Overview
Florence rose on banking and cloth under the Medici, who bankrolled the artists that made it the centre of the Renaissance, and the city’s stone core has changed little since. Everything of note sits within a walkable centre on the Arno, dominated by the red-tiled dome of the cathedral. It is small, busy and rich beyond its size, and it is also the gateway to the hill towns and vineyards of Tuscany around it.
Highlights
The Duomo and its dome by Brunelleschi crown the city, climbed for the view over the terracotta roofs. The Uffizi Gallery holds Botticelli and the Renaissance masters, and Michelangelo’s David stands in the Accademia nearby. The Ponte Vecchio with its goldsmiths crosses the Arno, and the Piazzale Michelangelo gives the classic view back over the whole city at sunset.