Florence is more than just another place to visit. It is a flame that rekindles your inner artist or poet. Perhaps in all of us there is a passion for beauty and genius, for deeper connections with people, for celebrations of the bounty of wonderful food brilliantly prepared, accompanied by great wine. It is in Florence, “Cradle of the Renaissance”, where these inner gifts resurface for a life well lived and a beauty fully absorbed. Your vacation in Florence will hold a place in your mind and memory long after you return home, and you will always be the best for it.

Prepare to be amazed as you fly into Florence, locate your accommodation and head down to the river for your first glimpse of the Ponte Vecchio. Plan to spend at least five days here (longer, if possible), residing on the left bank of the Arno River, called “Oltrarno” (Oltr-Arno- “other side of the Arno”), within a short walk to the get old. Here they will become “neighbors” of the 21st century Medici, just around the corner from their opulent Pitti Palace Y Boboli Gardens. You’ll also be close to restaurants and bistros, as well as neighborhood grocery stores that offer plenty of delicious produce, delicious deli items, and freshly baked bread, along with excellent and highly affordable local wines.

By staying close to the river on the “other” side, you’ll be just a short walk from two convenient bridges, one of which is the get old, which will whisk you quickly to the busier side of the river where the dome of the Duomo dominates the skyline. As you walk along “your” side of the river, or eat lunch at a window table in the golden viewyou will have before you the complete spectacle of the Ponte Vecchio, with the imposing Uffizi Gallery bordering the river on the other side, and the dome of the Duomo behind.

Start your visit to Florence with the bridges and squares

There is no better way to get to know any city than looking for its main bridges (if it has a river), as well as its main squares or plazas. Florence has the most photogenic bridge of all, the get old (“Old Bridge”). It is likely that what inspired you to visit Firenze (Florence) in the first place was seeing one of the many impressive images of the get old.

The Ponte Vecchio was the only bridge to cross the Arno until 1218, and it will be your main route across the river during your stay in Florence. And what a lovely road this will be, coming and going, with its sights and intriguing shops.

There have been shops on the Ponte Vecchio since the 13th century. Initially it was all kinds of shops, including butchers and fishmongers that generated an unpleasant stench in the area. So, in 1593, Ferdinand I he decreed that only goldsmiths and jewelers could locate their shops on the bridge. This decision was “to improve the well-being of everyone as they walked across the bridge.”

In addition to learning the bridges, you will need to master the Grid. Florence is a city of narrow, winding streets, lined with tall canyons of buildings. Therefore, every time you approach a Piazza, you will feel like you are stepping into a vastness of open space. These wide squares have been used for hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years as gathering places for the population. It was in the squares that important news was announced and preachers delivered their messages. And it was in the squares that the public executions were carried out.

• Lordship Square It will be your place to start knowing the squares of Florence, located directly outside the Palazzo Vecchio, palatial home of the obscenely wealthy Medici family. This square is filled with sculptures and fountains, including a copy of Michelangelo’s David (the actual David is now preserved and on display in Academy Gallery). The Dominican priest Savonarola starred in his vehement book and art burnings in Signoria Square. And it was here that he himself was burned after his reign of terror ended.
• Republic Square It comes next, surrounded by majestic arcades, with an imposing triumphal arch as an entrance, and a Carousel. This square was the Forum during Roman times. It is now a favorite spot for alfresco dining at one of its four-poster restaurants, with people-watching opportunities aplenty.
• Santa Croce Square It was once a gathering place where public gatherings were held and Franciscan monks preached to the crowd. This square is now home to local artists, displaying and selling their creations, and many lovely local shops. The meetings and the monks have now been replaced by street entertainers.
• Piazzale Michelangelo, with its bronze replica of Michelangelo’s David, it stands on a hill in the Oltrarno and offers one of the most panoramic views of the city. As you sit at the top of this hill, high above the Oltrarno neighborhood, you will be at eye level with the iconic red roof of the Duomo across the river. Return here at the end of the day to see one of the most impressive sunsets in Florence.

See some of the “must see” sights

Give yourself plenty of time to attend the “must see” sights of Florence. Start with these five:

The Duomo and the Baptistery: The 13th century Duomo did not have a dome until two centuries after its construction, when the construction of such an architectural wonder became possible. Step inside to enjoy the heavenly vastness of your interior space and marvel at the mosaic rug that covers the tiled floor. This structure was designed to shock and amaze. Sit at an outdoor table for lunch, in full view of the intricate mosaic of white, green and pink marble outside. You will need at least a full hour to digest this.

Take some time to study the three sets of gilt-bronze doors in the exquisite octagonal Baptistery. The first set of doors, facing south, were designed by Pisano and took 6 years to complete. Ghiberti’s northern gates required 21 years of work, then another 27 years to complete the eastern gates, for a total of 54 years of work by the masters to create the gates now before you. For the eastern doors, Ghiberti employed newly discovered principles of perspective to give depth to his compositions. Michelangelo declared that these gates were the “Gates of Paradise”.

Palazzo Vecchio, Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens: Imagine the lifestyle of the rich and powerful Medici family as you visit their place of business in the city center, old palaceand his opulent residence across the river, Pitti Palacesurrounded by lush Boboli Gardens.

Cosimo de’ Medici commissioned to unite these two places, work and home, through a private passageway, the Vasari Corridor, placed above the streets of the city and crossing the top of the Ponte Vecchio. This passage spanned a full kilometer, from the seat of government in old palace to the house of the Medici in Pitti Palacedating next to the famous Grotto of Buontalenti in the Boboli Gardens. This private corridor allowed the family and their guests to move freely and safely from one side to the other, observing the people below while remaining unnoticed themselves. A small carriage for two whisked the Medici and guests up and down the aisle when they preferred not to walk.

Medici Chapels: Add an additional Medici monument to your “must see” list: the Medici Chapels. Visit the sumptuous octagonal Chapel of the Princes, another splendid testimony to the greatness of the Medici. The crypt below this chapel became the mausoleum of this remarkable family. Michelangelo himself worked on the sculptures on the sarcophagi, completing the statues of the brothers and co-rulers Duke Giuliano and Duke Lorenzo. The master sculptor also created notable allegorical statues of dawn and dusk, Night and dayjust like him virgin and child.

Michelangelo’s David in the Galleria dell’Accademia: Your visit to the Gallery will focus on the glorious sculpture of David. Stand beneath this imposing marble masterpiece, pristine and resplendent under a circular skylight. It will take your breath away. Spend some time just taking this in. But also explore Michelangelo’s other intriguing works, including the Prisoners’ Hall leading to the statue of David. The pieces on display here are the ones that Michelangelo never completed. His unfinished work creates the effect that each of these figures is forever trapped within its own block of marble.

Uffizi Galleries: Enter the Uffizi (arrange in advance for a time slot!), then climb the grand staircase to the gallery, with its frescoed ceilings and maze of rooms packed with masterpieces. Follow the U-shape of the building, veering into the side rooms to see the displays. Vasari was commissioned by Cosimo de’ Medici to create this grandiose building next to the Palazzo Vecchio to house government offices. A secret entrance to the Vasari Corridor is found behind an unmarked door on the first floor.

This building, once the seat of the Florentine government, now houses a large treasure chest of art. Find first the great works of Botticelli (Halls 10-14)- allegory of spring Y Birth of Venus. Locate the portraits of Michelangelo and Raphael (Halls 35 and 66), as well as the only panel painting by Leonardo da Vinci. From the other end of the corridors, pause to look out the windows and see San Miniato, perched on the hill on the other side of the Arno, just above Piazza Michelangelo. Take a closer look at the Ponte Vecchio to see the windows of the Vasari Corridor that runs along the top.

Visit the markets to interact and find treasures to take home

Florence has a vast heritage of artisans. When it comes to shopping, you’ll find an enticing array of products on sale, including leather jackets, bags, shoes, belts and gloves, marble mosaics, intricate jewelry and avant-garde fashion. At a minimum, visit the leather market near the Medici Chapels and shop for original art in Piazza Michelangelo.

Visit the outdoor market in Santo Spirito Square and the New Market, the loggia covered with a bronze sculpture of a pig in front. Watch the fun of children patting the pig’s nose for luck. And feel free to haggle a bit if you decide to make purchases. Also stop at some of the shops along the Ponte Vecchio to admire the handmade jewelry and select a unique pendant or two to take home.

Your trip to Florence will be a deeply enriching experience that will change your life. “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of looking at things,” says Henry Miller. And Florence is a destination that consummately inspires these new ways of seeing and living.