Top 10 Picks of Florence Italy, best of Florence, top Attractions of Florence, most famous sights of Florence

Top 10 Attractions of Florence

Piazza del Duomo

Piazza del Duomo, located in the heart of the historical center of the city, is not only the most famous address in Florence but is the place to visit here. The square is also quite easy to get to: Brunelleschi’s majestic, red ochre Cupola Duomo, the centerpiece of the square, dominates Florence’s skyline from virtually all vantage points. In fact, if you walk through the city's winding streets, you’ll see Giotto’s Campanile loom beside the cupola and the radiant, richly decorated marble-clad exterior of both the cathedral and the baptistery suddenly come into view. It is not uncommon to see visitors approaching open-mouthed. Also, be forewarned that patience is required to come to terms with the hordes of tourists and the length of the lines which are virtually assured.

Galleria degli Uffizi

This is easily Florence's largest and most famous gallery, ranked among the most select art galleries in the world. Here you'll find works from both the Florentine and Tuscan schools, as well as hundreds from art movements across Italy and all over Europe. In all, there are 45 rooms in two galleries, all of them filled with astonishing works of art, veritable treasures, no less, with scores of Roman sculptures to be found in the museum corridors as well. The galleria is located at Loggiate degli Uffizi 6. Gallery admission is 8.50 euros.

Palazzo Vecchio

Situated in the Historic Centre of Florence, Palazzo Vecchio is dominated by its military-style medieval town hall which, designed by Arnolfo di Cambio and distinguished by its 94-meter (308-foot) tower, has been an important building in the history of Florence since early 14th century. It was built in massive fortress-like dimensions to house the Signoria, the highest ranks of the city’s republican government. Changes in Florence’s political makeup, especially with the return of the Medici, saw many transformations, especially to the interior, where fresco after fresco describes the history of the family, mainly by favored architect Vasari. He also added the frescoes to the regal Salone dei Cinquecento (the Room of the Five Hundred), which at one time housed Savonarola’s republic government and still houses Michelangelo’s Genio della Victoria.

Galleria dell’Accademia

The Galleria dell’Accademia is Florence's second-most-visited art museum, and is Itself housed in the Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. The museum is most notably home to seven famous marble sculptures by Michelangelo, including David, St Mathew, Pieta di Palestrina and four incomplete Prigioni. The museum also houses a fabulous collection of paintings by Benozzo Gozzoli, Uccello, Boticelli, Filippino Lippi, Fra Bartolomeo, Perugino and others. The museum is located at Via Ricasoli 60. Admission fee is 8.50 euros.

Piazza Repubblica

An impressive piazza and popular tourist haunt, where the dominant cafes - Donnini, Gilli, Giubbe, Rosse and Pazzkowski - were an institution unto themselves during the 19th century, patronized by known writers, artists and intellectuals. The piazza is a great place for an espresso and a pastry. The area to the south and east of it is crammed with luxury shops, banks and restaurants, all housed in historic buildings.

Museo Nazionale del Bargello

Located on the Palazzo Bargello, the Museo Nazionale del Bargello is Florence’s National Museum. It is important for its displays of Renaissance sculpture, which includes works by Ghiberti, Donatello (Niccolò da Uzzano, Marzocco, Cupid, David, St. George), Brunelleschi (including panels from the Baptistery doors), Verrocchio, Ammannati and Cellini (including his Bust of Cosimo I). Museum admission is 4 euros.

Giardino di Boboli

Sculpture-packed gardens, located in the hilly area behind the museum-rich Palazzo Pitti. The gardens represent one of the finest examples of Italian landscaping, with fountains, grottoes and several astonishing sculptures. Of particular interest are the Isolotto, the small island in the center of the water garden, Buontalenti’s grotto, the Kaffeehaus in its 18th-century Rococo pavilion, and the vast amphitheater where opera is said to have been born. Admission to the gardens is 2 euros.

The Oltrarno

A picturesque neighborhood traditionally populated by craftsmen, restorers and antique dealers awaits you on the other side of the Arno. Originally the domain of those unable to offer themselves a palazzo on the north side of the river, the now trendy Oltrano first saw its fortune change with the construction of the Palazzo Pitti in the mid-15th century and since has gone from strength to strength. These days its windy, cobbled streets are both the site of the last vestiges of Florentine culture and the meeting place for Florence’s globalized youth, a dichotomy also reflected in its much-frequented restaurants. It is, ultimately, a warren of narrow streets filled with artisan workshops and some great restaurants.

Piazzale Michelangelo

Piazzale Michelangelo, which can be accessed from Viale G. Galilei or even Piazza G. Poggi, offers the city’s best-known viewpoint. The piazzale is easily-recognizable by its bronze replica of David, the souvenir sellers and, of course, the view. Built to the plans of Giuseppe Poggi in 1869, it offers a splendid panorama of the city that is best enjoyed in the early evening when the incessant tour buses decline a bit.

Ponte Vecchio

Located near the Mercato Nuovo, the splendid Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) is an outstanding example of medieval bridge architecture. Designed by Taddeo Daddi in 1345, it was constructed to replace an even older bridge that had been dragged away by an angry Arno in 1333. The Arno attempted to do likewise in 1966, but the bridge managed to survive both this and the earlier Nazi retreating attacks in 1944 (the only bridge in Florence to have done so). The butchers who originally occupied it were replaced at the end of the 17th century by the jewelry traders you still see today (Ferdinando I de’ Medici couldn’t stand the smell of the butcher shops along the Corridoio Vasariano). You can easily understand from its design what a bridge represented to locals in the Middle Ages. This is medieval bridge architecture at its most splendid.

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