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The historic center of Florence is a treasure trove of art, once surrounded by the 13th-century city walls, of which only monumental towers and two fortresses remain: the San Giovanni Battista Fortress in the north and the Forte di San Giorgio a Belvedere in the Oltrarno area in the south.
Between the lively San Lorenzo neighborhood and the quaint Santa Croce district, Florence boasts the highest concentration of world-famous artworks. A stroll through its historic center will lead you from one masterpiece to another: the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Piazza del Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria, the Uffizi Gallery, Ponte Vecchio, Palazzo Pitti, and the Boboli Gardens. Other notable sites include the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, the Academy Gallery, and the Basilica of Santa Croce.
Florence's history began in 59 B.C. with the Roman foundation of the village of Florentia on the remains of ancient Etruscan settlements. From the year 1000 onwards, Florence's splendor grew exponentially, and its historic center expanded. For centuries, the center was delimited to the north by the city's Circumferential avenues and to the south by the banks of the Arno River. After the 1400s, when wealthy Florentine families began constructing beyond the river, the Oltrarno area became part of the historic center.
The city, the capital of Italy for a few years, is indissolubly linked to the intellectuals and artists who have shaped the history of art and literature from the 13th century to the Renaissance, including Petrarch, Boccaccio, Dante Alighieri, Lorenzo de' Medici, Filippo Brunelleschi, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Leonardo da Vinci, and Niccolò Machiavelli. Florence's historic center, an exceptional testimony to medieval mercantile Florence and Renaissance Italy, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982, making it one of the first sites to receive recognition after Rome's historic city and Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper in Milan.
The United Nations body recognized Florence's urban ensemble as the densest concentration of known artworks worldwide, a unique artistic achievement, a masterpiece of medieval and Renaissance art that influenced the development of architecture and monumental arts in the rest of Italy and Europe. Every corner of Florence's historic center is brimming with things to see. If you're visiting the city for the first time, be prepared for a walk with numerous stops to appreciate the masterpieces that have amazed millions of visitors for centuries. The tour of this open-air museum must begin in the heart of Renaissance Florence, the splendid Piazza del Duomo, home to the imposing Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, a marvel from the 1400s and the third-largest church in Europe after St. Peter's in Rome and the Milan Cathedral. The construction of the city's symbol began in 1296, with its completion dating back to 1436 with the finishing of the enormous dome by architect Filippo Brunelleschi.
In front of the cathedral stands the Baptistery of San Giovanni with its octagonal shape and a bronze door known as the "Gates of Paradise," as coined by Michelangelo. Continue to Piazza della Signoria, the seat of civic power and the social heart of the city. Here, you'll find the formidable Palazzo Vecchio, dating back to the 14th century.
In front of Palazzo Vecchio, you can catch a glimpse of one of the symbols of the Renaissance, Michelangelo's David. However, it's only a replica, as the original was transferred to the Academy Gallery in 1910 to prevent deterioration. Inside the gallery, located in the northern part of the center, you'll find four other unfinished sculptures by Michelangelo, originally intended for Pope Julius II's tomb in Rome.
The Loggia della Signoria is a small art gallery that leads to the Uffizi Gallery, allowing you to spend a few hours among the masterpieces of Raphael, Botticelli, Giotto, Titian, Pontormo, Caravaggio, and Leonardo da Vinci.
Once you leave the Uffizi, stroll across the magical Ponte Vecchio, another symbol of Florence, with its historic shops of goldsmiths and silversmiths. Above the bridge, the Vasari Corridor hides, a passage designed by Vasari and used by the Medici to reach the Pitti Palace, their historic residence. Crossing Ponte Vecchio is a unique experience, but for an exterior view, head to Ponte Santa Trinità and admire it from there.
Palazzo Pitti hosts an important series of museums, including the Palatine Gallery with masterpieces by Raphael.
