Duomo & Center

The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore is the undisputed landmark of Florence and one of the greatest architectural achievements in human history. The cathedral is 153 meters long, with its main nave 38 meters wide — when it was consecrated in 1436, it was the largest church in the world. But the true star is the dome.

Brunelleschi's Dome (Cupola)

Filippo Brunelleschi's dome (1420–1436) was a stroke of engineering genius: 45.5 meters in internal diameter, 114 meters high, built without the usual wooden scaffolding (centering), which would have been impossible at this size. Brunelleschi invented a double-shell structure with a self-supporting herringbone pattern of bricks — a technique still not fully deciphered today. The 463 steps lead through the interior between the two shells — along the way, you see Vasari's massive fresco "The Last Judgment" up close. Once at the top: a 360° panorama over Florence and the Tuscan hills, worth every drop of sweat.

Admission: Combo ticket (Dome + Campanile + Baptistery + Museum + Crypt): 30€. Dome climb by reservation only (book online!). The cathedral itself is free.

Giotto's Campanile

The freestanding bell tower (84.7 meters, 1334–1359) next to the cathedral is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture: clad in white, green, and pink marble. The 414 steps lead to a viewing platform with a slightly different view than the dome — here you see the dome itself up close, an unforgettable photo opportunity. The stairs are narrower than in the dome, but the view is spectacular.

Battistero di San Giovanni (Baptistery)

The Baptistery (11th–12th century) opposite the cathedral is the oldest building in the cathedral square. Famous for its three bronze doors, of which the eastern one — by Lorenzo Ghiberti (1401–1452) — was so perfect that Michelangelo called it the "Gates of Paradise". The ten gilded reliefs depict scenes from the Old Testament with a perspective and detail that revolutionized art. The originals are in the cathedral museum (Museo dell'Opera del Duomo), with high-quality copies on the door.

The Uffizi (Galleria degli Uffizi) is Italy's most important art museum and one of the world's most significant painting galleries. The U-shaped building was constructed from 1560–1581 by Giorgio Vasari as offices (uffici) for the Medici administration and today houses over 2,000 paintings — including works that everyone knows, even if they've never been to Florence.

The Absolute Highlights

• Sandro Botticelli — "The Birth of Venus" (ca. 1485) — The icon of the Renaissance: Venus, born from sea foam, floating on a shell. The grace, the flowing hair, the pastel colors — a painting that defines beauty itself. Room 10–14.
• Sandro Botticelli — "Spring / Primavera" (ca. 1482) — Right next to Venus: an allegorical masterpiece with over 500 identifiable plant species. The nine mythological figures in an orange grove — enigmatic, elegant, unforgettable.
• Leonardo da Vinci — "Annunciation" (ca. 1472) — Leonardo's early masterpiece, painted at just 20 years old. The landscape in the background already shows his revolutionary sfumato technique.
• Caravaggio — "Medusa" (ca. 1597) — The severed head of Medusa on a round shield: snakes, gaping mouth, the moment of horror. Caravaggio used his own face as a model.
• Raphael — "Madonna del Cardellino" (1506) — Mary with the Christ child and the young John holding a goldfinch. Perfection in composition and color.
• Titian — "Venus of Urbino" (1538) — The most scandalous painting of the Renaissance: a naked woman looking directly at the viewer. Mark Twain called it "the most obscene painting in the world."

Practical Information

Admission: 25€ (reduced 2€ for EU citizens 18–25 years). Opening hours: Tue–Sun 8:15–18:30 (last entry 17:00). Closed on Mondays. Visit duration: At least 3 hours, art lovers need a whole day. Online reservation: 4€ surcharge, but highly recommended — the queue without reservation is 1–4 hours in high season.

Piazza della Signoria

The Piazza della Signoria has been the political heart of Florence since the Middle Ages — here governance, judgment, and revolution took place. The square is an open-air sculpture museum: In front of the Palazzo Vecchio stands a copy of Michelangelo's David (the original stood here until 1873), alongside Bandinelli's Hercules and Cacus, Donatello's Judith, and Ammannati's Neptune Fountain.

Loggia dei Lanzi

The open Loggia dei Lanzi (14th century) on the south side of the square houses masterpieces of sculpture — free and without queues: Giambologna's "Rape of the Sabine Women" (1583) and Benvenuto Cellini's "Perseus with the Head of Medusa" (1545–1554). The latter is one of the most dramatic bronze sculptures of all time — Perseus triumphantly holds the severed head of Medusa, with blood spurting from the neck.

Palazzo Vecchio

The Palazzo Vecchio (1299–1314) with its distinctive 94-meter tower (Torre d'Arnolfo) is still the town hall of Florence today. Once the seat of the Signoria (city government), then the residence of the Medici (before they moved to the Palazzo Pitti), it is now both a museum and an administrative seat.

• Salone dei Cinquecento: The vast council hall (54 x 23 meters) with Vasari's ceiling paintings and wall frescoes. Here Leonardo and Michelangelo were supposed to compete — both works remained unfinished, but the hall is overwhelming nonetheless.
• Studiolo di Francesco I: A tiny cabinet full of Mannerist paintings — the most intimate and peculiar room in the palace.
• Tower: Climbable, with one of the best views over Florence.

Admission: Museum: 12.50€, Tower: 12.50€, Combo: 17.50€.

Ponte Vecchio

The Ponte Vecchio (1345) is the oldest bridge in Florence and the only one not destroyed by the Germans in World War II — allegedly on Hitler's orders, who was impressed by its beauty. Since the 16th century, goldsmiths have been based here (previously it was butchers, whom Grand Duke Ferdinand I expelled due to the stench). Above the shops runs the Corridoio Vasariano — the secret passage of the Medici between Palazzo Pitti and Palazzo Vecchio. Since 2024, the corridor has been reopened to visitors (reservation required, approximately 45€).

Museo Nazionale del Bargello

The Bargello (1255) is the oldest public building in Florence — once a police palace and prison, now one of the world's most important sculpture museums. Here stand Donatello's bronze David (the first freestanding nude since antiquity), Verrocchio's David (for which the young Leonardo posed), Michelangelo's Brutus, and Cellini's original busts. Admission: 9€. Astonishingly few visitors — the perfect contrast to the hustle and bustle of the Uffizi.

Museo dell'Opera del Duomo

The Cathedral Museum behind the cathedral houses the original works that once adorned the cathedral and baptistery: Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise (the real ones!), Donatello's Mary Magdalene (a shockingly expressive wooden sculpture), Michelangelo's Bandini Pietà (his penultimate work, which he damaged himself with a hammer), and a full model of the cathedral facade. Included in the cathedral combo ticket (30€).

Orsanmichele

This former grain market hall, converted into a church, is a curiosity: In the niches of the outer facade stand sculptures of the Florentine guilds — Donatello, Ghiberti, Verrocchio, each immortalized their guild. Inside: a magnificent Gothic tabernacle by Andrea Orcagna. Admission: free.

Museo Galileo

The Galileo Museum on the Arno, right next to the Uffizi, showcases the scientific instruments of the Medici collections — including Galileo's original telescopes and his mummified middle finger (yes, really). A fascinating museum for anyone interested in the history of science. Admission: 12€.