Duomo to Piazza della Signoria
Hub of the Renaissance and cosmopolitan heart of modern Florence, the enchanting maze of narrow streets between the Duomo and Piazza della Signoria packs one almighty historic and cultural punch. A 'hood harking back to Dante, the Romans and beyond, this is where the city’s blockbuster sights – and tourists – mingle with elegant cafes, chic boutiques and the city's swishest shopping strip.
The Sights in a Day
MKick-start the day on Piazza della Repubblica with a quick coffee at historic cafe Gilli or bespoke latte or protein-powered smoothie at nearby Shake Café, then head towards the river. Pause en route to admire the exquisite sculpted facade of Chiesa e Museo di Orsanmichele en route. Devote the morning to world-class art at the Galleria degli Uffizi.
RGrab a quick gourmet panini (sandwich), washed down with a glass of Tuscan wine or craft beer, at stylish sandiwch bar, 'Ino, and afterwards, an alfresco coffee on Piazza della Signoria. Then dive straight into Palazzo Vecchio, not missing the bewitching view from its tower. Devote the remainder of the afternoon to the city’s iconic Duomo.
NCome aperitivo (pre-dinner drinks accompanied by cocktail snacks) hour, hit the river for a photogenic stroll along the Arno and its dusk-kissed bridges. Watch the sun set over a drink on the chic rooftop terrace of La Terrazza Lounge Bar. Later, indulge in a delicious dinner of outstanding modern Tuscan cuisine at chic bistro Irene.
l Local Life
x Best of Florence
Eating
Drinking
Getting There
2 Walk From Piazza della Stazione walk southeast along Via de’ Panzani and Via de’ Cerretani to the Duomo. From here, Piazza della Signoria and the Uffizi are a short walk south down Via dei Calzaluoli.
Top SightsDuomo
Properly titled Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Cathedral of St Mary of the Flower), but known as the Duomo (cathedral), this is Florence's iconic landmark. Designed by Sienese architect Arnolfo di Cambio, construction began in 1296 and took almost 150 years. The result – Brunelleschi's distinctive red-tiled cupola, graceful campanile (bell tower) and pink, white and green marble facade – is breathtaking.
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore; 
%055 230 28 85; www.ilgrandemuseodelduomo.it; Piazza del Duomo; 
h10am-5pm Mon-Wed & Fri, to 4.30pm Thu, to 4.45pm Sat, 1.30-4.45pm Sun
y Top Tips
ADress code is strict: no shorts, miniskirts or sleeveless tops.
AOne ticket covers all the sights and is valid for 48 hours (one visit per sight); purchase at www.ilgrandemuseodelduomo.it or at the ticket office (
GOOGLE MAP
; Piazza San Giovanni 7; h8.15am-6.45pm), opposite the baptistry entrance at Piazza di San Giovanni 7.
AReservations are obligatory for the Duomo's cupola; book a time slot when buying your ticket online or at a self-service Ticketpoint machine inside the Piazza di San Giovanni ticket office.
5 Take a Break
Post-Duomo, savour modern Tuscan cuisine at contemporary bistro Irene.
Wine bar Coquinarius is perfect for a dusk-time aperitivo with snacks.
Facade
The neo-Gothic facade was designed in the 19th century by architect Emilio de Fabris to replace the uncompleted original. The oldest and most clearly Gothic part of the structure is its south flank, pierced by Porta dei Canonici (Canons’ Door), a mid-14th-century High Gothic creation (you enter here to climb to the dome).
Cupola
When Michelangelo went to work on St Peter's in Rome, he reportedly said: 'I go to build a greater dome, but not a fairer one', referring to the huge but graceful terracotta-brick dome (Brunelleschi's Dome;
GOOGLE MAP
; %055 230 28 85; www.ilgrandemuseodelduomo.it; Piazza del Duomo; adult/reduced incl cupola, baptistry, campanile, crypt & museum €15/3; h8.30am-7pm Mon-Fri, to 5pm Sat, 1-4pm Sun) atop Florence’s Duomo. It was constructed between 1420 and 1436 to a design by Filippo Brunelleschi and is a highlight of any visit to Florence.
Interior
After the visual wham-bam of the facade, the sparse decoration of the Duomo’s vast interior – 155m long and 90m wide – is a surprise. Most of its artistic treasures have been removed and those that remain are unexpectedly secular, reflecting the fact that the Duomo was built with public funds as a chiesa di stato (state 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 Paolo Uccello (1436). In the same aisle, La Commedia Illumina Firenze (1465) by Domenico di Michelino depicts poet Dante Alighieri surrounded by the three afterlife worlds he describes in the Divine Comedy: purgatory is behind him, his right hand points towards hell, and the city of Florence is paradise.
Clock
Upon entering the Duomo, look up high to see its giant painted clock. One of the first monumental clocks in Europe, it notably turns in an anticlockwise direction, counts in 24 hours starting at the bottom and begins the first hour of the day at sunset. The clock was painted by Florentine Uccello between 1440 and 1443.
Mass Sacristy
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).
Crypt of Santa Reparata
A stairway near the Duomo's main entrance leads down to the cathedral gift shop and Cripta Santa Reparata (
GOOGLE MAP
; %055 230 28 85; www.ilgrandemuseodelduomo.it; Duomo, Piazza del Duomo; adult/reduced incl cupola, baptistry, campanile, crypt & museum €15/3; h10am-5pm Mon-Wed & Fri, to 4pm Thu, to 4.45pm Sat), where excavations between 1965 and 1974 unearthed parts of the 5th-century Chiesa di Santa Reparata that originally stood on the site. Pay tribute to architect Filippo Brunelleschi, whose tomb is secreted among the stones here.
Bell Tower
Set next to the Duomo is its slender campanile, a striking work of Florentine Gothic architecture designed by Giotto, the artistic genius often described as the founding artist of the Renaissance. The steep 414-step climb up the square, 85m tower offers the reward of a view that is nearly as impressive as that from the dome.
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.
Baptistry
Across from the Duomo’s main entrance is the 11th-century Battistero di San Giovanni, an octagonal, striped structure of white-and-green marble. Dante is among the famous people to have been dunked in its baptismal font.
The Romanesque structure is most celebrated, however, for its three sets of doors illustrating the story of humanity and the Redemption. The gilded bronze doors by Lorenzo Ghiberti's at the eastern entrance, the Porta del Paradiso (Gate of Paradise), are copies – the originals are in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo. Andrea Pisano executed the southern doors (1330), illustrating the life of St John the Baptist, and Lorenzo Ghiberti won a public competition in 1401 to design the northern doors, likewise replaced by copies today.
The baptistry’s interior gleams with Byzantine-style mosaics. Covering the dome in five horizontal tiers, they include scenes from the lives of St John the Baptist, Christ and Joseph on one side, and a representation of the Last Judgement on the other. A choir of angels surveys proceedings from the innermost tier.
Buy tickets online or at the ticket office at Piazza di San Giovanni 7, opposite the Baptistry entrance.
Grande Museo del Duomo
This awe-inspiring museum tells the magnificent story of how the Duomo and its cupola was built through art and short films.
The museum's spectacular main hall, Sala del Paradiso, is dominated by a life-size reconstruction of the original facade of the Duomo, decorated with some forty 14th- and early-15th-century statues carved for the facade by 14th-century masters. Building work began in 1296 but it was never finished and in 1587 the facade was eventually dismantled. This is also where you will find Ghiberti's original 15th-century masterpiece, Porta del Paradiso (1425–52; Doors of Paradise) – gloriously golden, 16m-tall gilded bronze doors designed for the eastern entrance to the Baptistry – as well as those he sculpted for the northern entrance (1403–24).
Continuing up to the 1st floor, Rooms 14 and 15 explain in detail just how Brunelleschi constructed the ground-breaking cathedral dome. Look at 15th-century tools, pulleys, tackles and hoisting wagons used to build the cupola, watch a film and admire Brunelleschi's funeral mask (1446).
Tribuna di Michelangelo
Michelangelo's achingly beautiful Pietà, sculpted when he was almost 80 and intended for his own tomb, is displayed here. Dissatisfied with both the quality of the marble and of his own work, Michelangelo broke up the unfinished sculpture, destroying the arm and left leg of the figure of Christ.
Sala del Tresoro
Precious treasures from the Duomo buildings are stashed in the 1st-floor Treasury: don't miss the dazzling altar and monumental cross, crafted from 250kg of pure silver. The twinset was commissioned by Florence's wealthy cloth merchants' guild and executed in 1367 by silversmiths and artists spanning several generations.
Rooftop Terrace
This neighbourhood has ample high points from which to admire Florence's Renaissance splendour: one less known, not to be missed for its larger-than-life cupola views, is the Grande Museo del Duomo's hidden rooftop terrace.
UnderstandScaling Brunelleschi's Dome
One of the finest masterpieces of the Renaissance, the cupola crowning the Duomo is a feat of engineering and one that cannot be fully appreciated without climbing its 463 interior stone steps. Taking his inspiration from Rome's Pantheon, Filippo Brunelleschi (1377–1446) – architect, mathematician, engineer and sculptor – spent an incredible 42 years working on the dome. Starting work in 1419, his mathematical brain and talent for devising innovative engineering solutions enabled him to do what many Florentines had thought impossible: deliver the largest dome to be built in Italy since antiquity.
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, and should not be attempted if you are claustrophobic. Make sure to pause when you reach the balustrade at the base of the dome, which gives an aerial view of the octagonal coro (choir) of 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.
Look up and you'll see the flamboyant late-16th-century frescoes by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari, depicting the Giudizio Universale (Last Judgement; 1572–79) and decorating the 4500-sq-m surface of the cupola's inner dome is one of the world's largest paintings. Look for a spent Mother Nature with wrinkled breasts and the four seasons asleep at her feet. Less savoury are the poor souls in hell being sodomised with a pitchfork.
As you climb, snapshots of Florence can be spied through small windows. The final leg – a straight, somewhat hazardous flight up the curve of the inner dome – rewards with an unforgettable 360-degree panorama of one of Europe's most beautiful cities.
Top SightsGalleria degli Uffizi
Home to the world's greatest collection of Italian Renaissance art, Florence's premier gallery occupies the vast U-shaped Palazzo degli Uffizi. The world-famous collection, displayed in chronological order, spans the gamut of art history from ancient Greek sculpture to 18th-century Venetian paintings.
As part of the ongoing Nuovi Uffizi project, the permanent collection has grown from 45 to 101 revamped rooms; but work remains on temporary-exhibition areas. Expect some halls to be closed, the contents of others changed.
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
Uffizi Gallery; %055 29 48 83; www.uffizi.it; Piazzale degli Uffizi 6; adult/reduced €8/4, incl temporary exhibition €12.50/6.25; h8.15am-6.50pm Tue-Sun
Tuscan 13th-Century Art
Arriving in the Primo Corridoio (First Corridor), the first room to the left of the staircase (Room 2) is designed like a medieval chapel to reflect its fabulous contents: three large altarpieces from Florentine churches by Tuscan masters Duccio di Buoninsegna, Cimabue and Giotto. They show the transition from Gothic to nascent Renaissance style.
Sienese 14th-Century Art
The highlight in Room 3 is Simone Martini's shimmering Annunciazione (1333), painted with Lippo Memmi and setting the Madonna in a sea of gold. Also of note is Madonna con il bambino in trono e angeli (Madonna with Child and Saints; 1340) by Pietro Lorenzetti, which demonstrates a realism similar to Giotto's; unfortunately, both Pietro and his artistic brother Ambrogio died from the plague in Siena in 1348.
Renaissance Pioneers
Perspective was a hallmark of the early-15th-century Florentine school (Room 8) that pioneered the Renaissance. One panel from Paolo Uccello’s striking Battle of San Romano (1436–40), which celebrates Florence’s victory over Siena in 1432, shows the artist’s efforts to create perspective with amusing effect as he directs the lances, horses and soldiers to a central disappearing point. In the same room, don't miss the exquisite Madonna con bambino e due angeli (Madonna and Child with Two Angels; 1460–65) by Fra' Filippo Lippi, a Carmelite monk who had an unfortunate soft spot for earthly pleasures and scandalously married a nun from Prato. This work clearly influenced his pupil, Sandro Botticelli.
Duke & Duchess of Urbino
Revel in the realism of Piero della Francesca’s 1465 warts-and-all portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino (Room 9). The crooked-nosed duke lost his right eye in a jousting accident, hence the focus on his left side only, while the duchess is deathly stone-white to convey the fact that the portrait was painted posthumously.
Botticelli
The spectacular Sala del Botticelli, numbered 10 to 14 but really two light and graceful rooms, is always packed. Of the 18 Botticelli works displayed in the Uffizi in all, his iconic La nascita di Venere (The Birth of Venus; c 1485), Primavera (Spring; c 1482) and Madonna del Magnificat (Madonna of the Magnificat; 1483) are the best-known works by the Renaissance master known for his ethereal figures. Take time to study the lesser known Annunciazione (Annunciation), a 6m-wide fresco painted by Botticelli in 1481 for the San Martino hospital in Florence. True aficionados rate his twin set of miniatures depicting a sword-bearing Judith returning from the camp of Holofernes and the discovery of the decapitated Holofernes in his tent (1495–1500) as being among his finest works.
The Tribune
The Medici clan stashed away their most precious art in this octagonal-shaped treasure trove (Room 18), created by Francesco I between 1581 and 1586. Designed to amaze, it features a small collection of classical statues and paintings on its upholstered silk walls and 6000 crimson-varnished mother-of-pearl shells encrusting the domed ceiling.
Michelangelo
Michelangelo’s dazzling Doni Tondo, a depiction of the Holy Family, hangs in Room 35. The composition is unusual and the colours as vibrant as when they were first applied in 1504–06. It was painted for wealthy Florentine merchant Agnolo Doni (who hung it above his bed) and bought by the Medici for Palazzo Pitti in 1594.
Madonna of the Goldfinch
Downstairs in the 1st-floor galleries, Rooms 46 to 55 display 16th- to 18th-century works by foreign artists, including Rembrandt (Room 49), Rubens and Van Dyck (who share Room 55), Andrea del Sarto (Rooms 57 and 58) and Raphael (Room 66), whose Madonna del cardellino (Madonna of the Goldfinch; 1505–06) steals the show. Raphael painted it during his four-year sojourn in Florence.
Medici Portraits
Room 65 showcases Agnolo Bronzino (1503–72), official portrait artist at the court of Cosimo I. His 1545 portraits of the Grand Duchess Eleonora of Toledo and her son Giovanni together, and the 18-month-old Giovanni alone holding a goldfinch – symbolising his calling into the church – are masterpieces of 16th-century European portraiture.
Leonardo da Vinci
Four early Florentine works by Leonardo da Vinci are currently displayed in Room 79. (In due course, Leonardo could well be shifted back upstairs to the 2nd floor.) His Annunciazione (Annunciation; 1472) was deliberately painted to be admired, not face on, but rather from the lower right-hand side of the painting. In spring 2017, one of Da Vinci's most dazzling early works, the partly unfinished Adorazione dei Magi (Adoration of the Magi; 1481–82), returned to the Uffizi after six lengthy years of intricate restoration.
Caravaggio
Room 90, with its canary-yellow walls, features works by Caravaggio, deemed vulgar at the time for his direct interpretation of reality. The Head of Medusa (1598–99), commissioned for a ceremonial shield, is supposedly a self-portrait of the young artist who died at the age of 39. The biblical drama of an angel steadying the hand of Abraham as he holds a knife to his son Isaac's throat in Caravaggio's Sacrifice of Isaac (1601–02) is glorious in its intensity.
UnderstandPalazzo degli Uffizi
Cosimo I de’ Medici commissioned Vasari to build the huge U-shaped Palazzo degli Uffizi in 1560 as a government office building (uffizi means ‘offices’). Following Vasari’s death in 1564, architects Alfonso Parigi and Bernado Buontalenti took over, with Buontalenti modifying the upper floor to house the artworks keenly collected by Cosimo I’s son, Francesco I. In 1580, the building was complete. When the last Medici died in 1743, the family’s enormous private art collection was bequeathed to Florence on the strict proviso that it never leaves the city.
Local LifeA Boutique Shopping Spree
Florence is naturally stylish – the city did spawn the Renaissance and Gucci after all – which translates as world-class shopping. Big-name fashion designers bejewel Florence's smartest shopping strip, Via de' Tornabuoni, but it is the small independent boutiques squirrelled away in the ancient maze of narrow, cobbled lanes around the Duomo and Piazza della Signoria that really enchant.
1Morning Coffee at Rivoire
Nudge your shopping spirit into gear with a coffee or cup of the city's most decadent hot chocolate on the people-watching terrace of Caffè Rivoire (
GOOGLE MAP
; %055 21 44 12; www.rivoire.it; Piazza della Signoria 4; h7am-midnight Tue-Sun summer, to 9pm winter), a historic cafe dating to 1872. Join Florentines standing at the bar (rather than sitting at a table).
2A Date with Gucci
Cross the square on which Savonarola set fire to the city's art – books, paintings, musical instruments, mirrors, fine clothes – during his famous 'Bonfire of the Vanities' in 1497 and pop into Gucci Museo (
GOOGLE MAP
; www.gucci.com; Piazza della Signoria 10; adult/reduced €7/5; h10am-8pm, to 11pm Fri). The museum, with fashionable icon store attached, illustrates the story of the Gucci fashion house, from its first luggage pieces to the present day.
3Benheart
Men's and women's shoes to die for, double-lined with soft buffalo leather and stitched before being dyed with natural pigments, steal the show at the flagship store (
GOOGLE MAP
; %055 046 26 38; www.benheart.it; Via dei Cimatori 25r; h10am-8pm) of local superstar fashion designer, Ben. He set up business with Florentine schoolmate Matteo after undergoing a heart transplant.
4Fabriano Boutique
Luxurious writing paper, origami and pop-up greeting cards entice customers into this thoroughly modern stationery boutique (
GOOGLE MAP
; %055 28 51 94; www.fabrianoboutique.com; Via del Corso 59r; h9am-7.30pm) – a refreshing change from the traditional norm. Watch for occasional card-making, calligraphy and origami workshops.
5Piazza della Repubblica
On the old Roman forum, take a coffee break with Florentines in La Terrazza (
GOOGLE MAP
; La Rinascente, Piazza della Repubblica 1; h9am-9pm Mon-Sat, 10.30am-8pm Sun), on the 5th floor of the city's local department store, and swoon over the sterling city panorama that unfolds from its 'secret' rooftop terrace.
6Angela Caputi
Florentines adore the bold, colourful resin jewellery of Angela Caputi (
GOOGLE MAP
; %055 29 29 93; www.angelacaputi.com; Borgo SS Apostoli 42-46; h10am-1pm & 3.30-7.30pm Mon-Sat), at work in Florence since the 1970s. Eye-catching costume gems and jewels are her forté, shown off to perfection against one-of-a-kind women’s fashion labels uncovered during her worldwide travels.
7Il Papiro
One of several branches around town, this elegant boutique (
GOOGLE MAP
; %055 21 65 93; http://ilpapirofirenze.eu/en/; Via Porta Rosso 76; h10am-7pm) sells books, journals, writing paper, cards and other stationery made from Florence's signature, hand-decorated marbled paper – the perfect gift to take back home.
8A Third-Generation Silversmith
Florence's third-generation Pampaloni (
GOOGLE MAP
; %055 28 90 94; www.pampaloni.com; Via Porta Rossa 97; h10am-1.30pm & 3-7.30pm Mon-Sat) silver shop, born out of a tiny workshop on Ponte Vecchio in 1902, is the epitome of elegance with its sleek silver collections for the table and home, and contemporary silver jewellery.
1Sights
5Eating
6Drinking
Sights
1Palazzo VecchioMUSEUM
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). It remains the seat of the city's power, home to the mayor's office and the municipal council. From the top of the Torre d'Arnolfo (tower), you can revel in unforgettable rooftop 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).
(%055 276 85 58, 055 27 68 22; www.musefirenze.it; Piazza della Signoria; adult/reduced museum €10/8, tower €10/8, museum & tower €14/12, archaeological tour €4, combination ticket €18/16; hmuseum 9am-11pm Fri-Wed, to 2pm Thu Apr-Sep, 9am-7pm Fri-Wed, to 2pm Thu Oct-Mar, tower 9am-9pm Fri-Wed, to 2pm Thu Apr-Sep, 10am-5pm Fri-Wed, to 2pm Thu Oct-Mar)
1Corridoio VasarianoBRIDGE
This 1km-long covered passageway connects Palazzo Vecchio with the Uffizi and Palazzo Pitti. It was designed by Vasari in 1565 to allow the Medici to wander between their palaces in privacy and comfort. In the 17th century the Medici strung it with hundreds of artworks, including self-portraits of Andrea del Sarto, Rubens, Rembrandt and Canova. Closed for renovation in 2017, the Vasari Corridor will be open to guided tours once work is complete; contact Florence Town (
GOOGLE MAP
; %055 28 11 03; www.florencetown.com; Via de' Lamberti 1) or Caf Tour & Travel (
GOOGLE MAP
; %055 28 32 00; www.caftours.com; Via degli Alfani 151r; h7.30am-8pm Mon-Sat, to 5pm Sun).
(Vasari Corridor; hby guided tour)
1Museo di Palazzo DavanzatiMUSEUM
This is the address to see precisely how Florentine nobles lived in the 16th century. Home to the wealthy Davanzati merchant family from 1578, this 14th-century palazzo (mansion) with a wonderful central loggia, is a gem. Peep at the carved faces of the original owners on the pillars in the inner courtyard and don't miss the 1st-floor Sala Madornale (Reception Room) with its painted wooden ceiling, exotic Sala dei Pappagalli (Parrot Room) and Camera dei Pavoni (Peacock Bedroom).
(%055 238 86 10; www.polomuseale.firenze.it; Via Porta Rossa 13; adult/reduced €6/3; h8.15am-2pm, closed 1st, 3rd & 5th Mon, 2nd & 4th Sun of month)
1Chiesa e Museo di OrsanmicheleCHURCH, MUSEUM
This unusual and inspirational church, with a Gothic tabernacle by Andrea Orcagna, was created when the arcades of an old grain market (1290) were walled in and two storeys added during the 14th century. Its exterior is decorated with niches and tabernacles bearing statues. Representing the patron saints of Florence's many guilds, the statues were commissioned in the 15th and 16th centuries after the signoria ordered the city's guilds to finance the church's decoration.
(%055 21 58 52; Via dell'Arte della Lana; hmuseum 10am-5pm Mon, church 10am-5pm daily, closed Mon Aug)
1Piazza 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 ( GOOGLE MAP ), 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 Signoria)
1Piazza 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.
1Palazzo StrozziGALLERY
This 15th-century Renaissance mansion was built for wealthy merchant Filippo Strozzi, one of the Medici's major political and commercial rivals. Today it hosts exciting art exhibitions. There's always a buzz about the place, with young Florentines congregating in the courtyard Caffé Strozzi (
GOOGLE MAP
; %055 28 82 36; www.strozzicaffe.com; Piazza degli Strozzi 1; h8am-8.30pm Mon, to 1am Tue-Sun; 
W). Art workshops, tours and other activities aimed squarely at families make the gallery a firm favourite with pretty much everyone.
(%055 246 96 00; www.palazzostrozzi.org; Piazza degli Strozzi; adult/reduced €12/9.50, family ticket €22; h10am-8pm Tue, Wed & Fri-Sun, to 11pm Thu)
1Museo GalileoMUSEUM
On the river next to the Uffizi in 12th-century Palazzo Castellani – look for the sundial telling the time on the pavement outside – is this state-of-the-art science museum, named after the great Pisa-born scientist Galileo Galilei, who was invited by the Medici court to Florence in 1610 (don't miss two of his fingers and a tooth displayed here).
(%055 26 53 11; www.museogalileo.it; Piazza dei Giudici 1; adult/reduced €9/5.50; h9.30am-6pm Wed-Mon, to 1pm Tue)
Top TipPalazzo Vecchio Tours
To get the most out of one of Florence's most dynamic, well-thought-out museums, join one of its excellent guided tours or hands-on workshops that take you into parts of Palazzo Vecchio that are otherwise inaccessible. Many are in English; you need a valid museum ticket in addition to the guided-tour ticket. Reserve in advance by telephone, email info@muse.comune.fi.it or directly at the Muse Firenze (%055 276 82 24; http://musefirenze.it) ticket desk inside Palazzo Vecchio.
UnderstandBackstreet Florence: Dante
Italy's most divine poet was born in 1265 in a wee house down a narrow lane in the backstreets of Florence. Tragic romance made him tick and there's no better place to unravel the medieval life and times of Dante than the Museo Casa di Dante (
GOOGLE MAP
; %055 21 94 16; Via Santa Margherita 1; adult/reduced €4/2; h10am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat & Sun).
When Dante was just 12 he was promised in marriage to Gemma Donati. But it was another Florentine gal, Beatrice Portinari (1266–90), who was his muse, his inspiration, the love of his life (despite only ever meeting her twice in his life).
Beatrice, who wed a banker and died a couple of years later aged just 24, is buried in 11th-century Chiesa di Santa Margherita (
GOOGLE MAP
; Via Santa Margherita 4; hhours vary), in an alley near Dante's house; note the wicker basket in front of her grave filled with scraps of paper on which prayers and dedications evoking unrequited love have been penned. This chapel was also where the poet married Gemma in 1295. Dimly lit, it remains much as it was in medieval Florence.
Eating
5IreneBISTRO€€€
Named after the accomplished Italian grandmother of Sir Rocco Forte of the same-name luxury hotel group, Irene (actually part of neighbouring Hotel Savoy) is a dazzling contemporary bistro with a pavement terrace (heated in winter) overlooking iconic Piazza della Repubblica. Interior design is retro-chic 1950s and celebrity chef Fulvio Pierangelini cooks up a playful, utterly fabulous bistro cuisine in his Tuscan kitchen.
(%055 273 58 91; www.roccofortehotels.com; Piazza della Repubblica 7; meals €60; h12.30-10.30pm)
5Osteria Il BuongustaiOSTERIA€
Run with breathtaking speed and grace by Laura and Lucia, this place is unmissable. Lunchtimes heave with locals who work nearby 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 – expect to share a table and pay in cash; no credit cards.
(%055 29 13 04; Via dei Cerchi 15r; meals €15-20; h8am-4pm Mon-Fri, to 11pm Sat)
5Trattoria Le MossacceTRATTORIA€
Strung with legs of ham and garlic garlands, this old-world trattoria lives up to its vintage promise of a warm benvenuto (welcome) and fabulous home cooking every Tuscan nonna would approve of. A family address, it has been the pride and joy of the Fantoni-Mannucci family for the last 50-odd years and their bistecca alla fiorentina (T-bone steak) is among the best in town.
(%055 29 43 61; www.trattorialemossacce.it; Via del Proconsolo 55r; meals €20; hnoon-2.30pm & 7-9.30pm Mon-Fri)
5'InoSANDWICHES€
Artisan ingredients sourced locally and mixed creatively by passionate gourmet Alessandro Frassica is the secret behind this gourmet sandwich bar near the Uffizi. Create your own panino combo, pick from dozens of fun house specials, or go for an enticingly topped bruschetta instead – in the grand company of a glass of Tuscan wine or craft beer.
(%055 21 45 14; www.inofirenze.com; Via dei Georgofili 3r-7r; bruschette/panini €6/8; hnoon-4.30pm)
5GromGELATO€
Rain, hail or shine, queues run halfway down the street at this sweet address; many ingredients are organic. Tasty hot chocolate and milkshakes, too.
(%055 21 61 58; www.grom.it; Via del Campanile 2; cones €2.60-4.60, tubs €2.60-5.50; h10am-10.30pm Sun-Thu, to 11.30pm Fri & Sat)
5Cantinetta dei VerrazzanoTUSCAN€
A forno (baker's oven) and cantinetta (small cellar) make a heavenly match in foodie Florence. Sit down at a marble-topped table, sip your pick of wine from the Verrazzano family's 52-hectare estate in Greve in Chianti, and tuck into traditional focaccia, cecina (chickpea bread) or a mixed salami platter – the sbriciolona (fennel seed salami) is not to be missed.
(%055 26 85 90; www.verrazzano.com; Via dei Tavolini 18-20; focaccia from €3; h8am-9pm Mon-Sat, 10am-9pm Sun)
5MangiafocoTUSCAN€€
Aromatic truffles get full-page billing at this small and cosy osteria (casual tavern) with buttercup-yellow walls, cushioned seating and an exceptional wine list. Whether you are a hardcore truffle fiend or a virgin, there is something for you here: steak topped with freshly shaved truffles in season, truffle taglietelle (ribbon pasta) or a simple plate of mixed cheeses with sweet truffle honey.
(%055 265 81 70; www.mangiafoco.com; Borgo SS Apostoli 26r; meals €40; h10am-10pm Mon-Sat)
5ObicàITALIAN€€
Given its exclusive location in Palazzo Tornabuoni, this designer address is naturally uber-trendy – even the table mats are upcycled from organic products. Taste 10 different types of mozzarella cheese in the cathedral-like interior or snuggle beneath heaters over pizza and salads on sofas in the enchanting star-topped courtyard. At aperitivo hour nibble on taglierini (tasting boards loaded with cheeses, salami and deep-fried veg).
(%055 277 35 26; www.obica.com; Via de' Tornabuoni 16; meals €30-50; hnoon-4pm & 6.30-11.30pm Mon-Fri, noon-11pm Sat & Sun)
Local LifeThe Finest Ice in Town
Known throughout Italy for the quality of its handmade gelato and sweet pastries, Gelateria Pasticceria Badiani (
GOOGLE MAP
; %055 57 86 82; www.buontalenti.it; Viale dei Mille 20r; h7am-1am summer, to midnight Sun-Thu, to 1am Fri & Sat winter) is located in the Campo de’ Marte neighbourhood just outside the historic city centre but is – as any local will tell you – well worth the walk. The house speciality is Buontalenti gelato, a creamy concoction with flavourings that are a heavily guarded house secret.
Local LifeTripe Carts
When Florentines fancy a munch-on-the-move, they flit by a trippaio – a cart on wheels or mobile stand – for a tripe panini (sandwich). Think cow's stomach chopped up, boiled, sliced, seasoned and bunged between bread.
Those great bastions of good old-fashioned Florentine tradition still going strong include Il Trippaio del Porcellino (
GOOGLE MAP
; %335 8070240; Piazza del Mercato Nuovo 1; tripe €4.50; h9am-6.30pm Mon-Sat) and hole-in-the-wall Da Vinattieri (
GOOGLE MAP
; Via Santa Margherita 4; panini €4.50; h10am-7.30pm Mon-Fri, to 8pm Sat & Sun). Pay €4.50 for a panini with tripe doused in salsa verde (pea-green sauce of smashed parsley, garlic, capers and anchovies) or order a bowl of lampredotto (cow's fourth stomach, chopped and simmered).
Drinking
6La Terrazza Lounge BarBAR
This rooftop bar with wooden-decking terrace accessible from the 5th floor of the 1950s-styled, design Hotel Continentale is as chic as one would expect of a fashion-house hotel. Its aperitivo buffet is a modest affair, but who cares with that fabulous, drop-dead-gorgeous panorama of one of Europe's most beautiful cities. Dress the part, or feel out of place. Count on €19 for a cocktail.
(%055 2726 5987; www.lungarnocollection.com; Vicolo dell' Oro 6r; h2.30-11.30pm Apr-Sep)
6MaydayCOCKTAIL BAR
Strike up a conversation with passionate mixologist Marco at Mayday. Within seconds you'll be hooked on his mixers and astonishing infusions, all handmade using wholly Tuscan ingredients. Think pancetta-infused whisky, saffron limoncello (lemon liqueur) and porcini liqueur. Marco's cocktail list is equally impressive – or tell him your favourite flavours and let yourself be surprised.
(%055 238 12 90; Via Dante Alighieri 16; cocktails €8; h7pm-2am Tue-Sat)
6GilliCAFE
The most famous of the historic cafes on the city's old Roman forum, Gilli has been serving utterly delectable cakes, chocolates, fruit tartlets and millefoglie (sheets of puff pastry filled with rich vanilla or chocolate Chantilly cream) to die for since 1733 (it moved to this square in 1910 and sports a beautifully preserved art nouveau interior).
(%055 21 38 96; www.gilli.it; Piazza della Repubblica 39r; h7.30am-1.30am)
6AmbléBAR
You need to know about this cafe-bar, near Ponte Vecchio, to find it. Vintage furniture – all for sale – creates a hip, shabby-chic vibe and the tiny terrace feels delightfully far from the madding crowd on summer evenings. From the river, head down Vicolo dell' Oro to the Hotel Continentale, and turn left along the alleyway that runs parallel to the river.
(%055 26 85 28; Piazzetta dei del Bene 7a; h10am-midnight Tue-Sat, noon-midnight Sun)
6CoquinariusWINE BAR
With its old stone vaults, scrubbed wooden tables and refreshingly modern air, this enoteca run by the dynamic Nicolas is spacious and stylish. The wine list features bags of Tuscan greats and unknowns, and outstanding crostini and carpacci (cold sliced meats) ensure you don't leave hungry. The ravioli stuffed with silky burrata cheese and smothered in pistachio pesto is particularly outstanding.
(www.coquinarius.com; Via delle Oche 11r; h12.30-3pm & 6.30-10.30pm Wed-Mon)
6ProcacciCAFE, BAR
The last remaining bastion of genteel old Florence on Via de' Tornabuoni, this tiny cafe was born in 1885 opposite an English pharmacy as a delicatessen serving truffles in its repertoire of tasty morsels. Bite-sized panini tartufati (truffle pâté rolls) remain the thing to order, best accompanied by a glass of prosecco (sparkling wine).
(%055 21 16 56; www.procacci1885.it; Via de' Tornabuoni 64r; h10am-9pm Mon-Sat, 11am-8pm Sun, closed 3 weeks Aug)
6Fiaschetteria NuvoliWINE BAR
Pull up a stool on the street and chat with a regular over a glass of vino della casa (house wine) at this old-fashioned fiaschetteria (wine seller), a street away from the Duomo. Food, too.
(%055 239 66 16; Piazza dell'Olio 15r; h8am-9pm Mon-Sat)
6Shake CaféCAFE
Smoothie bowls with protein powder, kale and goji berries, cold-pressed juices and vitamin-packed elixir shots – to eat in or take away – satisfy wellness cravings at this laid-back cafe on people-busy Via del Corso. International newspapers, mellow music and a relaxed vibe make it a hipster place to hang. All-day wraps, salads and hearty, homemade soups (€6 to €7.50), too.
(%055 21 59 52; www.shakecafe.bio; Via del Corso 28-32; h7.30am-8pm)
6YABCLUB
Pick your night according to your age and tastes at this hugely popular nightclub with electric dance floor, around since the 1970s, behind Palazzo Strozzi.
(%055 21 51 60; www.yab.it/en; Via de' Sassetti 5r; h7pm-4am Mon & Wed-Sat Oct-May)
Local LifeAperitivi
Join locals for summertime early-evening cocktails on the chic rooftop terrace of La Terrazza Lounge Bar or the back-alley garden of shabby-chic Amblé. Winter or summer, stylish Irene, with a box terrace on Piazza della Repubblica, is an aperitivo hot spot.
Shopping
7A Piedi Nudi nel ParcoFASHION & ACCESSORIES
Specialising in high-end avant-garde designers for women, this boutique is so chic that it even has a tiny bar serving aperitivi (from 6pm) while you shop.
(%055 21 80 99; www.pnp-firenze.com; Via del Proconsolo 1; h10.30am-7.30pm Mon-Sat, noon-7.30pm Sun)
7Boutique NadineFASHION & ACCESSORIES
For exquisite vintage clothing, jewellery, ornaments and stylish knick-knacks for the home, browse this old-world boutique on the riverside near Ponte Vecchio. Find the original, larger branch in Santa Croce.
(%055 28 78 51; Lungarno degli Acciaiuoli 22r; h2.30-7.30pm Mon, 10am-7.30pm Tue-Sat)
7Patrizia PepeFASHION & ACCESSORIES
Modern, colourful designs for women and children are the signature of this Florentine fashion house, created in 1993 by creative spirit Patrizia Bambi and business partner, Claudio Orrea. A bit rock chic, a bit wild child, Patrizia Pepe never fails to thrill.
(%055 264 50 56; www.patriziapepe.com; Piazza di San Giovanni 12r; h9am-8pm)
7La Bottega dell'OlioFOOD
This bijou boutique takes great care with its displays of olive oils, olive-oil soaps, platters made from olive wood and skincare products made with olive oil (the Lepo range is particularly good).
(%055 267 04 68; www.labottegadelloliofirenze.it; Piazza del Limbo 4r; h2.30-6.30pm Mon, 10am-1pm & 2-6.30pm Tue-Sat)
Local LifeLe Passeggiata
Nothing is more sacrosanct than the early-evening stroll; follow Florentines to Via de’ Tornabuoni, the city's most expensive shopping strip nicknamed the ‘Salotto di Firenze’ (Florence’s Drawing Room). Renaissance palaces and Italian fashion houses border each side of the elegant, car-free strip, making it prime terrain to don suitable dress and walk, chat and smooch in chic company. End with a bite-sized truffle panini and flute of sparkling prosecco at 19th-century English pharmacy-turned-genteel cafe Procacci.
UnderstandFlorentine Artists
In many respects, the history of Florentine art is also the history of Western art. Browse through any text on the subject and you’ll quickly develop an understanding of how influential the Italian Renaissance, which kicked off and reached its greatest flowering here, has been over the past 500 years. Indeed, it’s no exaggeration to say that architecture, painting and sculpture rely on its technical innovations and take inspiration from its Humanist subject matter to this very day.
Of the many artists who trained, worked and lived in the city, the most famous are Giotto di Bondone (c 1266–1337), Donatello (c 1386–1466), Fra’ Angelico (c 1395–1455), Masaccio (1401–28), Filippo Lippi (c 1406–69), Benozzo Gozzoli (c 1421–97), Sandro Botticelli (1445–1510), Domenico Ghirlandaio (1449–94) and Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564).
The city is full of artistic masterpieces – in fact, Florence itself is often described as the world’s biggest and most spectacular museum. It’s impossible to see everything in one trip, but the Uffizi Gallery should be every visitor’s first stop. Its peerless collection contains major works by every Renaissance artist of note, with Botticelli’s Primavera, Birth of Venus, Cestello Annunciation and Adoration of the Magi being four of the gallery’s best-loved works (Michelangelo’s Tondo Doni is another).
Sculptures abound – most notably Michelangelo’s David in the Galleria dell’Accademia – but the greatest and most significant concentration of works can be found in the Museo del Bargello, home to Donatello’s two versions of David (one marble, the other bronze) and a number of works by Michelangelo.
Frescoing was an important artistic technique in the Renaissance, and Florentine churches are rich repositories of these murals painted on freshly laid lime plaster. Head to Basilica di Santa Maria Novella to see Ghirlandaio’s wonderful examples in the Cappella Maggiore; the Museo di San Marco to see those of Fra’ Angelico (including his deeply spiritual Annunciation); the Cappella Brancacci to see Masaccio’s oft-reproduced Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise; and the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi to admire Benozzo Gozzoli’s charming Procession of the Magi to Bethlehem.