Florence

Central Florence

UNESCO estimates that almost 10% of the world's art treasure worthy of preservation is located in Florence, the capital of Tuscany. Florence is in fact a shrine to the Renaissance with numerous churches, monuments and galleries overflowing with paintings and sculptures. It is without doubt one of the finest cities in Italy.

The city of Florence is easily explored on foot due to its relatively compact nature. The historic centre is built around two main squares; Piazza del Duomo and Piazza della Signoria. However the central point of Florence is the breathtaking cathedral, at which master builders such as Giotto and Brunelleschi worked, and which towers over the city.

A good place to start a tour is this focal point of the Piazza del Duomo where you can climb the Campanile (cathedral dome), and see the Baptistery and Museo dell’Opera. In the same area are the Museo Nazionale del Bargello housing Italy’s greatest accumulation of Renaisaance sculptures. There is also Via dei Calzaiuoli, Florence’s pedestrianised main street.

Some of the other places worth visiting are the Museo della Antica Casa Fiorentina, Giardino di Boboli, Museo Bardini, Museo di Firenze Com’era, Capella Brancacci, Palazzo Medici-Riccardi and Casa Buonarroti.

The best time to avoid is the hot summer peak season when Florence is flooded with tourists and traffic, and when the queues for some attractions can result in up to 2 or 3 hours waiting time! The best time to travel to Florence is in the spring and autumn when it has much more of its natural character and when accommodation and apartments in Florence are more reasonable to rent; although many rental apartments are fixed at the same price throughout the year.

If you want to be in Florence for an historic event then there is the Scoppio del Carro (The exploding of the Cart) in the Piazza del Duomo followed by the Calcio Storcio Fiorentino (historic 16th century football match). These are held in mid to late June of each year.

For apartments in Florence click on apartments Florence
For villas and apartments in the Florence area click on Florence villas

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