Florence has its historical origins as a Roman colony at the confluence of the Arno and the Mugnone Rivers in Tuscany. It is best known as the cradle of the Italian Renaissance. Dante was born in Florence and, after fleeing the city under sentence of death as the result of a political intrigue, wrote his great work the Divine Comedy, an epic poem about a journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, and Michelangleo, three of the most famous artists of the Renaissance, got their start in Florence, under the patronage of Florence’s long term leader, banking magnate Lorenzo de' Medici “Il Magnifico.”

Today, Florence is a prime travel destination for anyone interested in history and art and is filled with attractions dating back from the city’s Renaissance past.

Uffizi Gallery

The Uffizi Galley contains one of the most extensive collections of renaissance art in the world. The collection includes works by Botticelli, Michelangelo, Titian, da Vinci and Caravaggio. The gallery used to be a palace, but was opened to the public by the Medici family in the 16th Century. It is therefore considered one of the oldest museums in the world.

A highlight of any visit to the Uffizi is the famous painting by Botticelli, The Birth of Venus. It was one of the most famous works from the renaissance done of a secular subject.

Galleria dell'Accademia

The most famous piece in the Accademia is the gigantic statue of David, carved by Michelangelo. It was moved to its current location in the 19th Century from the Piazza della Siagnora, where it had stood for almost four hundred years. There are also other works at the Accademia by Michelangelo.

Bargello Museum

The Bargello began as a civic palace in the 13th Century, later the residence of the Bargello family, then a prison in the 18th Century, and finally a museum in 1865. This museum contains 30,000 pieces of art including the most comprehensive collection of medieval and Renaissance sculpture in Italy. Most famous works include Donatello’s David, Michelangelo’s Bacchus, Brutus and Madonna & Child. The museum has three floors. The first floor is dedicated to Tuscan master sculptors, including Michelangelo, Cellini, Bandinelli and Ammannati. Other floors house varied collections that include Renaissance jewelry, enamels and ivories, Venetian glass, Islamic bronzes and wooden sculptures.

Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Duomo)

The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, known popularly as the Duomo. In the fourth largest cathedral in the world and dominates the skyline of Florence. The copula was designed by the great renaissance architect, Brunelleschi, who used entirely new methods of dome building. The dome of the cathedral was the largest in the world at the time of its construction in 1420. It served as a model for later domes, including the one that now surmounts St. Peters Basilica in Rome. Nearby is the bell tower, which can be climbed by those with a certain stamina and which affords a good view of Florence. The baptistery is famous for its bronze doors covered with bas reliefs, known as the Gates of Paradise.

Ponte Vecchio

The Ponte Vecchio is a covered bridge that spans the Arno dating back from 1245. It has been a shopping way filled with gold and jewelry shops since the 16th Century. It is certainly not a place for bargain hunters, but it is a paradise for window shoppers.

Palazzo Pitti (Pitti Palace) and Boboli Gardens

The Pitti Palace was built by Brunelleschi for the Pitti family in the early 15th Century. The palace was later acquired by the Medici and is now the site of a number of museums. The Pitti Palace showcases the fine art collection of the Medici family, which includes a number of state rooms and costumes.

The Boboli Gardens, which are next to the palace, are in the renaissance style, with pools, fountains, grottos, a Belvedere, and geometric landscaping.

Piazza della Signoria

The Piazza della Signoria has been the center of Florentine political life since the 13th Century. Political speeches would be made in front of the Vecchio Palace facing the square, then the citizens would line up in the square to vote. It was here that the religious zealot, Savonarola led a revolt against the humanist revival of the Medici and convinced the citizens to throw their worldly goods, including irreplaceable works of art, into the infamous Bonfire of the Vanities. A few years later, Savonarola was burned alive in the very same square by orders of Pope Alexander VI. The square in lined with historic building and replicas are famous sculptures, including of Michelangelo’s David.

Church of Santa Croce

This church is most famous for being the final resting place of some of Florence’s most famous sons, including Michelangelo, Macchiavelli, Galileo and Bardi. There is also a monument to Dante. The cloisters were designed by Brunelleschi. The basilica also contains numerous examples of typically Renaissance sculpture. The most famous of these is the Crucifix by Donatello and his aristocratic Annunciation in gray stone with gilded highlights

Church of San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapels

San Lorenzo is Florence’s second most important church. In the early 15th century, it became the official church of the Medici family and was rebuilt by Brunelleschi as the first church since Roman times to be constructed in the classical style. The Medici Chapel was used by the family both as a mausoleum and as the venue of important functions. The most famous tombs were built for Lorenzo the Magnificent and his murdered brother, Giuliano. Lorenzo's protégé Michelangelo designed them on the orders of Pope Leo X.

Piazzale Michelangelo

This square is located on a rise on the south bank of the Arno and affords the best panoramic view of Florence and the surrounding valley. It was built in 1869 and contains reproductions of Michelangelo’s Day, Night, Dawn, Dusk and David.

Traveling to Florence

Florence has two airports: Amerigo Vespucci is 3.1 miles northwest of the city center and Galileo Galilei (for international flights) is about 46.6 miles west of the city. The city is also accessible by rail or by road. You can walk from one end of the city center to the other in about 30 minutes. There are numerous city tours available that will take you to some or all of the attractions in the city. Florence can also be the starting point of a number of day trips. Most recommended is one to Pisa, where one can see the world famous leaning tower.