Top 10 Places To Visit In Florence

In case you missed it, the first part of the Top Ten Places to Visit in Florence was posted last week. Be sure to read it!

Florence has been one of those iconic cities that people have dreamed of visiting for hundreds of years. During the Renaissance it was a major center of thought, expression and art of all kinds. Many magnificent churches, opulent palaces and impressive monuments were constructed over the centuries, making it one of the most memorable cities in Italy!

The Basilica of Santa Croce is the largest Franciscan church in the world. Construction on the church started in 1294 and was finished and consecrated by 1442. Santa Croce has sixteen chapels and is the burial place of many great Italians including Michaelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Guglielmo Marconi, Enrico Fermi, and many others. The housing that was at one time used for the Franciscan Friars is now used as a leather school and visitors can watch the artisans as they work their craft.

The Ponte Vecchio is a medieval bridge that spans the Arno, connecting the two sides of Florence. It is the only bridge that survived the extensive bombing during World War II. Businesses line the bridge including jewelers, souvenirs, art dealers, gelato, and leatherworkers. The bridge is also well known for the Vasari Corridor, a private hallway built for the Medici's that connects the Palazzo Vecchio to the Pitti Palace without having to walk the streets of Florence.

The Palazzo Pitti was originally built by one-time rivals to the Medici's, but after their family lost much of their wealth the Medici's bought the Palazzo Pitti and made it their own. Since then it has passed hands many times, a base of power for Napoleon and at one time serving as the home of the King of Italy. Today the Palazzo Pitti is a museum and has many different collections, not just of art but a silver, porcelain, and carriage museum as well.

The Boboli Gardens that are behind the Pitti Palace were built for the wife of Cosimo I de Medici, Eleonora di Toledo. The gardens set the style for sixteenth century formal Italian gardens. There was no natural water source for the massive gardens, so a conduit was built to divert some water from the nearby Arno to irrigate the area. Statues seem to be everywhere you look in the gardens, and the grottoes are a peaceful and serene place to relax after a days sightseeing.

The Uffizi was built by Cosimo de Medici I to serve as offices for the city officials. Slowly, the Medici's many acquisitions of art started to decorate the halls. Some sections became more of a place to display art than a workplace. The last heiress of the Medici's willed the Uffizi and its art to the people of Florence and ever since it has been one of the most visited museums in Italy. It is wise to purchase tickets in advance and to show up early in the day if you plan to visit the Uffizi, as lines are very long in the tourist seasons. Though if you are art lover, the wait is more than worth it!

Anyone that visits Florence can't miss the Duomo. Plain and simple. A gorgeous example of renaissance that still holds the title of having the largest masonry dome in the world, and was the largest octagonal dome at the time with no wooden supports. The Duomo stands as a testament to the might and glory of Florence: a marvel of architecture, engineering and art. Next to the Duomo is of course Giotto's bell tower and in front stands the baptistery with Ghiberti's famous "Gates of Paradise" doors in front.

The whole Piazza del Duomo is an impressive site; walking through the city with the narrow side streets and coming out into the piazza can be a shock for the first time just taking in the scale of the building.

No list is complete or perfect for everyone. If you think I missed something or think some other attraction in Florence deserves an honorable mention, leave a comment or drop me an email with your suggestions!