ITALY - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 368

book Florence, Pisa and Siena at the newsstand inside the main hall of the station.
An excellent map of Florence is contained in this informative book.
A train-reservations office ( Hours: 0800-2000 daily) and money exchange
are located inside the main station hall. Hours: 0830-1640 Monday-Saturday.
You can see most of the city's highlights by walking and, when needed, by taxi.
Start by walking or taking a taxi to Il Duomo (the cathedral square) in the center
of Florence. Here you can examine the three huge bronze doors of the Battistero
(baptistery), enjoy the view from the top of the cathedral's dome, and enter the
Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (cathedral museum), where you will find the price-
less Altar of Saint John the Baptist displayed.
The Galleria dell'Accademia (Academy Gallery) is next. Hours: 0815-1850
Tuesday-Sunday; open until 2200 Tuesday and Wednesday July-September.
Walk 3 blocks on Via Ricasoli, off Piazza Duomo's north side, to Piazza St. Marco.
Michelangelo's David is displayed here. Visit www.polomuseale.firenze.it/accade-
mia .
Take a taxi from here to Piazza della Signoria, which lies on the opposite side
of the cathedral near the Arno River. (A brisk walk and some expert map read-
ing will get you there in about 20 minutes.) This is the former center of Florence.
The concentration of art treasures here is immense. The building with the tower
is Palazzo della Signoria (Palace of the Lords), also known as Palazzo Vecchio
(the Old Palace). Among its wealth of treasures is the little chapel of Eleonora of
Toledo, with its magnificent frescoes by Bronzino (1503-1572). Hours: 0900-1900
daily; closes at 1400 Thursday. Admission: €6.00.