What to do in Florence: an itinerary

WHAT TO DO IN FLORENCE: AN ITINERARY FOR YOUR FIRST WEEKEND IN FLORENCE

Florence is beautiful, is an open-air museum you can’t see in few days. But you can admire its historic centre, which includes the Uffizi Gallery, in a weekend.

In this post I’ll suggest you what to do in Florence and to see near the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower (the Florence Cathedral), one of the most beautiful and peculiar areas of Florence.

Palazzo Vecchio

The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower (the Florence Cathedral or the Duomo), the Giotto’s Campanile (Giotto’s Bell Tower) and the Baptistery

This is the heart of Florence, visited every day by thousands of tourists.
Admiring Florence from the Giotto’s Campanile is quite an experience, just like admiring the interior of the Cathedral, one of the largest churches in the world, and of the Baptistery.
In the images I published below you’ll understand why. They are masterpieces painted by the most important artists of the Renaissance.

The Museo dell’Opera di Firenze (the Museum of the works of the Cathedral)

Established in 1891, it contains sculptures, drawings and objects created for the Cathedral, the Campanile and the Baptistery of Florence.
Here there’s also The Deposition by Michelangelo (Pietà Bandini), a Pietà intended by the artist for his own tomb in Rome, and many more masterpieces of other fundamental artists.

The Church of Orsanmichele

Not far from the Cathedral and on the way to Palazzo Vecchio there’s the Church of Orsanmichele, decorated with statues and decorations commissioned to the major artists who from the 15^th century to the 17^th century were in Florence.
The entrance to the Church is free of charge.

The Palazzo della Signoria and the Uffizi Gallery

The political centre of the city is Piazza della Signoria, overlooked by the Palazzo Vecchio.
Here all you have to do is spin around to admire sculptures by Donatello and Michelangelo and many more.
Next to Palazzo Vecchio there’s the Uffizi Gallery and its unmissable works.

You can see also the DVD “Galleria degli Uffizi- Il Grand Tour del XXI secolo” (“The Uffizi Gallery- the Grand Tour of the 21st century”).

Where I ate

I had a coffee at the Rivoire, the historic place opposite the Palazzo Vecchio, founded in 1872 by the chocolatier of the Savoy Royal Family.
Expensive, but with a spectacular view of one of the most beautiful squares in the world.

I had lunch at the Ristorante Celestino. A restaurant which has been cooking typical Tuscan dishes since 1872.