Top 10 Things to do in Florence

The beauty of Florence is incomparable to any other city. Honestly, I don’t know where to begin with a city like Florence, it’s a beautiful city from all angles, the details in the architecture are beyond compare and the history of this city flourishes still in every detail. If you reward yourself with a visit to the Giotto’s Bell Tower you will have a magnificent overview of the cities’ signature red tile roofs and also the best view of the dome of the cathedral ‘Santa Maria del Fiore’; and it definitely is a stunning view of the dome. This is a perfect city to get lost in while wandering the very “Italian” streets, grabbing a gelato every now and then and getting lost in the renaissance art and architecture.

1. Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

In the heart of Florence, dominating the skyline of Florence with its enormous dome, lays the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, also known by the simpler name ‘Duomo’. This cathedral is such a monumental structure, that it requires all of your attention to grasp its mightiness and to comprehend the unique details. Not only is the church an enormous structure, the details of the architecture are equally spectacular, transporting you right back to the brightest age of Florence. This vast 13th century Gothic structure dominates the ‘Piazza del Duomo’ leaving a pathway around the cathedral to admire its beauty equal from all sites. While the construction began at the end of the 13th century, it wasn’t until a couple of centuries later that it was deemed finished with its dome. The dome being an astonishing achievement of construction for the 14th century which is best admired from the Giotto’s Bell Tower laying alongside the cathedral. The cathedral, the baptistery of St. John and Giotto’s Bell Tower all constitute an enclosed structure with an equal architecture. Maybe you will notice, that the facade is arranged with a decorative mix of pink, white and green marble – just like the Italian flag.

2. Giotto's Bell Tower

If you are searching for the best view in Florence, Giotto’s Bell Tower is the place for you! I enjoy a good panoramic view of a city from above and simply can’t resist an opportunity to climb a tower, or any view point for that matter. I find, it gives you not only a great overview of a city, it is also a whole different experience capturing the view of a city from above – especially this one! After you have marvelled on the richly sculpted decorations on the outside you can take the 414 steps to the top of the tower. However, it’s advised not to climb the tower if you have heart conditions, vertigo or claustrophobia. As part of an enclosed structure constituting the above mentioned ‘Duomo’ and the Baptistery of St. John, Giotto’s Bell Tower is an equal match of beauty with its red, white and green marbled facade. The tower is rising impressive 85 metres above Florence and providing you with the best view of the cities’ signature red tile roofs.

3. Uffizi Galleries

The Uffizi Galleries is the place for you, where you can spend hours after hours marvelling on the outstanding collections of ancient sculptures and paintings, deriving way back from the Middle Ages to the modern day. The collections of the art gallery consist of some absolute masterpieces from the like of Botticelli, Rafaelo, Michelangelo and Leonardo, just to name a few. However, as impressive as the art collection is, the architecture of the gallery is equally outstanding. You might even find yourself standing in awe of the architecture in the gallery corridors outdoing the art in such a way that you feel the building being an integrated part of the exhibition and in a way it is. It is no wonder, that this art museum is one of the biggest and most visited museums in Italy and part of the top 10 things to do in Florence with its incomparable masterpieces, especially the ones from the Italian renaissance.

4. Galleria del Accademia

I was not in doubt that when I turned around the corner and saw people standing patiently in line early in the day, that I had arrived at an important, historic site. The Galleria del Accademia is home to Michelangelo’s famous sculpture ‘David’, just as it is home to many other of his sculptures, thereby creating a collection with the largest number of Michelangelo’s sculptures in the world. The mighty sculpture of ‘David’ is what most people come here for and you will find yourself being greeted by him as he stands godlike underneath a dome of light, emphasizing the greatness of this masterpiece. The Galleria del Accademia is, compared to the Uffizi Gallery, easier comprehensible with fewer art pieces but nonetheless worth a visit as you can marvel at the white marble statue for an incredibly long time

5. Basilica of Santa Croce

Being so absorbed by the movie set that was arranged in front of the Santa Croce Church it almost captured all of our attention until we lastly pulled ourselves away from the movie world and entered a very different world from a different time. The rich decoration and stunningly beautiful interior of churches never cease to amaze me, one church after the other. It must be the amount of time spent building such masterpieces which tells a story of a time long ago which is something nowhere to be found in the modern days anymore that makes me cherish these pieces even more.

It is without a doubt the Santa Croce Church which dominates the enormous, rectangular space in front of the church the ‘Piazza di Santa Croce’. Although the fact that this is the first Franciscan church in the world, deriving all the way back from 1294, it is rather the fact that superstars like Michelangelo and Galileo lie buried here. Do yourself a favour and bring a good amount of time when entering when entering this church to have enough time to dwell on the marvellous details.

6. Palazzo Vecchio

Don’t be fooled by the statue of David standing in front of the ‘Palazzo Vecchio’, this is merely an imitation of the original, standing in the above mentioned ‘Galleria del Accademia’. What you’ve really came for however, is the marvellous ‘Palazzo Vecchio’, a building deriving from the 13th century. The palace has for centuries been a political centre in Florence. In 1540 it was Coismo 1st de Medici who took over this building. When wandering though Florence and learning more of the city's history, you will come across the Medici family name often, which was a very rich family who fundamentally shaped Florence through their influences to what it is today. Today, the palace constitutes a city hall and museum both, and are we glad that this spectacular building has been opened up to the public.

7. Ponte Vecchio

Long did I gaze at the ‘Ponte Vecchio’, wondering what it would be like to have a house on a historic bridge like this. The small pastel-coloured clusters of buildings clinging to the main structure are a true one-of-a-kind-sight. What was once normal in a different time to have buildings and shops built upon a bridge is now a unique, historic sight. Also, the shop owners have changed over time – where once the butcher traded meat, is now occupied by jeweller, art and souvenir shops. Once you set foot on this historic stone bridge from 1345, you will feel the atmosphere changing. It’s like stepping into a different world outside Florence, a small village really. The history of how the ‘Ponte Vecchio’ became set in stone is a rather tragic one. It took many attempts of wooden bridges which were destroyed one after the other by many different floods until the present bridge was built in solid stones in 1345.

8. Palazzo Pitti

Exploring much of the north side of the Arno River, it wasn't until we crossed the 'Ponte Vecchio' to visit the 'Palazzo Pitti' that we started exploring the southside of the city, too. The 'Palazzo Pitti' is a giant reminiscence of the brightest age of Florence - the Renaissance. Dating back to 1458 being built for the banker Luca Pitti, it was since acquisitioned by the Medici family in 1549 when Coismo 1st de Medici had left the 'Palazzo Vecchio' has his home and entered his new home in the grand walls of 'Palazzo Pitti' on the south side of the river. It ultimately became the main residence for the Medici family and a symbol of their power over Tuscany for over 300 years. You might have found the art collection at the 'Uffizi Gallery' impressive and the collection at the 'Galleria del Accademia' magnetizing, what the 'Palazzo Pitti' has to offer is however outstanding.

9. Boboli Gardens

Behind the grand walls of the ‘Palazzo Pitti’ you find the most mesmerizing green oasis – the Boboli Gardens – a place where nature, art and renaissance meet. A great thanks to the Medici family who established the layout of the gardens, thereby creating the Italian garden style which later on would become a model for many European courts. Go on an exploration in the garden with the many different landscapes and diverse sections which include fountains, grottos, a pavilion, renaissance statues and so much more.

10. Baptistery of St. John

A sneak-peek inside the Baptistery of St. John was all we got this time in Florence, but it’s for sure a must-visit next time we come around. The Baptistery is easy to remember with its remarkably detailed architecture as it is part of the complex of the ‘Duomo’ and ‘Giotto’s Bell Tower’, standing right across the cathedral with its octagonal structure. Not only is the Baptistery occupying one, but two squares, the ‘Piazza del Duomo’ as well as the ‘Piazza di San Giovanni’. Being constructed between 1059 and 1128 it’s described as one of the oldest buildings in Florence.