Florence is one Italy’s best-known destinations, famous all over the world. The city’s fame is due to its history and its inestimable artistic and cultural heritage.
In this article we’ll take you on a journey of discovery in the cradle of the Renaissance, the capital of Tuscany and a key place in Italian history.
Although last year was particularly difficult, now the days are getting longer and the weather warming up, we feel a growing need to explore new places. Our beloved Italy offers unique cities of inestimable artistic and historical value that are envied and admired all over the world. These naturally include magnificent Florence.
Known as the “Cradle of the Renaissance”, Florence is an extraordinary treasure-chest of history and art. During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the city was home to numerous prominent figures. Think of Dante Alighieri, Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, Michelangelo and many others. The prestige acquired by the city was due to the Medici family, which ruled the city from the 15th to the 18th centuries. The Florentine court was a real factory of artists and powerful people: in fact, the Duchy of Florence was one of the most powerful city-states in Italy, thanks to the banking families who lived here. In fact, the skills of bankers from various families such as the Medicis and Pazzis made Fiorenza a wealthy and cultured city.
It is thanks to these families that we can admire its art today: from exteriors to interiors, every palazzo provides an opportunity to contemplate timeless masterpieces. The best way to learn all the secrets of this marvelous city is a guided tour, especially at dawn: you’ll have Florence to yourself, and you’ll be able to see all the sights and views, spotting details that will leave you speechless. What’s more, you’ll discover the real “must see” locations that should definitely not be missed! As you plan your trip to Florence, you might appreciate our suggestions for the wonderful sights to be seen.
Our itinerary starts with a historic palace in Piazza della Signoria, dominated by the Arnolfo Tower. Of course, we’re talking about…
The building has undergone various transformations over the centuries, and, remarkably, these changes are visible to all. Designed in 1300 by the architect Arnolfo di Cambio, Palazzo Vecchio was, and remains, the political center of Florence. Over time, it became the place of residence for the city’s ruling families, including the Medicis. It became the center of power during the rule of Duke Cosimo I de’Medici, who moved to Palazzo Pitti with his bride Eleonora da Toledo and their children.
Subsequent rulers and their families turned Palazzo Vecchio into a treasure trove for art lovers. In Palazzo Vecchio, you can take a a guided tour, visiting Eleonora’s apartments,as well as the magnificent “Salone dei Cinquecento” with its marble sculptures by Michelangelo and frescoes by Leonardo and Michelangelo.
The Studiolo of Francesco inside the Palace is a priceless little gem. It’s located in a corner of the Salone dei Cinquecento, and in it you’ll discover that not all the paintings are what they seem to be. Perhaps there are some secret passages?
As we mentioned earlier, Palazzo Vecchio was, and remains, the center of the Florentine government. You may be wondering how it’s possible to house government offices in such a building. In reply, we can tell you that it was decided to erect another building, connected to Palazzo Vecchio by a raised corridor, named…
In addition to being one of the world’s most visited sites, nowadays the Uffizi is a superb museum, packed with works of art from different periods of history. Over time it has undergone several renovations, making it what we see today.
We could spend hours exploring the museum, but we particularly have to admire Giorgio Vasari’s brilliance in the staircases that connect the ground floor with the upper floors of the building.
As you climb the stairs you’ll see the famous Gabinetto di Francesco, now used for temporary exhibitions, and then reach the second floor and step straight into 14th-century Florence. Here the real journey inside the Uffizi Gallery begins and, if you’re accompanied by a tour guide, you’ll learn all the secrets behind works such as the Madonnas of Giotto and Cimabue, Botticelli’s magnificent Venus, and Leonardo’s Adoration of the Magi. Don’t miss Michelangelo’s Tondo Doni, Piero della Francesca’s beautiful portraits of the Dukes of Urbino, and Caravaggio’s Medusa, not to mention Rosso Fiorentino, Pontormo, Gherardo delle Notti and many other artists whose works are exhibited here.
The Uffizi Gallery offers a full immersion in an ocean of art: this museum is a true Italian gem. It’s home to some of the paintings that have become landmarks in art history, and the stories they tell are unforgettable.
While we were describing Palazzo Vecchio, we mentioned a new home for the Medici family, connected to Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizi by a corridor called Corridoio Vasariano (Vasari’s Corridor). The family’s new home also boasted beautiful gardens. We’re talking about
This stunning palazzo in the Oltrarno district of Florence was bought from the Pitti family in the 16th century and became the residence of the Medici family.
Over the centuries, it underwent numerous modifications that increased its size and grandeur. In fact, two wings were added to the main complex specifically to contain the apartments of the very large Medici family.
Today, Palazzo Pitti is home to some of Florence’s most important museums. One of these is the Palatina Gallery, where you can take a guided tour and view some spectacular artworks, including several masterpieces by Raphael.
Palazzo Pitti is also home to the Museum of Fashion and Costume, where you can admire splendid clothing that has marked the history of Italian fashion from the 18th century to the present day. An interesting fact? You can visit this museum as often as you like, but you’ll see new exhibits every time, because the display is rotated to ensure their perfect conservation.
Last but not least, we should also mention the gardens of Palazzo Pitti, known as theBoboli Gardens. Considered a true open-air museum, the gardens were commissioned by the Medici family. They soon became a prototype, the model to be followed in Italian-style gardens, with the planted area divided into regular sections. Today the gardens contain numerous antique statues and water features, such as the Fountains of Neptune and the Ocean, and fascinating grottoes. After the Medici period, the Boboli Gardens were further developed by the Lorraine and Savoy dynasties, who brought it to the splendor that we can admire today.
The Lorraine dynasty that followed the Medicis promised to protect the city of Florence and all its works of art. Indeed, to uphold their pledge, they decided to restore the Accademia do Belli Arti di Firenze, and also built a museum to house some Florentine artworks. This led to the foundation of the
This museum was created specifically as a home for one of the most important statues in history: Michelangelo’s astonishing David.
In the gallery today, you can see a total of seven statues by the celebrated sculptor, and much more besides. Accompanied by a tour guide, you can admire stunning works by Botticelli, Filippo Lippi and many other important painters.
In addition, a dedicated wing houses the Museum of Musical Instruments. Some of the ancestors of today’s instruments can be seen here. There’s an antique harpsichord, and one of the very few surviving violins by Stradivari. The violin can still be played. It constitutes a true gem of the Gallery’s collection.
We’re almost at the end of our journey in Florence. To conclude our tour, we’d like to take you, accompanied by one of our tour guides, to a museum that’s steeped in significance, intrigue and mystery, namely the
The Medici Chapels are part of the San Lorenzo complex, a short walk from Florence’s Mercato Centrale.
They consist of the Sagrestia Nuova (New Sacristy), the Cappella dei Principi (the Princes’ Chapel) and the crypt. The crypt is the eternal resting place of the Medici Grand Dukes and their families; the mortal remains of the Lorraine family and the funeral monument to Cosimo il Vecchio can also be found here. Accompanied by your tour guide, you can discover the world of intrigue surrounding the people buried here. The Medici and Lorraine families were afflicted by a series of suspicious deaths and rare diseases.
The Sagrestia Nuova also contains the tombs of several illustrious members of the Medici family, including Lorenzo the Magnificent. However, the chapel’s truly unique feature is its statues. The Sagrestia was actually designed and sculpted by Michelangelo. His genius can be admired in the superb works Night and Day, to mention just two examples.
Continuing your tour of the Medici Chapels, you can admire the magnificent interior of Cappella dei Principi. There are no tombs here, just epitaphs and funerary monuments. The distinctive feature of this chapel is the opulence of the marble and the wealth of color visible on all sides: in fact, every type of marble available in Tuscany was used in its construction. The creation of this splendid interior was a remarkably complex operation, carried out in collaboration with the Opificio di Firenze.
In conclusion, below you’ll find some addresses where you can eat and sleep, already mentioned in one of our earlier articles, available HERE.
WHERE TO SLEEP:
Our voyage of discovery in beautiful Florence has come to an end. We hope our advice can help make your two days in the city unforgettable. Don’t forget to share your thoughts with us, and if you’re looking for more ideas for activities and experiences, you can visit our BLOG.
