Florence The City of History, Tradition and Beauty in Italy (Top 10 Must-See Places)

Florence is an enchanting city of history, tradition and beauty in Italy. This ancient city covers a large part in the thousand-year history of Italy. Tourists flock to this city with a thirst for fascination. They roam around in each of its traveling squares.

Every city in Italy is full of charm all year long. All the cities are unique, as its nature has a pivotal role to make it beautiful. Florence is a mixed city among them.

Today we will discuss on the Florence and try to figure out some of its most fascinating historical scenes.

About Florence

Florence is the capital city of the Italian Region of Tuscany. It was a centre of trade and finance in medieval Europe and one of the wealthiest cities of that era.

From 1865 to 1875 this city was known as the capital of the “Kingdom of Italy“. It was becoming a major Artistic, cultural, commercial, political, economic and financial centre. All sectors of development influence Italy, Europe and beyond other countries.

This city is the most populous city in Tuscany. It has an area of   102.32 square kilometers and the population is about 0.4 million.

This city is considered as the birthplace of the Renaissance by many academics. There, the unique Florentine dialect was built up that was a base of standard Italian culture.  This masterpiece was designed by Dante Alighieri, Petrarch, Giovanni Boccaccio, Niccolo Machiavelli, and Francesco Guicciardini.

This city is notable for its culture, Renaissance art, architecture and monuments museum and art gallery such as Uffizi Gallery and the Palazzo Pitti.

It has many historical places that UNESCO declared as the historic centre of Florence, as a world heritage site in 1982. It plays an important role in Italian fashion and is ranked in the top 15 fashion capitals of the world.

This city ranked as one of the most beautiful cities in the world in 2010 in Forbes.  So this famous and historical city is a must visit as a tourist. This city will give you a complete idea from the distant past history to the present modern urbanization.

Top 10 Places to Explore

1. The Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria Del Fiore)

This iconic Cathedral is a centerpiece of Florence and a most visit able place for the visitors.

The construction was begun in 1296 and was completed in 1436. It was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio and the style of architecture was Gothic. It has a massive dome, designed by Brunelleschi who was a marvel of engineering and Renaissance architecture.

The structural detail of this building is – 153 meters in length, 90 meters width and 114.5 meters high. The exterior is faced with polychrome marble panels that have various shades of green and pink. It was elaborated in the 19th century.

This cathedral’s dome is the largest in the world. UNESCO declared this place as a world heritage site and the historic centre of Florence.

2. Ponte Vecchio

This is a great place for the visitors to browse and soak up the beautiful weather of the atmosphere in Florence.

This is the only bridge in Florence spared from destruction during World War II. This medieval era’s bridge is so beautiful to see and it is lined with many shops like jewelry, gold and souvenirs.

Two neighbouring bridges of this bridge are – Ponte Santa Trinta and The Ponte alle Grazie. This bridge has 3 spans and out of them the longest span is about 30 meters and the other two are 27 meters.

3. Palazzo Vecchio

This place is called the town hall of Florence. Originally called the Palazzo della Signoria. It was the former seat of government and has now become a museum with impressive Renaissance art and architecture. 

This building’s construction period was between the 12th to 15th centuries. This is a very significant place for the visitors that they can gather knowledge about the governmental policies and their interior systems.

4. Galleria dell’Accademia

It is commonly known as Academy Gallery of Florence. It houses the Michelangelo’s famous statue of David, work by Renaissance masters

It is one of the beautiful Art Museums of Italy. Its construction period was between 1300-1600. It is smaller and more specialized

It is the second most visited art museum in Florence. Here, a huge special facility is provided to visitors more than other places of the world. So you can try this Museum for a better experience.

5. Uffizi Gallery

This is a prominent Art museum located adjacent to the Piazza Della Signoria in Tuscany.  It is the most important and most visited Museum in Florence.

It is the largest and best known also in the world. This Museum holds a collection of priceless works. It was established in 1581.

Then it houses a rest collection of Renaissance paintings, including works by Botticelli da Vinci, Michelangelo like Famous artists.

This is one of the first modern museums in the world. It was opened for visitors from the 16th century. Now, more than 5 million people have visited this Museum in a single year.

6. Piazzale Michelangelo

This is located in the Oltrarno district. This square offers stunning panoramic views of Florence. It is also a great place to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

This place was designed by architect Giuseppe Pogesi and it was built in 1869. It is on a hill just south of the historical center.

At the time, when Florence was the capital of Italian -it was an urban renowned place for the people. Now it has become a great place for the visitors to take a long view of the whole Florence city.

7. Boboli Gardens

It is one of the historic parks and a vast palace garden behind Palazzo Pitti. They offer a variety of walking paths, sculptures, and fountains to explore.

It was opened to the public in 1766. This garden was mainly designed for the Medici. It represents one of the first and most important examples of the Italian garden.

This large green area is a real open-air museum with statues of various styles and periods. Its total area is about 45,000 Square meters (11 acres).

There is a Splendid Buontalenti grotto built by the artist, architect and sculptor Bernardo Buontalenti. The construction time period of this place was about 1536 to 1608.

Now it served as inspiration for many European courts. A large number of visitors visit this unique garden and enrich their Knowledge about the pride history of Italy.

8. Santa Croce Church

This is known as the temple of the Italian Glories. It is also a minor basilica and the principle franciscan church of Florence.

It was home to the tombs of many famous Italians including Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli. Its construction period was between 1443-1385.

It is situated on the Piazza di Santa Croce, and 800 meters Southern of Duomo. So it is very easy for the visitors to visit the Duomo and the church together in a short time.

9. Palazzo Pitti

This is commonly known as a Pitti palace that is situated on the south side of the river Arno, a short distance from Ponte Vecchio.

It was established in 1458 and was the residence of Luca Pitti, an ambitious Florentine banker. Now it is a museum with an impressive collection of Art, furniture and costumes.

This Museum is the largest Museums complex in Florence, filled the area of 32,000 square meters.  Visitors can explore different types of royal ancient furniture and unique costumes.

10. Basilica di San Lorenzo

This is one of the largest churches in Florence.  It is situated at the center of the main market district of the city.

This church is famous for its Medici Chapels, which is richly decorated with sculptures and frescoes.

It is considered as the oldest church that was consecrated in 393 AD. It was completed in 1470 and the structural style was Renaissance.

Tips from Our Diary

1. You may purchase a Firenze card for the discount at any place in Florence to get entry. This will also help you to free use of public transport.

2. Then there is an offer ticket named “Skip-the-line”. You can buy this ticket for popular attractions, especially in the peak seasons.

3. Please wear comfortable dress and shoes as most of the streets are walking places and you may have to walk for a long-time.

4. In the Cathedral (Duomo), you can climb up to the roof for stunning views.

5. You can also climb up to the Palazzo Vecchio tower for panoramic views.

6. Lastly you can enjoy the Local cuisines. Interesting fact is that Florence is known for its delicious food and wine.

Conclusion

Florence, one of the favourite places for tourists, stands in its own glory. The infrastructure of each place is very nicely arranged.

Today we have learned about various essential and interesting facts about this beautiful place. The blog presents a snapshot of some of the city’s notable places we can visit, what that place can offer, and what we can see there or for what we should visit there.

Finally we have highlighted some important points that will make a visitor aware of the various offers and generalities. With these in mind, a trip to Florence can be expected to be more well-planned and enjoyable as well.