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Florence Maps & Attractions Guide
Florence maps & Attractions - Things to do
in Florence
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Florence
Attractions - Things to do
1. The Uffizi (Gallerie degli Uffizi)
Loggiato degli Uffizi 6
www.polomuseale.firenze.it/english/musei/uffizi |
What is it? The Uffizi is one of the world's greatest art
galleries with a collection of Renaissance paintings that include
the works of Giotto, Masaccio, Paolo Ucello, Sandro Botticelli,
Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Titian and Caravaggio. The
collection is housed on the top floor of a building designed as the
offices (uffizi) of the Medici, commissioned by Duke Cosimo I. From
1581, Cosimo's heirs used the upper storey to display the Medici
art treasures. Ancient Greek and Roman sculptures line the inner
corridors of the gallery and a series of rooms jut off from here,
showcasing the chronological development of Florentine art from
Gothic to High Renaissance and beyond. The scale and magnitude of
the collection may need to be enjoyed over two visits. Rooms 1-15
(Florentine Renaissance) could be explored more thoroughly on the
first trip and on the next visit one could concentrate on rooms 16
to 45 (from High Renaissance to later Italian and European
painting).
Hours of Operation: Tuesday to Sunday 8.15am to 6.50pm. Closed on
Mondays, 1 January, 1 May and 25 December
Phone:(055) 238 8651 |
2. The Accademia Gallery
Via Ricasoli, 58-60
www.polomuseale.firenze.it/english/musei/accademia |
What is it? Michelangelo's David stands self-assured
above the crowds that flock to admire him. In the hallway leading
up to the famous sculpture are further examples of Michelangelo's
genius in the figures of the four Prisoners. The statues were
deliberately left unfinished revealing the marble in its
unfashioned state.
Hours of Operation: Tuesday to Sunday 8.15am to 6.50pm
Phone:(055) 238 8609 |
3. Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square)
Piazza Duomo
www.duomofirenze.it/index-eng.htm |
What is it? Santa Maria del Fiore, the Duomo or Cathedral
of Florence, is set in the heart of the city and perches above the
metropolis like an emperor before his subjects. Its most
distinctive feature is the enormous dome designed by Filippo
Brunelleschi and built between 1420 and 1436. Visitors can climb
between the two shells of the cupola for an unrivalled panorama of
the city. The original Gothic exterior was destroyed in 1587 so
that it could be replaced by the styling of the High Renaissance.
This vision however died prematurely with its patron, the Grand
Duke Francesco de Medici and the funding to build the neo-Gothic
façade that we see today was not found until the 19th century. The
Campanile (bell tower) was built according to Giotto's designs in
1334 and is an elegant prop to Brunelleschi's stout Cathedral. The
tower is decorated with two garlands of bas-reliefs, strung around
its pink, white and green marble façade. Above, sculptures of the
Prophets and Sybils, carved by Donatello, look down upon the city
below. The Campanile can also be climbed for the magnificent views
over the square and the adjacent cathedral. The neighbouring
Baptistry, with its famous doors designed by Lorenzo Ghiberti, is
one of Florence's oldest buildings, and was originally a pagan
temple. The gilded brass doors, dubbed the 'Gates of Paradise' were
commissioned in 1401 to mark Florence's deliverance from the
plague. The original panels are in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo
(the Duomo Works Museum) that exists largely to safeguard the
sculptures removed from the doors and niches around the Piazza del
Duomo. The museum also contains the machines used in the
construction of the cathedral's dome and has displays devoted to
the problematic construction of the cathedral's façade. A room
containing Ghiberti's baptistry doors provides an opportunity to
closely examine the stiacciato relief technique used. Other
noteworthy artefacts found in the museum include Michelangelo's
Pieta, the carved figures of Donatello's Prophets as well as his
Magdalene sculpture. In the anteroom are Andrea Pisano's panels
from the first few levels of the bell
tower.
Hours of Operation: Cathedral: Daily 10am to 5pm (Thursdays until 3.30pm,
Saturdays until 4.45pm); Sunday 1.30pm to 4.45pm. Museum: Daily 9am
to 7.30pm, Sunday 9am to 1.40pm
Phone:(055) 215 380 |
4. The Bargello (Museo Nazionale del Bargello)
Via del Proconsolo 4
www.firenzemusei.it/00_english/bargello/index.html |
What is it? This Gothic Palazzo shelters a treasured
national collection of Renaissance sculpture. Before its renovation
to become Italy's first national museum, the building, constructed
in 1255, functioned as a town hall, private residence and prison.
An extensive collection of decorative arts is on display in
addition to the magnificent sculptures of Michelangelo, Donatello,
Giambologna and Cellini. The Palazzo's inner courtyard is
ornamented with numerous coats of arms and the grand stairwell
leading to the second-story loggia overflows with bronze birds
created for the Medici's gardens. Other notable displays include an
Islamic collection, an assortment of ivories (the largest
collection in the world) and 16th-century majolica porcelain from
Urbino, Faenza and Florence.
Hours of Operation: Tuesday to Saturday 8.15am to 1.50pm. Closed 2nd and
4th Monday, and 1st, 3rd and 5th Sunday of each
month
Phone:(055) 238 8606. Reserve tickets on (055) 294
883 |
5. Sante Croce
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What is it? This magnificent Gothic church built in 1294
contains the tombs of many celebrated Florentines such as
Michelangelo, Galileo, Ghiberti and Machiavelli. The Gothic
interior is graced by the radiant frescoes of Giotto and his pupil
Taddeo Gaddi and integrated into the cloister next to the church is
Brunelleschi's Pazzi Chapel (Cappella de' Pazzi). When Lord Byron
first laid eyes on the church he declared himself 'drunk with
beauty'.
Hours of Operation: Monday to Saturday 9.30am to 5.30pm, Sunday 1pm to
5.30pm
Phone:(055) 244 619 |
6. Ponte Vecchio
Via Por Santa Maria/Via Guicciardini
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What is it? The Ponte Vecchio's status as the oldest
bridge in Florence saved it from destruction during the Nazi
retreat from Italy in 1944. They defied orders to blow up the
stately bridge straddling the Arno River and bombed the ancient
buildings on either side of it instead. The Arno flood of 1966 also
tested the bridge's resilience and swept parts of it away in its
powerful current. The most affected sections were the overhanging
shops belonging to the gold and silversmiths. In 1593 the original
tenants - butchers, tanners and blacksmiths - were evicted from the
workshops because of the noise and stench they created. To one side
of the bridge is the majestic bust of the most famous Florentine
goldsmith, Benvenuto Cellini. Perched above the shops is a secret
passageway, the Vasari Corridor, providing an elevated link to the
Palazzo Pitti via the Uffizi. It was the private walkway of the
Medici's who could move between the various residences without
having to rub shoulders with the riff raff.
Hours of Operation:
Phone: |
7. Palazzo Pitti and Giardino Boboli
Piazza Pitti 1
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What is it? Originally owned by wealthy banker, Luca
Pitti, the Palazzo later became the property of the Medici family.
It is a grand structure that now boasts no less than seven museums.
Amongst these are the Medici treasures that are showcased in the
Museo degli Argenti, the Museum of Costumes and the Porcelain
Museum. The Galleria d'Arte Moderna provides a fascinating display
of works from the Macchiaioli school - early 19th century
proto-impressionist paintings - as well as a collection of
Neoclassical and Romantic art. Extending behind the palace are the
elaborately landscaped and beautifully maintained Giardino Boboli
(Boboli Gardens). The most celebrated aspects of the gardens
include the Grotta del Buontalenti located close the entrance. In
the deepest recess of the cave is Venus Emerging from her Bath
attended by curious imps. Another notable structure is the enormous
amphitheatre designed on a scale to serve the Medici's
tastes.
Hours of Operation: Each museum has its own opening hours, but most are
closed on Mondays
Phone:(055) 294 883 |
Florence Holidays guide
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Transport -The best way to explore Florence is on
foot; the city centre is compact and traffic is restricted.
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