FLORENCE IS WHERE THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE kicked off, and it’s packed with worldcelebrated art, architecture and monuments. Time spent in its historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, never fails to leave you in awe. Visit museums, palazzos, piazzas and cathedrals, and cross the river Arno at Ponte Vecchio for breathtaking views.
ESTABLISHED BY THE MEDICI FAMILY at the end of the 16th century, Galleria Degli Uffizi is a dream destination for art lovers, displaying five centuries worth of paintings. Here you’ll find Mediciowned masterpieces including Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, Raphael’s Madonna of the Goldfinch and Titian’s Venus of Urbino.
PICTURE-PERFECT DUOMO DI FORZI, formally the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, is the city’s most iconic landmark, known for its pink, white and green marble facade. The cathedral’s vast, red-tiled dome stretches 89 metres into the sky and dominates the cityscape. Climb to the top to catch glorious views of the Tuscan countryside.
MICHELANGELO WAS BORN in Florence in 1475, and you find the sculptor- painterarchitect’s creations all over the city. Head to Galleria dell’Accademia to see David, Michelangelo’s most famous sculpture: a symbol of independence, strength and youthful beauty. (The Davids in Piazza della Signoria and Piazzale Michelangelo are replicas.)
THE BEST FLORENTINE WALKING TOURS include regular stop-offs at cafés, gelato shops and ristorantes. In addition to freshly made pizza and pasta, the city is known for its delicious meats and truffle dishes. Osteria I Buongustai is celebrated for its Tuscan home cooking, as is 50-year-old, family-owned trattoria Le Mossacce.
FLORENCE’S COLOURFUL FESTIVALS are as legendary as they are numerous. The grand parade that is Il Carnevale floods the city in February and stars an enormous dragon; Scoppio del Carro, held on Easter Sunday, is another must-see, century-old celebration, where a cart filled with fireworks is pulled by oxen through the streets.
IN SANTA CROCE WITH NO BAEDEKER: a must-see for fans of A Room with a View, Basilica di Santa Croce has a magnificent neo-Gothic facade in varying shades of coloured marble. Here you find the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo and Ghiberti, and glorious frescoes by Giotto – Enrico Pazzi’s Statue of Dante Alighier stands right outside.
