Things to do in  Florence

Home to what may be the most famous sculpture in the world, the Accademia Gallery (Galleria dell’Accademia) is one of the top museums in Florence. Aside from Michelangelo’s renowned statue of David, other works of art on display include Renaissance paintings by artists such as Sandro Botticelli and Filippino Lippi, unfinished Michelangelo sculptures, and a rare collection of musical instruments.

No matter where you are in Florence, chances are you’ll spot this famous Duomo, a defining element of the city’s history, geography, and identity. Beneath its red-tiled dome lies Florence’s largest church, officially called the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. The Duomo complex, which houses the Opera del Duomo Museum (Museo dell’Opera del Duomo), the Florence Baptistery (Battistero di San Giovanni), and Giotto’s Bell Tower (Campanile di Giotto), is the city’s most famous landmark.

The Ponte Vecchio—or Old Bridge—is perhaps the most recognized symbol of Florence after Brunelleschi’s Dome. Stretching across the Arno River, the pretty pedestrian bridge is lined with pocket-sized jewelry stores and viewpoints over the city’s colorful riverside palazzi. The windows that run along the top of the 14th-century bridge hint at the Vasari Corridor—a secret passageway built for the Medici family and now accessible to the public.

The Uffizi Galleries (Gallerie degli Uffizi) house one of the world’s most significant collections of art, drawing in more than a million annual visitors who wish to cast their eyes upon its many masterpieces. Set in the heart of Florence, the museum contains the works of artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio, Botticelli, and Giotto, among others. It is the premier place to view Italian Renaissance art and is the most-visited museum in the country.

Piazza della Signoria is the most important public square in Florence, home to the fortress-like Palazzo Vecchio—both a museum and the Tuscan capital’s city hall—and the Loggia dei Lanzi, an open-air sculpture gallery with masterpieces by Giambologna and Cellini. The political heart of Florence in medieval and Medici times, today’s piazza is an elegant meeting place to sip spritzes and cappuccinos while admiring the stately Fountain of Neptune.

Piazzale Michelangelo is the most famous scenic overlook in Florence, affording visitors spectacular views over the city and its landmarks. From this 19th-century square set on a hillside in the Oltrarno neighborhood, you can see the Ponte Vecchio stretching across the Arno River and the iconic Florence Duomo (Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore) soaring over the city’s rooftops, with the Tuscan hills rolling in the distance.

Towering above Florence, Filippo Brunelleschi’s Dome (Cupola di Brunelleschi) is a bona fide feat of engineering and architecture. Completed in 1436 after 16 years of construction, the symbol of the city—and the world’s largest masonry dome—crowns the Florence Duomo (Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore) and dwarfs every other building in the historic center. Frescoes by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari decorate the inside of the terracotta-tiled dome, while its terrace offers some of the best views over Florence.

Piazza della Repubblica is one of the most important and elegant squares in the heart of Florence, lined with porticoed 19th-century palazzi, Grand Dame hotels, high-end boutiques, bustling restaurants, and historic cafés. A stroll through this beautiful public space is a must during any Florence sightseeing tour.

The Pitti Palace is one of Florence’s most important museum complexes, enriched over the centuries by its esteemed inhabitants. The Medici family moved into the massive stone residence in 1550, and members of the Habsburg-Lorraine and Savoy dynasties lived there over the next few centuries. See the rulers’ relics displayed across five museums, from the sumptuous Royal Apartments to the Palatine Gallery and its many Renaissance masterpieces.

Palazzo Vecchio has been the hub of Florence’s political activity since the 13th century. With its imposing crenelated roofline and defensive Arnolfo Tower, the museum and still-active city hall dominate Piazza della Signoria and houses the luxurious former chambers of the Medici family. Visiting its richly decorated apartments and meeting halls, which include works by Michelangelo and Donatello, gives you a glimpse into the Renaissance glory of Florence.

Facing the Florence Cathedral (aka the Duomo) and flaunting matching green and white marble, the Baptistery of St. John (Battistero di San Giovanni) is one of the oldest structures in the Tuscan capital. The octagonal building is thought to have been built in the fourth century, with artistic masterpieces added over time. These include Byzantine-style mosaics covering the ceiling and Lorenzo Ghiberti’s intricate bronze entry doors, which an impressed Michelangelo declared the “Gates of Paradise.”

The historic and happening Oltrarno—which sits just across the Arno River from central Florence—is one of the city’s most dynamic neighborhoods. It’s home to Pitti Palace (Palazzo Pitti) and Boboli Gardens (Giardino di Boboli), as well as Brunelleschi’s Santo Spirito Basilica and Santa Maria del Carmine’s Brancacci Chapel, frescoed by Filippino Lippi. Panoramic Piazzale Michelangelo perches just above, and lively artisan workshops, restaurants, and wine bars line the district’s narrow lanes.

Though Brunelleschi’s soaring cupola may be the most recognizable part of the Florence Duomo, the cathedral wouldn’t be complete without Giotto’s Bell Tower (Campanile di Giotto). Rising 278 feet (85 meters) above the rooftops of Florence, the Gothic tower is covered in multicolored marble, with impressive sculptures and bas-reliefs on its lower levels and a panoramic terrace on top—which you can reach by climbing 414 steps.

Florence’s Santa Croce Basilica has a grand piazza and an instantly recognizable neo-Gothic facade—but what’s on the inside is even more impressive. One of the most important churches in the city, the 13th-century basilica is a treasure trove of Renaissance artwork and history, with masterpieces by Brunelleschi, Donatello, and Giotto. It’s also the final resting place of luminaries, including Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli.

In a city known for its Renaissance architecture, the Gothic-style Orsanmichele Church and Museum is a standout. With ornate doors and windows, some of the oldest stained glass in Florence, and statues by Brunelleschi, Ghiberti, Della Robbia, Nanni di Banco, and Donatello, this little-known landmark is worth a visit.