Italy Travel

Top Sights and Attractions in Florence Free Italy Travel Newsletter!

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What to See in Florence, Italy
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By Martha Bakerjian, About.com
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Florence is one of the most popular travel cities in Italy and holds many attractions for the tourist. Florence, a Renaissance city in the
heart of Tuscany, has some of Italy's best museums, beautiful cathedrals and churches, and interesting streets and squares with
elegant buildings and shops.

Here are the top attractions tourists want to see. Most lie in Florence's compact centro storico (definition of centro storico). Find their
locations on this Florence Map and see photos in our Florence Pictures. For convenient hotels see Top Rated Central Florence Hotels.

Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio

Florence's most famous square is Piazza della Signoria, the heart of the historic center and a free open-air
sculpture exhibit. The Loggia della Signoria holds some important statues including a copy of Michelangelo's
David. The piazza has been Florence's political center since the middle ages and Florence's town hall, the
medieval Palazzo Vecchio, sits on the piazza. The palazzo contains elaborately decorated public rooms and
private apartments. Around the piazza are cafes and restaurants.

Martha Bakerjian

Il Duomo - Cattedrale de Santa Maria del Fiore

Florence's most popular site is its Duomo (cathedral), the Cattedrale de Santa Maria del Fiore. The huge Gothic duomo was begun in
1296, consecrated in 1436, and holds 20,000 people. Its exterior, made of green, pink, and white marble, has several elaborate doors
and interesting statues. Inside, Brunelleschi's Dome is a masterpiece of construction. Buy a ticket to climb the 463 steps to its top.
Here are pictures of Florence taken from the Duomo Dome.

The Baptistry
The Baptistry of John the Baptist, from the 11th century, is one of Florence's oldest buildings. Its exterior is made of green and white
marble and has three sets of amazing bronze doors (reproductions - the originals are in the Duomo Museum, also worth a visit).
Inside, you can see some mosaics and a marble pavement of the zodiac. In Piazza San Giovanni, off Piazza del Duomo, open 12:00-
7:00 daily except holidays and 8:30-2:00 Sundays (ticket).

Campinile - Bell Tower

The Campinile, bell tower, is in Piazza del Duomo. The first story was designed by Giotto and it is commonly called Giotto's Campinile.
Buy a ticket and climb the 414 stairs (no lift) for great views of the Cathedral and its dome and the city of Florence and surroundings.
Open 8:30 am – 7:30 pm.

Ponte Vecchio
The Ponte Vecchio (old bridge), built in 1345, was Florence's first bridge across the Arno River and is the only
surviving bridge from Florence's medieval days (others were destroyed in World War II). The Ponte Vecchio is
still lined with shops selling gold and silver jewelry. From the bridge, you'll have a great view along the Arno
River and beyond.

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Martha Bakerjian

Galleria degli Uffizi

The Galleria degli Uffizi holds the world's most important collection of Renaissance art but it's also Italy's most crowded museum. You
can buy tickets ahead to avoid long lines. The Uffizi holds thousands of paintings from medieval to modern times and many antique
sculptures, illuminations, and tapestries. Artists whose works you'll see include Michelangelo, Giotto, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci,
Perugino, and Raphael. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 8:15 am - 6:50 pm.

Galleria dell' Academia

Florence's Galleria dell' Academia holds important paintings and sculptures from the 13th-16th centuries. Michelangelo's David,
probably the most famous sculpture in the world, is in the Galleria dell' Academia as well as other sculptures by Michelangelo. You'll
also find an interesting collection of musical instruments, begun by the Medici family. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 8:15-6:50, sometimes
later on Tuesdays in the summer.

Boboli Garden and Pitti Palace

Martha Bakerjian

Cross the Ponte Vecchio to the Giardino di Boboli, a huge park on a hillside in the middle of Florence behind the
Pitti Palace. Here you'll find beautiful gardens and fountains and a great view of Florence from the Forte
Belvedere (picture). Open daily at 8:15 (except some Mondays in winter) with seasonal closing times.
The Pitti Palace, Florence's largest palazzo, was once the seat of the Medici family. You can visit 8 different
galleries, including art, costumes, jewelry, and apartments.

Santa Croce
Santa Croce, in Piazza Santa Croce, is the largest Franciscan church in Italy and holds the tombs of several important Florentines
including Michelangelo and Dante. The vast interior contains some exceptional stained glass windows and frescoes. One of
Brunelleschi's most important works, the Cappella dei Pazzi, is in Santa Croce. Admission includes the museum and tours given by
volunteers when available. Audio tours are extra. Open Monday-Saturday, 9:30-5:30 and Sunday, 1-5:30.

Shopping
Florence has some of the finest shopping in Europe. In Florence you'll find leather goods, paper goods, and jewellry as well as nice
souvenirs and art productions. Florence has a number of open air markets selling food, clothing, and antiques. The most famous is
around Piazza San Lorenzo where you'll find leather goods, too. Another good place is Mercato Nuovo (Porcellino) on Via Porta Rossa.
Mercato Centrale is a great place for food shopping or just looking.

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 Italy Travel

Pisa Sights and Tourist Attractions Free Italy Travel Newsletter!

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What to See in Pisa
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By Martha Bakerjian, About.com
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See More About: pisa travel pisa attractions leaning tower of pisa tuscany cities tuscany attractions

When people think of Pisa they usually think of the

Leaning Tower, but Pisa has many interesting sights
and attractions. The Campo dei Miracoli, with its
Romanesque buildings, is the highlight of a visit to
Pisa but getting away from the tourist crowds one
finds other interesting sights, too.

Many people take a day trip to Pisa and rush to the

leaning tower and Duomo. Here's a video on
Pisa's Baptistery
Wandering Italy about how to get from Pisa train James Martin
station to Piazza dei Miracoli to see the leaning
tower and cathedral.

Pisa's top sights and attractions:

 Piazza del Duomo or Campo dei

Miracoli, Field of Miracles is holds the main
attractions of Pisa, one of Europe's greatest
groups of Romanesque buildings. The key
buildings trace life's path for medieval
people from birth to death. The piazza was
built outside the main city center but within
the still-preserved city walls built in 1155.
 The Torre di Pisa or Leaning Tower is
one of Europe's most famous towers.
Building on the tower started in 1173 but
wasn't finished until the late fourteenth
century. The cylindrical tower, 54 meters
tall, has eight stories, six of them with open
galleries. Inside the spiral staircase has 294
steps leading to the top of the tower.
 The Duomo is an imposing white building
dating from 1063. The facade, constructed
in the twelfth century, has four tiers of open
galleries housing statues and decorated with
marble inlay. The doors have bronze panels
with bas-reliefs from the sixteenth century.
Inside there are a sixteenth century wood
ceiling, several important art works, and a
magnificent marble pulpit.
 The Battistero or Baptistery is a round
white-marble building. Construction started

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 in 1152 and was completed in the late fourteenth century with the addition of an eight-sided cupola. The pulpit, supported by lions
resting on columns, is decorated with scenes from the life of Christ. Also inside are some impressive statues, originally from the
outside.
 Camposanto was the cemetery for noble citizens of Pisa. The floor is covered with tombstones and there are many funerary
monuments. The portico held many medieval frescoes which were damaged during WWII and removed for restoration.
 Museo dell'OPera del Duomo, at the eastern end of Piazza del Duomo, holds a huge collection of important artworks from these
buildings.
 Museo Nazionale di San Matteo is in the former Benedictine convent of San Matteo. The museum chronicles the development
of medieval Christian painting and sculpture in Europe.
 Piazza dei Cavalieri was the center of Pisa in its days as a republic and was remodeled in the sixteenth century, becoming the
symbol of Medici power in Pisa. The square has some magnificent sixteenth century buildings, the church of Santo Stefano dei
Cavalieri, and the Palazzo dell'Orologio (clock building) with two ancient towers joined by an arcade.
 Santa Maria della Spina is a picturesque little church near the river. It has charming spires and high niches with beautiful
statues.
 Pisa's Botanical Garden is one of the oldest in Europe.
 A Pisa Walk on Europe Travel has an in-depth suggested walking itinerary from the train station taking in some lesser known
sights in Pisa.

For details about Pisa Travel, see our Pisa Travel Guide.

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