Florence

other sights

Santa Maria del Fiore

(http://www.brunelleschisd...), also known as the Duomo di Firenze is the city's beautiful cathedral, the symbol of the city. Brunelleschi's huge dome was an engineering feat of the rennaissance. A statue of Brunelleschi is sited in the piazza, with his figure looking upwards towards his dome. It is possible to climb the Dome entrance on the side of the church, which has 464 steps. €8 entrance fee June 2010, and usually has a long lineup.

Giotto's Tower

adjacent to the Duomo, you can climb the tower for a magnificent 360-degree view of the Duomo, Florence, and the surrounding area.€6 entrance fee May 2011, and requires some tenacity to climb 414 steps.

Baptistery

famous for bronze doors by Andrea Pisano 14th century and Lorenzo Ghiberti 15th century and a beautiful interior the vault of which is decorated with 13th century mosaics the only medieval set of mosaics in the city. €4 entrance fee (May 2011.

Palazzo Vecchio

old city palace/city hall, adorned with fine art. The replica of Michelangelo's "David" is placed outside the main door in the original location of the statue, which is a symbol of the Comune of Florence. The site displays an important collection of Renaissance sculptures and paintings, including the Putto, by Verrochio, and the series of murals by Giorgio Vasari at the Salone dei Cinquecento Hall of the Five Houndreds - the hall which used to display the now lost Renaissance masterpiece, that is, the so-called Battaglia di Anghiari, by Leonardo da Vinci.

Ponte Vecchio

the oldest and most famous bridge over the Arno; the only Florentine bridge to survive WW2. The Ponte Vecchio literally "old bridge" is lined with shops, traditionally mostly jewellers since the days of the Medici. Vasari's elevated walkway crosses the Arno over the Ponte Vecchio, connecting the Uffizi to the old Medici palace.

Santa Croce

church contains the monumental tombs of Galileo, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Dante, and many other notables in addition to artistic decorations. There is also great artwork in the church. And when you're done seeing that, a separate charge will gain you admission to the Museo dell'Opera di Santa Croce, where you can see a flood-damaged but still beautiful Crucifix by Cimabue Giotto's teacher, which has become both the symbol of the flooding of Firenze in 1966 and of its recovery from that disaster. The Pazzi Chapel, a perfectly symmetrical example of sublime neo-Classic Renaissance architecture is also worth visiting.

Santa Maria Novella

near the train station, is a beautiful church and contains great artwork, including a recently restored Trinity by Masaccio. Also, the Chiostro Verde, to your left when facing the front entrance of the church, contains frescoes by Paolo Uccello which are quite unusual in style and well worth seeing, if the separate entrance is open. Off of the church's cloister is the wonderful Spanish Chapel which is covered in early Renaissance frescoes.

Orsanmichele

a beautiful old church from the 14th century, which once functioned as a grain market

San Lorenzo

the facade of this church was never completed, giving it a striking, rustic appearance. Inside the church is pure Renaissance neo-classical splendor. If you go around the back of the church, there is a separate entrance to the Medici chapels. Be sure to check out the stunning burial chapel of the princes and the sacristy down the corridor. The small sacristy is blessed with the presence of nine Michelangelo sculptures.

San Marco Convent

1436 houses frescoes by Fra Angelico and his workshop. Fra Angelico painted a series of frescoes for the cells in which the Dominican monks lived.

On the south bank of the Arno:

Boboli Gardens

elaborately landscaped and with many interesting sculptures, behind the Pitti Palace. Wonderful city views. Don't miss the Bardini gardens. Entrance to that is included in the combination ticket price for the Boboli, and it's a short walk from the Boboli Gardens. There are great views of the Duomo from the Bardini gardens. A single adult ticket to the gardens costs €7.

Santa Maria del Carmine

has famous frescoes Masaccio’s Adam and Eve Banished From the Garden and others by Lippi and Masolino in the Brancacci Chapel.

Piazzale Michelangelo

Michelangelo square plaza on a hilltop with a great view of the city go there by bus or climb the stairs and paths from the Lungarno della Zecca.

San Miniato al Monte

uphill from Piazzale Michelangelo. The Sacristy contains frescoes by Spinello Aretino. In the cemetery near this church there are graves of famous people of Florence, including Carlo Lorenzi Collodi - author of the famous Pinocchio.

Santa Felicita

on the Oltrarno, or south side of the Ponte Vecchio, contains frescoes of the Annunciation and a painting of the Deposition of Christ by the brilliant and weird mannerist painter, Pontormo. They are to be found in the Barbadori Chapel, which is to your immediate right when entering the church.

Fiesole-see Florence from above

If you would like to see Florence from "above" then you should take a local bus Bus 7 to Fiesole. This is a hill just 15-20 minutes outside the center to the east where you have a fantastic view of the total city. A perfect spot for a lunch or the sunset. Some restaurants are open the full day - and other regular siesta from 3-6 in the afternoon.Try pizza!