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Florence - Sights & Activities

1. Ponte Vecchio

Built in 1345, the Ponte Vecchio is famous as one of the few remaining medieval bridges in Europe to have shops on it. It also boasts a reputation as one of the most romantic spots in Italy. Yet this reputation belies its somewhat less refined origins. When it was first built, the higgeldy-piggeldy stone workshops on it were occupied by butchers and tanners, whose trade involved soaking hides in the Arno before curing them in horse urine. But in 1593 Grand Duke Ferdinand I – whose private corridor linking the Medici palace with the Medici offices crossed the bridge atop the shops – grew fed up with the stench emanating from below. He therefore banned all the ‘vile trades’, allowing only jewellers and goldsmiths to conduct business on the bridge. Today the bridge continues to swarm with tourists and locals buying high-quality gold jewellery. In order to celebrate this legacy, the centre of the bridge is graced by a newly restored 19th century bust of revered sculptor and goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini. The bridge also offers beautiful views of the Florentine hills, the Arno and the Ponte Santa Trinita, the next bridge downriver.

Called “the world's most beautiful drawing room” by Napoleon when he entered Venice in 1797, the Square has been the backdrop for magnificent processions celebrating victorious commanders, visiting dignitaries and festivals. The glittering Basilica and Doge’s Palace command the eastern end. On one side, the long, arcaded building is the Procuratie Vecchie, built in the early 16th century as offices and residences for the powerful procurators (or magistrates) of San Marco. On the other is the Procuratie Nuove, built half a century later in a more grandiose classical style.

Diagonally across from the Basilica, the 323-foot Campanile offers incomparable views, not only of the city’s trademark red terracotta rooftops, but also of the snow-capped Dolomite Mountains in the distance. Having functioned as a lighthouse, watchtower and torture chamber at various stages in its long history, it collapsed in 1902, only to be masterfully rebuilt in its original 16th century style. The elevator ride to the top is brief and efficient, but there are often long queues, so it’s a good idea to visit early. The tower is open from 09.30–17.00, April to June and 09.45–20.00 July to September.

Just as impressive is the Renaissance-style Torre dell’Orologio, which features two bronze moors hammering out the hours on the upper terrace. And at Epiphany and Ascension there is an hourly procession of clockwork Magi led by an angel.

2. Duomo

The world’s fourth largest cathedral, the Duomo is Florence’s symbol: it dominates the skyline and is visible from all over the city. As one early visitor wrote, “All Florentines live in its shadow.” Yet many people who see it for the first time come away with the inescapable impression that there’s something back to front about it. Its exterior, clad in white Carrara, green Prato and pink Maremma marble, boasts not only Brunelleschi's famous dome, but also Giotto's bell tower, while the interior is extremely subdued and unardorned.

The Duomo was first commissioned by the Florentine Republic in the 13th century in order to emphasise the city’s prosperity and prestige to its Tuscan neighbours, particularly Pisa. It took 170 years to build and therefore, perhaps unsurprisingly, features an impressive variety of architectural styles.

Though far simpler, the interior does have some interesting features. These include a monument to Sir John Hawkswood, painted in 1436 as a tribute to the English mercenary soldier who led Florentine soldiers to victory in the Battle of Cascina of 1364. But it is, of course, dominated by the Duomo, which is, if possible, even more breathtaking inside than out. The lantern in the centre is 90 metres above you and the diameter of the inner dome is 43 metres across. The frescoes on the interior of the dome were designed by Giorgio Vasari but painted mostly by his less-talented student Frederico Zuccari by 1579. You can also climb up between the two shells of the cupola for one of the classic panoramas across the city.

Equally impressive is the view from the cathedral’s three-floor, 414-step campanile tower. The steps to the top are steep and narrow, but there’s a great perspective on the Duomo from the terrace when you get there.

3. Uffizi Gallery

Playing host to 1.5 million visitors every year, the Uffizi Gallery is the greatest museum of Renaissance art in the world. It is housed in the top floor of the Uffizi Palace, which faces the Arno, and was originally designed by Giorgio Vasari in 1560 to hold the “uffizi” (administrative offices) of Grand Duke Cosimo I. Open to the public since 1591, it was Europe's first modern museum and contains the impressive art collection of the Medici family.

The Uffizi boasts many highlights. These include Battle of San Romano by Paolo Uccello; The Madonna and Child with Two Angels by Fra Filippo Lippi; The Birth of Venus and Primavera by Botticelli; The Madonna of the Goldfinch by Raphael; A Self-Portrait as an Old Man by Rembrandt; The Venus of Urbino by Titian; Bacchus by Caravaggio. To see the whole collection would take a lot of time and energy; it’s best to jump to the rooms in which you’re most interested or, better still, to plan a return visit. Allow at least three hours to take in the unmissables.

Given all the treasures it contains, long queues are a regular feature of the Uffizi experience. To avoid them, aim to arrive when the museum opens or at lunchtime, when the tour groups are unlikely to be so prevalent. Alternatively, to be guaranteed swift entry, reserve an advance ticket. This can be done by phone (all the operators speak English) or, once in Florence, at the Uffizi reservation booth at least one day before your planned visit. If you book by phone, remember to keep the confirmation number and take it with you to the door at the museum marked "Reservations." You’ll have to pay in cash, because the Uffizi does not accept credit cards.

4. Pitti Palace

The Pitti Palace may not be the most attractive of Florence’s landmarks, being somewhat plain and block-like on the outside, but it is crammed with cultural riches. The original palazzo was built around 1460 for Lucca Pitti, a member of the only Florentine family to rival the Medicis in influence. However, Lucca Pitti couldn’t afford to live there and was soon ignominiously forced to sell to the Medici. With characteristic flamboyance the Medici, in particular Grand Duke Cosimo I, then set about expanding it. The architect Bartolomeo Ammannati remodelled the façade and created the courtyard. The façade was further extended in the 17th century and two further wings added in the 18th.

Today the palace houses several museums. The two-tier Museo degli Argenti displays a vast collection of Medici household treasures, from tapestries to rock crystals vases. The Galleria del Costume showcases fashions from the past 300 years, including the sumptuous wardrobe of Cosimo I and Eleonora di Toledo, his wife. The Galleria d'Arte Moderna holds a collection of 19th- and 20th-century paintings, mostly Tuscan. And, most famous of all, the Galleria Palatina contains a broad collection of paintings from the 15th to 17th century, hung four or five high on its damask walls. High points include a number of portraits by Titian and an unparalleled collection of paintings by Raphael.

A magnificent, multicoloured marble iconostasis separates the main body of the church from the area before the altar. Behind the altar is the exquisite Pala D’Oro, a gold-, enamel- and jewel-encrusted altarpiece made in Constantinople for Doge Pietro Orseolo I in 976, which has been added to over the centuries. Almost 2000 precious stones adorn it. The Tesoro (Treasury), accessible from the right transept, contains most of the booty from the republic’s 1204 raid on Constantinople, including a thorn said to be from the crown worn by Christ.

5. Galleria dell'Accademia

Most tourists who visit the Accademia do so for one reason: Michalengelo’s statue David. But the gallery also contains many other magnificent and historic works by Michelangelo and others.

Located in the first long hall, David was originally conceived as a serious political icon, designed to symbolise the defeated tyranny of the Medici and to encourage Florentines to support their fledgling republican constitution. It originally stood in Piazza della Signoria, in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, but was later removed to the Accademia to save it from the elements (a copy stands in the piazza.)

The rest of the long hall is also devoted to Michelangelo and lined with perhaps his most fascinating works, the four famous Slaves, or Prisoners – masterly, unfinished sculptures struggling to escape from marble prisons. Nearby, in a similar mode, is a statue of St. Matthew, which Michelangelo began carving as part of a series of Apostles he was at one point going to complete for the Duomo. (The Pietà at the end of the corridor on the right is by one of Michelangelo's students – Giovanni di Milano – not by the master as was once thought.) In the wings off the David salon you’ll find late Gothic and Renaissance paintings by other Florentine artists, including two of Botticelli’s Madonnas and Bible scenes by Perugino, Fra Bartolomeo and Filippino Lippi. Also well worth seeing are the fabulous musical instruments from the Conservatory of Luigi Cherubini on the ground floor.