Are you going on holiday to Florence? Do you want to know where the best tourist attractions in Florence are? Our sightseeing guide to Florence gives you the facts & information you’ll want to know.
Despite its relatively small size, Florence is one of the most beautiful cities in Italy with an extremely rich history and some of the best sightseeing to be had in the entire country. Every year millions of tourists come to Florence to see some of the world famous renaissance sights, and to exhaust all the sightseeing opportunities in Florence would take weeks. Below we’ve mentioned just some of the best sightseeing spots that shouldn’t be missed in Florence.
Uffizi Gallery in Florence
The Uffizi Gallery is believed by many to be possibly the best renaissance art collection in the world. Florence is often regarded as the birthplace and spiritual home of the renaissance artistic movement, so it comes as little wonder that so many of the great renaissance works of art are still in Florence. The Uffizi gallery is housed in a building that used to serve as government offices for the town council of Florence during the 16th century; however, today is serves the public better as an art gallery specialising in Florentine art. Although the Uffizi gallery has a breathtaking collection of renaissance art from Florence, it is not confined to this historical era and some of the exhibits date back as far as the 13th century. The bulk of the works of art on display belonged to the De Medici family who donated it to the public on condition that is remained in Florence.
Florence Cathedral
Florence Cathedral provides an excellent example of 13th century Florentine architecture. The architect who started work on this cathedral in Florence was Arnolfo di Cambio, who was believed to be among the best in his time. The interior of Florence Cathedral is quite grandiose measuring 155 x 90 metres. An excellent view of Florence can be had by those willing to climb the 414 steps up to the top of the bell tower for a price of €6. Artistic highlights of a visit to Florence Cathedral include the stained glass windows made by Donatello as well as the frescoes adorning the interior walls of the Cathedral.
Neptune Fountain in Florence
Neptune’s Fountain is located in the main square in the centre of the old city of Florence. Aside from enjoying the architecture of the fountain and the gushing fountain, Signoria square is a good place to take stock and perhaps relax for a while in between sightseeing.
