Florence Review
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  • Things to see in Florence
    • Religious Buildings of Florence >
      • Basilicas of Florence >
        • Florence Cathedral
        • Basilica di Santa Croce
        • Basilica di Santa Maria Novella
        • Basilica di San Lorenzo
        • Basilica di Santo Spirito
        • Basilica di San Miniato al Monte
        • Basilica di San Marco
        • Basilica di Santa Maria del Carmine
        • Basilica della Santissima Annunziata
        • Basilica di Santa Trinita
      • Churches of Florence >
        • Chiesa di San Salvatore in Ognissanti
        • Chiesa di Orsanmichele
        • Chiesa di San Frediano in Cestello
        • Chiesa della Badia
        • Chiesa di San Filippo Neri
        • Chiesa di San Carlo dei Lombardi
        • Chiesa di San Felice in Piazza
        • Chiesa di San Giovannino dei Padri Scolopi
        • Chiesa di Santo Stefano al Ponte
      • Florence Baptistery
      • Great Synagogue of Florence
      • Pazzi Chapel
    • Museums & Art Galleries of Florence >
      • Museums of Florence >
        • Museo dell'Opera del Duomo
        • Museo dell'Opera di Santa Croce
        • Palazzo Vecchio
        • Palazzo Pitti
        • Stibbert Museum
        • Museo Galileo
        • Forte di Belvedere
        • La Specola (Museum of Zoology & Natural History)
        • National Archaeological Museum of Florence
      • Art Galleries of Florence >
        • Uffizi Gallery
        • Galleria dell'Accademia
        • Bargello National Museum
        • Palazzo Medici Riccardi
        • Palazzo Strozzi
        • Museo del Bigallo
        • Museo Bardini
        • Museo di Palazzo Davanzati
        • Villa Bardini
    • Landmarks of Florence >
      • Towers of Florence >
        • Giotto's Bell Tower
        • Palazzo Vecchio Tower (Arnolfo's Tower)
        • Tower of San Niccolo
        • Torre della Zecca
        • Torre dei Marsili
      • Monuments of Florence >
        • Statue of David
        • Loggia dei Lanzi (Loggia della Signoria)
        • Fountain of Neptune
        • Arco di Trionfo dei Lorena
      • Famous Palazzi of Florence >
        • Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale
        • Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali
        • Palazzo Strozzi di Mantova
        • Universita degli Studi di Firenze
        • Palazzo dell'Arte della Lana
        • Accademia della Crusca
      • Brunelleschi's Dome
      • Vasari Corridor
      • Santa Maria Novella Station
      • Scalea del Monte alle Croci
      • River Arno
      • Fortezza Da Basso
    • Squares of Florence >
      • Piazza della Signoria
      • Piazza del Duomo
      • Piazzale Michelangelo
      • Piazza della Repubblica
      • Piazza Santa Croce
      • Piazza Santo Spirito
      • Piazza Santa Maria Novella
      • Piazza San Lorenzo
    • Bridges of Florence >
      • Ponte Vecchio
      • Ponte alle Grazie
      • Ponte Santa Trinita
      • Ponte alla Carraia
      • Ponte alla Vittoria
      • Ponte Amerigo Vespucci
      • Ponte San Niccolo
    • Gardens of Florence >
      • Boboli Gardens
      • Giardino Bardini
      • Giardino delle Rose
      • Giardino dell'Orticoltura
      • Giardino del Museo Stibbert
      • Medici Villa della Petraia
    • Markets of Florence >
      • San Lorenzo Market
      • Sant'Ambrogio Market
      • Loggia del Mercato Nuovo
      • Mercato Centrale
    • Medieval Florence >
      • Florence City Walls
      • Porta San Miniato
      • Porta San Gallo
      • Porta di San Frediano
      • Porta al Prato
      • Porta Romana
  • Florence Hotels
  • Florence
    • Areas of Florence >
      • Duomo
      • Signoria
      • Belvedere
      • Santo Spirito
      • Santa Croce
      • Santa Trinita
      • San Niccolo
      • San Frediano
      • San Lorenzo
      • San Marco
      • Santa Maria Novella
      • San Marco Vecchio
    • Famous Streets of Florence >
      • Lungarno Amerigo Vespucci
      • Lungarno della Zecca Vecchia
      • Lungarno delle Grazie
      • Via Calimala
      • Via dei Calzaiuoli
      • Via di San Niccolo
      • Via Roma
      • Via de Tornabuoni
    • Best Views of Florence

FLORENCE REVIEW

THE  ENGLISH  GUIDE  TO  FLORENCE

Florence  Review


Florence Review is a guide to the city of Florence in Italy. The magnificent Renaissance city is the capital of Tuscany and famous the world over for its exquisite architecture and art collections. 

Iconic sights abound here: from Brunelleschi's Dome on top of Florence Cathedral to Michelangelo's Statue of David and the Ponte Vecchio, one of the world's most recognisable bridges. 

Although it's packed with things to see, Florence isn't overpoweringly huge and it's easy enough to see the majority of sights on foot.

​A good starting point is Piazza del Duomo, home of the incomparable Florence Cathedral. Just in front of the Cathedral lies the Florence Baptistery while soaring just a few paces away is Giotto's Bell Tower which you can climb for one of the best views of the city. 

The Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, also on Piazza del Duomo is one of the most important museums in Florence and contains a wide range of exhibits that have by now outgrown the Cathedral itself. 
Another of Florence's grand squares is the Piazza della Signoria. It's only a short walk from Piazza del Duomo and here you'll find another treasure trove of sights. The most famous building on this square is the Palazzo Vecchio; the city's town hall that also houses museums and exhibitions. You can also climb the Palazzo Vecchio Tower for another incredible view of the city. 

Palazzo Vecchio is connected to the city's most important museum: the Uffizi Gallery. The two buildings are connected via the remarkable Vasari Corridor: an elevated walkway that passes through the Uffizi, across River Arno via the upper section of the Ponte Vecchio, and eventually on to Palazzo Pitti and the expansive Renaissance landscapes of Boboli Gardens. 

The sights mentioned above represent just the very tip of the iceberg of sights in Florence; you can spend a week in the city and not see everything so some level of planning is a good idea before you arrive. However, it's also great to simply turn up and wander the beautiful streets, following in the footsteps of Dante, Giotto and Michelangelo. 

Whether you're the type of person who likes to meticulously plan or instead, to just start exploring once you get here, I hope you find Florence Review to be a useful tool in helping you enjoy your trip to Florence. 

Dion Protani: founder of Florence Review.

HERE'S  SOME  OF  WHAT  YOU  CAN  FIND  ON  FLORENCE  REVIEW!


Florence  In - Focus

No trip to Florence is complete without a visit to the beautiful Florence Cathedral. The outside of the structure is covered with white, green and pink marble panels that form part of Emilio De Fabris' incredible façade with its intricate detail in the Gothic Revival style of the 19th century while inside, the mosaic floor is one of its most notable features. With the 140 year period that was required to complete the cathedral's construction, the work of many hands and the traces of history remain embedded within its walls.  There are works of art including ​paintings, sculptures and stained-glass windows by Ghiberti -
Picture
Florence Cathedral
 - Gaddi, Donatello, Andrea del Castagno and Santi di Tito; there's also a clock made by Paolo Uccello that still works. 

Construction began at the end of the 13th century by Arnolfo di Cambio and after his death it was continued by Francesco Talenti and then Giovanni di Lapo Ghini. Even Giotto directed some of the works, in a period where the 85 metre tall bell tower (campanile) was built; one of the best examples of 14th century Gothic architecture in Florence and you can climb to the top of it.  After Giotto it was 
Andrea Pisano who continued the work before Franceso Talenti finally finished construction in 1369.

​The famous dome wasn't finished until 1434; a design by Filippo Brunelleschi that was chosen in a public contest, winning against, among others, a design by Michelangelo which however can be seen in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo. The dome is the cathedral's most notable feature; it's still the world’s biggest masonry dome ever built and an object of study for architects and engineers around the world. If you are brave enough to climb its 463 steps, you will be rewarded with one of the best views of Florence from the terrace and during the climb you also have the chance to appreciate one of the biggest frescoes in the world from close range, an astonishing 3,600 m
² work by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari.

The Crypt

The Cathedral is built on the site of the 7th century church of Santa Reparata, the ancient early Christian basilica of Florence and one of the major early Christian complexes in the region of Tuscia. Its remains can be seen in the crypt, just two and a half metres beneath the actual building. Santa Reparata houses notorious gravestones, including the tomb of Niccolò Squarcialupi and Giovanni Di Alamanno de' Medici as well as possibly, the tombs of two popes: Stephen IX and Nicholas II.

THINGS  TO  SEE  IN  FLORENCE

In this section you'll find Florence's main sights categorized under different headings including Religious Buildings such as Florence Cathedral, Bridges like the Ponte Vecchio and much more besides.

FLORENCE  ACCOMMODATION

In the accommodation section the main feature at the moment is the Florence Hotels Booking.com search engine but I'll soon be adding more here including a Florence Holiday Planner service.

Areas  of  Florence

So that you can navigate your way around the city I've created a guide to its different areas. You can go from one area to the next to find what's there and then select the places you'd like to visit.

Need  Advice?

If you're planning a trip to Florence and you're not sure about something or just need some advice, feel free to ask me, Dion Protani, via info@italyreview.com and I'll be happy to help.

HOME

THINGS TO SEE IN FLORENCE

FLORENCE HOTELS

FLORENCE

Florence Review is part of the Italy Review network of websites, aimed at making life easier for English-speaking people travelling throughout Italy.
For advice on other locations in Italy please visit my websites below:
Ischia Review
Abruzzo Review
Capri Island Review
Veneto Review
Sorrento Review
Procida Review
Amalfi Coast Review
Basilicata Review

Picture

​All photos and images on the site that are marked with the © copyright symbol or with the Florence Review logo are the property of Florence Review and must not be used elsewhere without prior permission. All written content on the website is the property of Florence Review and its use is strictly limited to this website alone. 
  • Home
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  • Things to see in Florence
    • Religious Buildings of Florence >
      • Basilicas of Florence >
        • Florence Cathedral
        • Basilica di Santa Croce
        • Basilica di Santa Maria Novella
        • Basilica di San Lorenzo
        • Basilica di Santo Spirito
        • Basilica di San Miniato al Monte
        • Basilica di San Marco
        • Basilica di Santa Maria del Carmine
        • Basilica della Santissima Annunziata
        • Basilica di Santa Trinita
      • Churches of Florence >
        • Chiesa di San Salvatore in Ognissanti
        • Chiesa di Orsanmichele
        • Chiesa di San Frediano in Cestello
        • Chiesa della Badia
        • Chiesa di San Filippo Neri
        • Chiesa di San Carlo dei Lombardi
        • Chiesa di San Felice in Piazza
        • Chiesa di San Giovannino dei Padri Scolopi
        • Chiesa di Santo Stefano al Ponte
      • Florence Baptistery
      • Great Synagogue of Florence
      • Pazzi Chapel
    • Museums & Art Galleries of Florence >
      • Museums of Florence >
        • Museo dell'Opera del Duomo
        • Museo dell'Opera di Santa Croce
        • Palazzo Vecchio
        • Palazzo Pitti
        • Stibbert Museum
        • Museo Galileo
        • Forte di Belvedere
        • La Specola (Museum of Zoology & Natural History)
        • National Archaeological Museum of Florence
      • Art Galleries of Florence >
        • Uffizi Gallery
        • Galleria dell'Accademia
        • Bargello National Museum
        • Palazzo Medici Riccardi
        • Palazzo Strozzi
        • Museo del Bigallo
        • Museo Bardini
        • Museo di Palazzo Davanzati
        • Villa Bardini
    • Landmarks of Florence >
      • Towers of Florence >
        • Giotto's Bell Tower
        • Palazzo Vecchio Tower (Arnolfo's Tower)
        • Tower of San Niccolo
        • Torre della Zecca
        • Torre dei Marsili
      • Monuments of Florence >
        • Statue of David
        • Loggia dei Lanzi (Loggia della Signoria)
        • Fountain of Neptune
        • Arco di Trionfo dei Lorena
      • Famous Palazzi of Florence >
        • Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale
        • Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali
        • Palazzo Strozzi di Mantova
        • Universita degli Studi di Firenze
        • Palazzo dell'Arte della Lana
        • Accademia della Crusca
      • Brunelleschi's Dome
      • Vasari Corridor
      • Santa Maria Novella Station
      • Scalea del Monte alle Croci
      • River Arno
      • Fortezza Da Basso
    • Squares of Florence >
      • Piazza della Signoria
      • Piazza del Duomo
      • Piazzale Michelangelo
      • Piazza della Repubblica
      • Piazza Santa Croce
      • Piazza Santo Spirito
      • Piazza Santa Maria Novella
      • Piazza San Lorenzo
    • Bridges of Florence >
      • Ponte Vecchio
      • Ponte alle Grazie
      • Ponte Santa Trinita
      • Ponte alla Carraia
      • Ponte alla Vittoria
      • Ponte Amerigo Vespucci
      • Ponte San Niccolo
    • Gardens of Florence >
      • Boboli Gardens
      • Giardino Bardini
      • Giardino delle Rose
      • Giardino dell'Orticoltura
      • Giardino del Museo Stibbert
      • Medici Villa della Petraia
    • Markets of Florence >
      • San Lorenzo Market
      • Sant'Ambrogio Market
      • Loggia del Mercato Nuovo
      • Mercato Centrale
    • Medieval Florence >
      • Florence City Walls
      • Porta San Miniato
      • Porta San Gallo
      • Porta di San Frediano
      • Porta al Prato
      • Porta Romana
  • Florence Hotels
  • Florence
    • Areas of Florence >
      • Duomo
      • Signoria
      • Belvedere
      • Santo Spirito
      • Santa Croce
      • Santa Trinita
      • San Niccolo
      • San Frediano
      • San Lorenzo
      • San Marco
      • Santa Maria Novella
      • San Marco Vecchio
    • Famous Streets of Florence >
      • Lungarno Amerigo Vespucci
      • Lungarno della Zecca Vecchia
      • Lungarno delle Grazie
      • Via Calimala
      • Via dei Calzaiuoli
      • Via di San Niccolo
      • Via Roma
      • Via de Tornabuoni
    • Best Views of Florence