The Top-10
Reasons to Recommend: The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is the main church of the Catholic Diocese of Florence. It is the third-largest cathedral in the world and a symbol of the Italian city. In 1982, the cathedral was listed as a World Heritage Site and part of the historical center of Florence. The outside of the church is matched with bright red, dark green, and white marble to form spectacular geometric designs that display the classical, elegant and free interpretation characteristic of the Renaissance era. It is both dramatic and beautiful from any angle.
Reasons to Recommend: Uffizi Gallery, adjacent to the Municipal Square, is one of the best art galleries in Italy, and even Europe. The gallery was originally the official residence of the Medici family. The entire, giant, palace-sized building took over 20 years to complete. The gallery contains almost all of the Medici family's art collection. The Artwork nearly spans the entire history of art, from ancient Greek sculptures to 18th-century Venetian paintings. There are also many original master works, including Michelangelo's "Holy Family", Raphael's "23-year-old self-portrait", and Da Vinci's "Adoration of the Magi".
Reasons to Recommend: The Piazza della Signoria has a reputation as an open-air sculpture museum and is the center of political life in the city for centuries. The square is home to the Vecchio Palace, a replica of Michelangelo's sculpture "David" and the Neptune Fountain. The Piazza della Signoria is open and surrounded by the Uffizi Gallery, the mercenary gazebo and numerous cafes and bars. The famous Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is located just north of it and can be reached by foot from the alley.
Reasons to Recommend: Though originally intended by architect Giuseppe Poggi as a gallery to display the works of Michelangelo, today Piazzale Michelangelo is a panoramic lookout for tourists and locals alike. A sweeping view of Florence from this observation point captures the entire city: the Duomo, Forte Belvedere, Santa Croce, the Ponte Vecchio and more. After snapping a few photos, grab a cappuccino in the square's neoclassical-style restaurant and examine a bronze replica of The David which, along with a few other sculptures, were brought up the hill as an attempt to fulfill Poggi's original dream.
Reasons to Recommend: Literally meaning "old bridge", Italians could have, perhaps, come up with a better name for what was to become one of the more iconic monuments in one of its most iconic cities. Nevertheless, this old bridge, which was only one of six spared by retreating Germans in 1944, is a monument to all that a monarch can accomplish. Once filled with butcher shops, which would dump their old/rotted animal carcasses into the river below, Grand Duke Fernandino I demanded that all butchers be replaced by goldsmiths-- thus ridding the bridge of its stench. Nowadays, rather than rotting animal carcass, Ponte Vecchio is the most golden spot in Italy. The bridge is lined with jewelry shops and vendors (careful, you'll likely encounter a scam or two) and is pleasant enough to walk down in the evening time, when it's not packed from end to end with the thousands of toursits who traverse the Arno over its cobblestones daily.
Reasons to Recommend: Campanile di Giotto, which means Giotto's Bell Tower, is a free chime tower which is arranged among a group of structures which incorporate Florence Cathedral on the Piazza del Duomo, situated in Florence, Italy. The tower is one of the masterpieces of the Gothic design found in numerous Florentine structures. The campanile contains seven ringers and several works of art. All the present works of art in the campanile are generations, as the firsts were evacuated somewhere in the range of 1965 and 1967 and are currently shown in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, which is situated behind the basilica.
Reasons to Recommend: Inside this garden lies the Buontalenti grotto (1583-1593). Decorated with Mannerist-style scenes from Greek and Roman mythology, the grotto includes copies of Michelangelo's famous Slave series, the originals of which were transferred to the Galleria dell'Accademia . In the 17th Century, the garden was extended as far as the Porta Romana , adding the Vasca d'Isola (pond) at the centre with a fountain and a statue of Neptune. In the late 18th century, Zanobi del Rosso built the Kaffehaus pavilion. Admission: EUR 6 and includes entry to the Museo delle Porcellane, Galleria del Costume , Museo degli Argenti and the Museo e Galleria Mozzi Bardini.