Few cities can compete with Florence when it comes to the importance of the Renaissance. This is a place where you could spend weeks poring over the incredible art and architecture on show.
While that’s well-worth doing, the modern aspects of the city are also packed with interest, with new artists and sumptuous food to discover too.
David, the Duomo and Dusk & Dawn
Michelangelo’s legacy is front and center throughout Florence. In fact, seeing his works could form the basis of an entire trip.
There’s the famous statue of David at the Accademia Gallery, sure, but also take in the Madonna della Scala and Battle of the Centaurs at Casa Buonarroti, not to mention the wonderful statues of Dawn and Dusk at the Church of San Lorenzo.
The icon of the whole city is Filippo Brunelleschi’s Duomo with its red cupola. Gorgeous both inside and out, the stained glass windows, frescoes, bell tower and sheer sense of scale never disappoint.
Botticelli and the Basilica
Michelangelo isn’t the only old master whose work is celebrated in Florence. The Uffizi Gallery specializes in art from the 12th to 17th centuries, and includes major pieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Caravaggio and more. The influential Birth of Venus by Botticelli is housed here, as is Titian’s Venus of Urbino.
Some of the city’s famous names are buried at the Basilica de Santa Croce, which can boast being the world’s largest Franciscan church, with construction dating back to the end of the 13th century.
Adapted and added to over the centuries, it retains a unity of style. Here you’ll find Giotto frescoes as well as a statue of a famous daughter of the city, Florence Nightingale, celebrated for her nursing of British soldiers during the Crimean War - and named for the place of her birth.
Michelangelo’s tomb, directly opposite that of Galileo, also houses the tombs of Machiavelli and composer Rossini, who wrote The Barber of Seville.
Feast on Florentine food
As with every destination in Italy, Florence has its own iconic recipes, drawn from the bountiful Tuscan earth. Cuisine here is rarely over-complicated, letting the produce speak for itself.
Florentine steak – on menus as Bistecca alla Fiorentina – is a common dish, simply grilled and served rare. Portions are usually ample enough to share.
Ribollita is classic peasant food – a tomato and bean soup thickened with stale bread and punched up with herbs. It’s a comforting dish, especially in fall and winter. You can try both of these at the unassuming but highly regarded Trattoria Mario in Mercato Centrale. It’s been going for over 60 years, and the menu has changed little – expect pasta with artichokes, bean soup and fried veal.
Street food is great here – side streets packed with vendors offering up tiny parcels of flavor both tempting and challenging. The schiacciata is a great option – soft Tuscan bread – while lampredotto, otherwise known as cow’s stomach, is a famous local snack.
Florence is undoubtedly a city for the senses – with the scents of Tuscany, the taste of Florentine food, and the sight of amazing art.
Car rental in Florence brings the rest of Tuscany and the city’s suburbs within easy reach too. Reserve now and plan your Italian adventure.
