Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Florence Itineraries
If you have only 1 day in Florence
I feel bad for you. But that's still enough time to do a quick run north to
south: Visit Michelangelo's
David
in the
Accademia,
and then walk to see
the outside and inside of the massive
Duomo
and
Baptistery
in Piazza
Duomo. Continue south via Piazza della Repubblica to the medieval center
of the city, the statue-filled
Piazza della Signoria,
and then to the
Uffizi
Gallery
for its unparalleled art collection. Cross the historic
Ponte Vecchio
to the
Oltrarno
district and make the climb to
Piazzale Michelangelo
or
San Miniato Church
for a panoramic sunset over the town—or you could
skip the walk up the hill and, instead, shop at the designer stores of
Via
Tornabuoni
or haggle at the
leather shops
around
San Lorenzo.
If you have only 2 days in Florence
Follow the above itinerary, but add visits to
Santa Maria Novella
church,
at the east end of the historical district, and to
Santa Croce,
on the west-
ern side. Also visit the
Bargello
sculpture gallery, north of Piazza della
Signoria, and enter the
Palazzo Vecchio
in the central piazza. Don't for-
get to stop for gelato, which will fuel you for a
climb to the top of the
Duomo
or
Giotto's Tower
next door.
If you have only 3 or 4 days in Florence
You'll be able to add a leisurely tour of the shops of the
Oltrarno
district,
the
Pitti Palace, Santo Spirito church
and its peaceful piazza, and the
disturbing
Museo Specola.
In the central district, you can also visit
San
Lorenzo church
and the connected
Medici chapels.
Stop by the
Central
Market
to sample local produce, and escape the art world with a visit to
the
Science Museum.
If you have 1 week in Florence
Add a half-day excursion to the hills of
Fiesole
and its Roman ruins. Take
a bus to see the armored knights at
Museo Stibbert.
And if you're in town
over a weekend from September to May, go see ACF Fiorentina play a
soccer game
at the stadium. Take a
cooking class,
go
wine tasting,
and
linger in those sights that you would have rushed through if you were try-
ing to pack them all into 1 day.
ruled the city. Today, the statues may seem like museum pieces, but they bril-
liantly reveal the dynamic political nature of the square. The immediately recog-
nizable
David
(it's a copy of Michelangelo's original, which can be found in the
Accademia) wasn't just placed near Palazzo Vecchio's walls because of its beauty; it
was meant as a reproof to the deposed Medici family in 1504. The naked youth
represents the classical Greek ideal of democracy: David's slaying the giant sym-
bolizes the stand taken by Florentines against oppressive rulers. Similarly, in 1495,
