comes to the shared tables in huge, lightly seared and exceptionally flavoursome slabs (don’t even think of asking for it to be served otherwise). Phone to book ahead.
E Lucevan Le StelleWine Bar
(%0578 75 87 25; www.locandasanfrancesco.it; Piazza San Francesco 3; h10am-midnight Easter-Oct, 10am-11pm Sat & Sun Nov-Easter, closed 2 weeks Nov & 2 weeks Jan; W)
The decked terrace of this ultrafriendly osteria is the top spot in Montepulciano to watch the sun go down. Inside, squishy sofas, modern art and jazz on the sound system give the place a chilled-out vibe. Snacks include piandine (filled flat breads; €8), pastas (€9) and antipasto boards (€10-28).
Talking to Locals
Many locals in towns and cities speak at least one language other than Italian – usually English or French. But in the Tuscan countryside you’ll need that Italian phrasebook. Region-wide, many traditional places to eat have no written menu or only a menu penned in Italian in spidery handwriting.
8INFORMATION
Tourist Office (%0578 75 73 41; www.prolocomontepulciano.it; Piazza Don Minzoni 1; h9.30am-1pm & 3-7pm Apr-Sep. 9.30am-1pm & 3-6pm Mon-Sat Oct-Mar; W)
8GETTING THERE & AWAY
If driving from Florence, take the Valdichiana exit off the A1 (direction Bettolle-Sinalunga) and then follow the signs. From Siena, take the Siena– Bettolle–Perugia superstrada.
Siena Mobilità runs four buses daily between Siena and Montepulciano (€6.60, one hour) stopping at Pienza (€2.50) en route. There are three services per day to/from Florence (€11.20, 11/2 hours).