Florence which is called Firenze by the Italians, is rightly included in the top 10 most beautiful cities in the world. Florence is unique. The city is romantic and perky and breathes history. Do you like stories and old stones? Then Florence is a nice city trip. There are many Florence attractions. Churches, cozy squares, museums and of course the bizarrely imposing cathedral in the middle of the city. Walking or cycling through Florence, it seems as if you imagine yourself through your history books of the past. The Renaissance comes to life!
Is one day enough to see the whole city? In itself, yes. You can cycle past all Florence sights in one day. But do you want more? For example, visit all the famous museums or take a look at the imposing cathedral? Do you want to dive into antiquity and the Renaissance and immerse yourself in bygone times? Then you need a little more time. Know that you can buy tickets and passes in advance for the huge number of Florence attractions.
1. Florence Cathedral – Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore
To start with the highlight: the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is quite modestly the most beautiful sight in Florence. The cathedral is so beautiful and so imposing that you can look at it for hours and see something different every time. It is a large work of art consisting of hundreds or perhaps thousands of mini works of art. And I’m only talking about the outside. The cathedral of Florence is a basilica and that says something about the style in which the church was built.
The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is the third largest cathedral in Europe (source: Wikipedia), although this is contradicted by other sources. In any case, it is in the top 10, together with St. Peter’s in Vatican City, St. Paul’s in London and the Duomo in Milan. It took almost 200 years for the construction of the cathedral to be completed. It was started in the 13th century and was not completed until the 15th century. The church is dedicated to Saint Mary.
Even without going into details such as the huge dome, the decoration with a facade and statues of saints, the negotic style, the fact that there is a campanile (a rectangular tower) next to it and a baptistery (a baptistery) in front, the church for itself. The gigantic building is so special that you can easily spend an entire afternoon visiting it. If you go to Florence, don’t miss this beautiful building and go inside it. I’ll do that next time too.
2. Ponte Vecchio – old bridge Florence
One of Florence’s most famous landmarks: the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge). The bridge was built in the fourteenth century. First of wood, but after a flood it was renovated with stone. It is a small village in itself with all kinds of shops and a lot of activity and bustle, mainly by tourists. Jewelers in particular are fully represented on the bridge. It runs from the Palazzo Vecchio.
3. Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria
The Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace) is located towards the Arno River in the square Piazza della Signoria and was built in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The building has long been Florence’s main government building. Although the building is not the most beautiful building in the city, it is a must see, because it has been so important. Today the palace is a museum and in front of the building is a replica of Michelangelo’s David. The real David stood in the square for a long time, but was brought in at the end of the 19th century and is now in the Galleria dell’Accademia museum. I already know that I will not dare to skip this museum on my next visit to Florence.
4. Piazzale Michelangelo
On the other side of the Arno River you will find the Piazzale Michelangelo. It is the most famous viewpoint in the city and for good reason. You have a view of the whole city. Accessible by car or just on foot via the stairs. Once I had crossed the Ponte Vecchio I cycled towards the stairs. I parked my bike at the bottom and in good spirits dragged my legs up. I promise you, it’s worth it, because the view over the city is really beautiful!
5. Museums Florence
With all these beautiful sights, Florence is a large open-air museum in itself, but you can also take a day off to visit the museums. These are the top 3 museums in Florence:
Galleria dell’Accademia
The Galleria dell’Accademia is now a museum, but used to be the very first art school. I just said it, the real David by artist Michelangelo can be admired here and that is surely one of the most famous works of art ever. If you are going to visit the museum, make sure you have bought your ticket in advance, but still expect a huge queue.
Bargello
More Michelangelo? Then take a look at the Bargello museum in the Palazzo (palace) del Bargello. Well-known works in the museum are Donatello’s David, Giambologana’s Mercury and Michelangelo’s Bacchus. The bronze panels in the palace are also a work of art in themselves.
Pitti Palace
Botticelli, Caravaggio, Rubens, Titian and Raphael. Palazzo Pitti houses several museums where the works of these artists can be found. The palace itself has great ornaments and an artful ceiling, making the palace itself an attraction in itself. So visit!
Florence tourism
Tourism is booming in Florence. The Italian government is doing everything it can to limit the nuisance of tourists as much as possible. For example, there is an experiment to spray the stairs of all churches with water, so that tourists no longer sit there and therefore do not leave any mess behind. Familiar story? That may be true, because in Rome the same thing happens/happened.
