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The city of Florence (or Firenze) lies in Tuscany, a region in Italy known for its wine, hilltop towns, and dramatic landscapes. The city is essentially a treasure trove of art, scattered across many of the cities’ galleries and museums. Florence was considered the center of medieval European due to its great wealth, derived from the fields of trade and finance. It is where the Renaissance started, and has a rich and shaky political history, dominated by rule from the Medici family (among others).

What I loved about Florence the most was just how much stuff you could do and see. Aside from the art, we never ever went hungry, with food stalls and cafes scattered all across the city, we could sample every Italian dish we wanted from an espresso, to eggplant parmesan, to Arrabiata pasta, and finally Tira misu. 

If you have some extra time in your trip and want to see other great places in Italy, feel free to check out my posts on each village of Cinque Terre (Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare), just a 2 hour train ride away from Florence or the city of Venice. 

Our journey to Florence started with taking a flight to Florence Peretola Airport (FLR) and taking the tram T2 to the city center (Stop: Alamanni - Stazione Santa Maria Novella). We managed to stay right next to the Basilica di San Lorenzo, perfectly situated within walking distance to the Duomo.

The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is also known as the Duomo. This is because ‘duomo’ is derived from the Latin word domus, which means ‘house’ in the same way that a cathedral is the ‘house of God’. Construction was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style and was completed in 1436 (structurally rather, but the overall decoration was not done until many centuries later). What I specifically love about the cathedral is the pink and green marble panels on the front facade, it gives the cathedral a rather unique look. All the construction details are extensive, so I recommend learning more about it while you’re there, don’t want to give too much of it away!

There isn’t just the main cathedral that makes up the Duomo. There are several parts of it to see, including:

• Brunelleschi's Dome (Cupola di Brunelleschi) - measuring 45.5 meters in diameter, it was completed between 1420 and 1436 by Filippo Brunelleschi. The Dome itself is quite the architectural achievement since there is no supporting structure for it, as it is held together by a variety of arches, ribs, and bricks elaborately arranged in a ‘herringbone’ pattern for it stability. You can get a great view of the done from the Campanile.

• Giotto's Bell Tower (Campanile di Giotto) - standing about 84.7 meters tall, it is an example of 14th century Gothic architecture in Florence. What is particularly cool about the bell tower are the multiple levels you can stop at for photo opportunities; there are about 3 or 4 different ‘open’ levels you can relax at, taking in different parts of the city.

• Cathedral - the main part of the Duomo complex, it is the only portion that has free entry. It is 153 metres long, 90 metres wide at the crossing, and 90 metres high. At the time of its completion, it was the largest cathedral in all of Europe. Since the symbol of the city of Florence is a lily, the cathedral was dedicated to Santa Maria del Fiore, known as the the Virgin of the Flower.

• Duomo Terraces - currently still used by those in charge of cathedral maintenance, they are also open to visitors. These terraces are located on the sides of the cathedral roof, spanning the length of the structure. What I like most is that they offer great views of the city below WITHOUT being inhibited by wire mesh or coverings.

The Ponte Vecchio is more than just a bridge, it is the first segmental arch bridge built in the West and was considered to be a great engineering marvel during the Middle Ages. It was built by Taddeo Gaddi in 1345 and today houses shops including many jewelers, art sellers and antique boutiques.

Parallel to it stands the Ponte Santa Trinita bridge. This Renaissance bridge is the oldest elliptic arch bridge in the world spanning 32 meters in length and flanked by the Ponte Vecchio, to the east, and the Ponte alla Carraia to the west. Unfortunately, in August 1944, the bridge was destroyed by retreating German troops to be rendered unusable by the incoming British Army but the bridge was reconstructed in 1958 using some of the original stones.

If you like some of my photos that you have come across, just know that I have many prints showcasing a variety of landscapes, including Italy, available for purchase below! (Sold as Posters, Canvas, or in Metal-Frames).

The Palazzo Vecchio, located in the Piazza della Signoria, is the town hall of Florence, Italy. It overlooks the Piazza della Signoria, which holds a copy of Michelangelo's David statue, and the gallery of statues in the adjacent Loggia dei Lanzi.

When it comes to views over the entire city, you can’t go wrong with the one from Piazzale Michelangelo, situated on the south side of the river Arno. It is quite a popular viewing point as you may see from the people that flock towards it at sunset. There is plenty of space for everyone and I recommend ending one of your evenings there to watch the day turn into night. The Italian architect Giuseppe Poggi designed the space back in 1869.

The Accademia Gallery (Galleria dell'Accademia) is probably mostly known for housing Michelangelo’s ‘David’. Some of Michelangelo’s lesser known sculptures are also kept there along with collections from other Florentine artists from the Trecento to the Late Renaissance periods.

The Uffuzi gallery sits next to the Piazza della Signoria in the center of the city. It is world renowned since it houses a number of priceless works, mostly from the Italian Renaissance. This came to be by the last Medici family heiress Anna Maria Luisa. As the last living descendent of her family, she gifted many of these works to the city, allowed to do so via the Patto di famiglia, or family contract.

There are many other museums to see in Florence, but perhaps one of the most interesting ones (in my opinion) is the Galileo Museum (Museo Galileo). The museum is dedicated to astronomer and scientist Galileo Galilei and houses many old scientific instruments of his that were responsible for his discoveries. I did a report on him in the 9th grade and a lot of what I learned stuck with me, so it was fascinating to actually ‘see’ his livelihood in this museum.

Lastly, you can’t come to Florence and not learn more about Leonardo da Vinci. Da Vinci was known as a painter, engineer, scientist, and architect (among many other things) and has therefore been one of the most impactful Italians of all time. The Leonardo Da Vinci Museum displays a collection of his machines (not the actual ones, but modeled ones) that are interactive. It’s a great place to explore if you have a passion for the sciences, but also nice to go to if you want to see something new other than art.

Aside from Cinque Terre that I mentioned before, another great city that I enjoyed exploring in Italy was Venice. This Italian lagoon is small but compact and an absolute delight to explore. Check out my blog post here on what to do and see in Venice.

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