The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, found in the Piazza del Duomo, rules the Florence skyline. First designed by Arnolfo di Cambio, it is third largest church in the world, after only St. Peter’s in Rome and St. Paul’s in London. Its name means the Virgin of the Flower — an allusion to the lily, the symbol of the city of Florence. Construction started in 1296 and took nigh on 150 years to finish. Numerous styles come together in this cathedral, indicating how tastes evolved over this period. Altogether, the cathedral complex includes the Baptistery, the octagonal minor basilica that is among the oldest buildings in Florence, and Giotto’s Campanile, the showpiece Gothic bell tower. All the buildings have the same, striking pink, white and green marble façade; together, they are are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Cherry on TopSanta maria del Fiore’s famous dome, seen on every other Florence postcard, was designed in the 15th century by Brunelleschi. He took the innovative approach of vaulting the dome space without scaffolding, by using a double shell structure. The inner shell is the self-supporting element, while the outer dome serves a wind-resistant covering. Crowning the dome is a lantern, upon which there is a copper sphere and cross that contain holy relics. You can scale the 463 steps to Brunelleschi’s dome for an unforgettable view of Florence. It also allows you to get a closer look at the frescos on the inner shell of the dome, painted by Giorgia Vasari and Federico Zuccari between 1572 and 1579.

The Baptistery of St John dates from the 11th century, making it one of the oldest buildings in Florence. Built in the Florentine Romanesque style, it has the status of a minor basilica. With its white and green marble façade, it is in keeping with the other two masterpieces in the Piazza del Duomo: the Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore, and the Giotto Campanile. The three buildings are similar, but you can’t miss the baptistery: it’s octagonal, after all. The octagon has been a common shape for baptisteries for a long time. The number eight represents the six days of creation, the Day of Rest, and a day of re-creation through baptism.Stairway to HeavenIt has three sets of bronze doors which bear panels telling the story of humanity and the redemption. The south doors were made be Andrea Pisano, whereas the north and east doors were made by Lorenzo Ghiberti. Though the originals are now held in the Grande Museo del Duomo for safekeeping, the copies of Ghiberti’s renowned doors of the Porta del Paradiso are still marvellous. None other than Michelangelo himself gave the door that name, and he knew what he was talking about. Redemption, for someInside, a magnificent mosaic ceiling looms overhead. It dates from the 13th century, and the section above the altar depicts the Last Judgement, with the rewards of the saved at Christ’s right hand and the punishments of the damned at his left. Hieronymus Bosch would have been proud of the latter: sinners are variously roasted on spits, crushed by rocks and chewed on by beasts.

Found in the Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio is a formidable fortress palace, capped by an unmistakeable, 94 metre crenellated tower. Designed by Arnolfo di Cambio for the city government, to this day it remains home to the mayor’s office and the municipal council. The Republican IdealThe inscription over the palace’s main door reads “Christ is the king” and served as a reminder that no mortal could hold absolute power. At the time the palace was built, nine consuls would be picked at random from members of the guild, and they would live in it. Every two months nine new names would be drawn, so no one ever had a chance to get comfy. RevampThings began to change in the 16th century when Cosimo I de’ Medici turned the Palazzo into one of the most luxurious ducal residences of the time. Michaelangelo’s sculpture Genio della Vittoria can be found inside in the Salone dei Cinquecento, a painted hall that was created for the council of 500 who ruled the city in the 15th century. This hall was commissioned in 1540 by Cosimo I, who tasked Vasari and his apprentices to glorify his victories for Florence over Pisa and Siena. He also requested that he be portrayed in god-like fashion in the centre of the panelled ceiling. Also inside the palace is the Chapel of SS Cosmas and Damian, as well as the Sala di Leo X — which was home to Cardinal Giovanni de’ Medici, before he became pope in 1513. Upstairs you can see the Camera Verde, the ceiling of which was inspired by that of Nero’s Domus Aurea in Rome, and the Sala dei Gigli, which is home to Donatello’s Judith and Holofernes. Map to the StarsWhen he wasn’t glorifying himself through paintings, Cosimo I was an avid map collector. In the Sala delle Carte Geografiche you can see his collection of 16th century maps and get an idea of the scope of the known world at the time, from pole to pole.

Set just off the piazza della Signoria, the Loggia dei Lanzi is an outdoor museum that holds some of Florence’s most treasured sculptures and fountains. It owes its name to the Lanzichenecchi bodyguards of Cosimo I who were often stationed here to keep the peace. This Swiss mercenary corps subsequently became notorious for sacking Rome in 1527, but the Loggia kept its name. Designed by Simone Talenti in the 1300s, the Loggia is of the late Gothic style. However, its use of round arches also makes it one of the first examples of Renaissance architecture in Florence. At the time of building the terrace above it was intended as a place for people to watch ceremonies in the piazza below. Now it is part of the Uffizi Gallery, but it remains a great spot for watching the crowds below. Head to HeadThe Loggia first became an outdoor museum when the Florentines expelled the Medici in 1494, after 150 years of their rule. To celebrate the revolt, citizens transported Donatello’s Judith and Holofernes to the Loggia from the Medici’s palace. It depicts a woman decapitating a tyrant — the symbolism is clear. The Medici’s inevitably regained power and Cosimo I commisioned Benvenuto Cellini to make a sculpture of Perseus holding the severed head of Medusa. In 1554 this statue was placed in the Loggia as a warning to Cosimo’s enemies. PantheonToday, many other statues stand alongside Perseus. Don’t miss Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabine Women, Agnolo Gaddi’s Seven Virtues, or the restored Roman statue depicting Menelaus and Patroclus from Greek mythology.

Along with Piazza del Duomo, Piazza della Signoria is one of Florence’s main hubs. The history of Florence is one of warring families, and the Piazza della Signoria rose from the rubble of one such feud. In the 13th century the area was owned by the pro-imperial Uberti family, whose chief rivals were the pro-papal Buondelmonti family. In 1266, the defeat of the imperial army at the Battle of Benevento led to the expulsion of the Uberti family. All their properties were razed and, as a symbol of victory, the ground was salted and the rubble was not cleared for more than a decade. Thereafter, it became the open square it is today. The piazza is dominated by the massive Palazzo Vecchio and its crenellated tower, Florence’s city hall, and the Loggia dei Lanzi, an open air museum that showcases various Renaissance sculptures, ranging from Giambologna’s ‘Rape of the Sabine Women’ to Cellini’s ‘Perseus’. Hero upon HeroPiazza della Signoria is not the biggest square in Italy, but it is one of the most beautiful, in part due to its buildings, but also because dotted around it are some of Florence’s most recognisable statues. Foremost among them is a replica of Michaelangelo’s ‘David’, the original of which can now be found in the Accademia. It was originally found on the steps of the Palazzo Vecchio, flanked by two even older statues, the Marzocco and Judith, both by Donatello. The first shows a lion holding the heraldic shield of the city. The lion was the emblem of the Florentine republic, and indeed several lions used to be kept in a caged area behind the palace in what is now known as the Street of Lions.

Ponte Vecchio means ‘Old Bridge’, and it’s a deserved name: this structure dates back to 1345. It’s the oldest bridge in Florence — the only one to escape destruction as German forces retreated in 1944. This bridge spans the Arno river at its narrowest point, but in fact scarcely looks like a bridge at all. Compared to the light and airy metallic structures of today, the Ponte Vecchio is pleasingly sturdy. Made of stone and wood, it is crowded with overhanging shops. It is not simply simple a way to get from A to B, but rather a road, market place and piazza all rolled into one. Diamond in the RoughThe bridge is packed with jewellers’ shops, and has been since the 16th century when Ferdinando I de’ Medici sent them in as a more agreeable replacement for the malodorous butchers and fishmongers, who used to throw their putrid leftovers straight into the river. Florence was becoming a great centre of Renaissance culture, and they had to keep up appearances. HighwayThe Vasari Corridor is a covered passageway which runs above the shops on Ponte Vecchio. Cosimo I commissioned it to connect the Uffizi with the Pitt Palace, his humble abode across the river. When the Germans were retreating, only the bridge’s access points to the city were destroyed — in fact, the Vasari Corridor was, for a time, the only way to get from one side of the river to the other, short of having a boat.

The Uffizi Gallery is globally famous, and rightly so: it holds the world’s finest collection of Italian Renaissance art, in addition to works dating right back to ancient Greece. Much of the collection was bequeathed to the city by the Medici family in 1743 — on the one condition that it never leave Florence. Today it stands as one of the greatest gifts of the Medici offspring: along with the Vatican Museums in Rome, the Uffizi is one of the two most visited museums in Italy. The building the gallery is housed in was built by Cosimo I de’ Medici and designed by Giorgio Vasari in the 16th century. Vasari is perhaps most famous for his series of biographies, Lives of the Artists, one of the most interesting and entertaining history of art documents we have. Read it for the gossip, then head to the Uffizi to see all of their finest works on show. The Masters Perhaps the greatest - and most popular - room in the Uffizi is the Botticelli room. It is one huge hall that contains dozens of works by the Renaissance master, including The Birth of Venus, Spring and Adoration of the Magi. Elsewhere you will find works by the likes of Michaelangelo, Da Vinci, Canaletto — in fact, just about any Italian master you can think of. The Vasari Corridor The Vasari Corridor links Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizi to the Pitt Palace on the opposite side of the river Arno. Commisioned by Cosimo I in 1565, it is over one kilometre long and allowed the Medici to move freely - and privately - between the seat of government and their home. Now you can walk in their footsteps: enjoy the spectacular views through the circular windows and also the selection of 17th and 18th century paintings that line the walls.

Throughout Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens, there are dramatic marble statues which draw global visitors each day.

The Florentine building known as Orsanmichele was one of the most important places for sculpture in the early Renaissance years.

Outdoor Leather Markets in Florence · San Lorenzo leather market Florence

The Basilica di Santo Spirito is found in the Oltrarno quarter of Florence, opening onto the Piazza Santo Spirito. A church was first built on this site in the 13th century. The locus was no stranger to drama: in a district where some of the richest and the poorest of Florence were thrown together, this politically explosive mix gave rise to sensational assassinations and numerous uprisings — many of which took place quite literally on the steps of the church. However, after the Florentines defeated the Milanese in 1397 on the feast day of St Augustine it was decided that the church should be rebuilt to honour the saint. The renowned architect Brunelleschi was brought on board, and though he died before the church’s completion it seems to have been built more or less according to his designs. Its interior is considered to be one of Florence’s preeminent examples of Renaissance architecture. Sideways Brunelleschi’s designs included thirty eight niche-chapels running around the inside of the church walls. The left hand portion in particular contains some exceptionally complete examples of 15th century chapels, among them the Bini Capponi Chapel with Botticini’s St. Monica and the Augustinian Nuns. Another chapel in the transept contains grating through which the Frescobaldi family were able to hear the liturgy without having to leave their palazzo next door. Body of Lies Although possibly apocryphal, some say that the church’s crucifix was sculpted by a seventeen year old Michelangelo. He allegedly created it in exchange for being allowed to make anatomical studies of the corpses coming from the convent’s hospital.