| Florence
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| Basilica di Santa Croce, Piazza Santa Croce 16
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Many of the great thinkers of the Renaissance are buried here, including
Michelangelo, Galileo, and Macchiavelli. The church contains sculpture by
Donatello, a fantastic Crucifixion by Cimabue, and frescoes by Giotto and
Gaddi. The Pazzi Chapel, which is Santa Croce's cloister, was designed by
Brunelleschi and is decorated with rondels by Luca della Robbia.
| Phone: | 05.52.44.61.9 |
| Hours: | Church is open from 8AM to 12:30PM and from 3PM to 6:30PM daily; musuem is
open from 10AM to 12:30 PM and 2:30PM to 6:30PM Thursday through Tuesday,
March
through September; 10AM to 12:30PM and 3PM to 5PM Thursday through
Tuesday, October through February |
| Admission to the church is free |
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| Museum admission: | 4EUR |
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| Basilica di Santa Maria Novella, Piazza Santa Maria Novella
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Begun in the 13th century, Santa Maria Novella contains some wonderful
frescoes by Massaccio, Uccello, and Ghirlandaio. There's also a beautiful
carved Crucifixion by Brunelleschi.
| Phone: | 05.52.15.918 |
| Hours: | 9:30AM to 5PM Monday through Thursday and Saturday; 1PM to 5PM Friday and Sunday |
| Admission to the church is free |
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| Museum Admission: | 2.50EUR |
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| Battistero (Baptistry), Piazza di San Giovanni
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In 1401, a contest was held to determine who would design the doors for the
Duomo's Baptistery. The leading sculptors of the day, including Donatello
and Jacopo della Quercia, submitted designs. Ghiberti won the commission for
the North Doors and spent the next 21 years of his life working on them. As
a reward, he was also awarded the East Doors, which Michelangelo dubbed the
"Gate of Paradise." The ten gold-leafed panels depict scenes from the Old
Testament. Andrea Pisano was commissioned to do the South Doors. Inside the
Baptistry, there's a 13th-century mosaic of the Last Judgement. Dante and
other Renaissance greats were buried here.
| Phone: | 05.52.30.28.85 |
| Hours: | Noon to 6:30PM Monday through Saturday; 8:30AM to 1:30PM Sunday |
| Admission: |
3EUR
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| Caffè la Torre, Lungarno Cellini 65r
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This small club along the Arno offers live jazz most nights.
| Phone: | 05.56.80.643 |
| Hours: | 8:30PM to 5AM daily |
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| Campanile di Giotto (Giotto's Tower), Piazza del Duomo
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Designed by Giotto, but completed and improved by Andrea Pisano, the Duomo's
Campanile contains reliefs by Donatello and Pisano. Those here are copies --
the originals are in the Museu dell'Opera del Duomo. The highlight of a visit here is the view from the top of the
tower, reached by climbing 414 steps.
| Phone: | 05.52.30.28.85 |
| Hours: | 9AM to 6:50PM daily, April through October; 9AM to 4:20PM daily, November
through March |
| Admission: |
6EUR
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| Cappelle Medicee (Medici Chapels), Piazza Madonna degli Aldobrandini
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Adjacent to San Lorenzo, the Medici Chapels run the gamut from the sublime
to the ridiculous. The latter being the over-the-top Cappella dei Principi
or Chapel of the Princes. The former being the New Sacristy where
Michelangelo labored between 1521 and 1534. The three groups of statues
here -- the Tomb of the Duke of Urbino, the Tomb of the Duke of Nemours, and
the Madonna and Child -- are among his finest works. Note the figures of
Dawn and Dusk and Night and Day at the feet of the Dukes.
| Phone: | 05.52.38.86.02 |
| Hours: | 8:15AM to 5PM daily; closed 1st 3rd and 5th Monday and 2nd and 4th Sunday
of each month |
| Admission: |
6EUR
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| Casa Buonarroti, Via Ghibellina 70
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Michelangelo bought this house for his nephew in Lionardo, whose son turned
it into a museum. It was restored in 1964 and today it contains drawings,
models, and some minor sculptures by the Renaissance genius.
This palace, once the home of Grand Duke Francesco I, is decorated with exquisite sgraffito.
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| Galleria dell'Accademia, Via Ricasoli 60
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Founded in 1563, the Accademia di Belle Arti is the oldest art school in the
world. The Galleria was established in 1784 to provide students at the
school with artwork to copy. Today, it's the home of Michelangelo's "David,"
carved in 1504. His "Quattro Prigioni" or "Four Prisoners" is also here and
the unfinished work reveals the artist's genius in progress. The Galleria
also has a fine collection of 15th- and 16th-century paintings, including
works by Ghirlandaio, Filippino Lippi, and Botticelli. To avoid waiting in
line for 2+ hours, make reservations in advance by calling
011.39.055.294.883 between 8:30AM and 6:30PM Monday through Friday or from
9AM to noon Saturdays Florence time, or for an additional fee online at Weekend A Firenze.
| Phone: | 05.52.38.86.12 |
| Fax: | 05.52.38.86.09 |
| Hours: | 8:15AM to 6:50PM Tuesday through Sunday
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| Email: | galleriaaccademia@polomuseale.firenze.it |
| Web: |
www.sbas.firenze.it/accademia |
| Admission: |
7EUR
Additional reservation fee of 3EUR if made in advance by phone. Additional reservation fee of 8.70EUR if made in advance online.
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| Gallerie degli Uffizi (Uffizi Galleries), Piazzale degli Uffizi 6
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Italy's greatest gallery reveals the astonishing brilliance of the
Renaissance on one manageable floor. Paintings from the "trecento" or 1300s
include works by Giotto, Duccio, Cimabue, and Simone Martini. The Early
Renaissance is represented by Paolo Uccello, Fra Filippp Lippi, Piero della
Francesca, and Botticelli, whose work is the highlight for most visitors
here. Rooms 10 through14 display his "Birth of Venus," "Primavera,"
"Adoration of the Magi," and several other paintings. Paintings by Leonardo
da Vinci, Bronzino, Michelangelo, and Luca Signorelli illustrate the High
Renaissance style. The Uffizi also has an impressive collection of Venetian
painting. To avoid waiting in line for 2+ hours, make reservations in
advance by calling 011.39.055.294.883 between 8:30AM and 6:30PM Monday
through Friday or from 8:30AM to 12:30PM Saturdays Florence time, or for an additional fee online at Weekend A Firenze.
| Phone: | 05.52.38.86.51 |
| Fax: | 05.52.64.40.6 |
| Hours: | 8:15AM to 6:50PM Tuesday through Sunday; 8:15AM to 10PM Saturdays in summer |
| Web: |
www.polomuseale.firenze.it/english/musei/uffizi/ |
| Admission: |
7EUR
An additional reservation fee of 3EUR if made in advance by phone. An additional reservation fee of 8.70EUR if made in advance online.
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| Jazz Club, Via Nuova de'Caccini 3
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This sophisticated club is one of the best spots in Florence for jazz.
| Phone: | 05.52.47.97.00 |
| Hours: | 9:30PM to 2AM Tuesday through Friday; 9:30AM to 2:30AM Saturdays |
| Admission: |
8EUR
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| La Sinagoga di Firenze, Via Farina 4
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Inspired by Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, this Moorish-Byzantine synagogue was begun in the 1870s. There’s small
museum upstairs tracing the history of Florence’s Jewish community from the 14th century to the present.
| Phone: | 05.52.34.66.54 |
| Hours: | 10AM to 1PM Sunday through Friday; 2PM to 4PM Sunday through Thursday
Upon request 45-minute guided tours every 25 minutes
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| Web: |
www.firenzebraica.net |
| Admission: |
4EUR
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| Mercato Centrale, Piazza del Mercato Centrale
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Great food and a little bit of everything else at Florence’s largest market.
| Hours: | 8:30AM to 7PM Monday through Saturday; food market from 7AM until 2PM Monday through Friday |
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| Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio, Piazza Ghiberti
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With fewer tourists than Mercato Centrale, this market is a great and less expensive place to shop for produce,
meats, and cheeses. Outside the market, there’s all sorts of junk for sale.
| Hours: | 7AM to 2PM Monday through Saturday |
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| Museo Archeologico di Firenza, Via della Colonna 38
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Florence's archaeology museum contains a fine collection if sculpture,
ceramics, and other artifacts from Egyptian, Greek, and Roman times.
| Phone: | 05.52.35.75 |
| Hours: | Monday, 2PM to 7PM; Tuesday and Thursday, 8:30AM to 7PM; Wednesday, Friday and Sunday 8:30AM to 2PM; closed 2nd and 4th
Mondays of the month |
| Admission: |
4EUR
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| Museo dell'Opera del Duomo di Firenza, Piazza del Duomo 9
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This museum contains the original priceless sculpture and reliefs from the
Duomo, the Campanile, and the Baptistry. There are also interesting exhibits
detailing the construction of the cathedral and its magnificent dome.
| Phone: | 05.52.30.28.85 |
| Hours: | 9AM to 7:30 PM Monday through Saturday, 9AM to 2PM Sundays |
| Web: |
www.operaduomo.firenze.it |
| Admission: |
6EUR
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| Museo di Storia della Scienza (Science Museum), Piazza dei Giudici 1
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Those who are interested in science will truly enjoy the exhibits here which
include Galileo's instruments, Renaissance inventions, and a host of
scientific instruments. As if that's not enough, you can see a bottle
containing one of Galileo's fingers.
| Phone: | 05.52.65.31.1 |
| Fax: | 05.52.65.31.30 |
| Hours: | 9:30PM to 5PM Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 9:30AM to 1PM Tuesday
and Saturday during summer; 9:30PM to 5PM Monday, Wednesday, Thursday,
Friday and Saturday; 9:30AM to 1PM Tuesday off season |
| Email: | elena@imss.fi.it |
| Web: |
galileo.imss.firenze.it/ |
| Admission: |
7.50EUR
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| Museo Nazionale del Bargello (Bargello Museum), Via del Proconsolo 4
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Florence's other great fine arts museum, the Bargello contains one of the
finest collections of Renaissance sculpture in the world. The building dates
from 1255 and it was one of the first museums in Italy when it opened in
1865. The Michelangelo room contains his sensuous "Bacchus," a bust of
Brutus, and a circular relief of the Madonna and Child. Donatello's "David"
is here, as well as his heroic "St. George," and two "St. John the
Baptists." Other highlights include Brunelleschi's and Ghiberti's designs
for the Baptistry doors competition, and "David" by Andrea del Verrocchio. Make reservations in
advance by calling 011.39.055.294.883 between 8:30AM and 6:30PM Monday
through Friday or from 9AM to noon Saturdays Florence time or at this website.
| Phone: | 05.52.38.86.06 |
| Hours: | 8:30AM to 1:50PM daily; closed 2nd and 4th Monday and 1st, 3rd and 5th
Sunday of each month |
| Email: | museobargello@libero.it |
| Web: |
www.sbas.firenze.it/ |
| Admission: |
4EUR
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| Ognissanti, Piazza Ognissanti
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The parish church of the Vespucci family, Ognissanti or "All Saints"
contains Ghirlandaio and Botticelli who is buried here.
| Phone: | 055.23.98.700 |
| Hours: | Church is open from 8AM to 12PM and 4PM to 6:30PM daily; Convent is open
from 9AM to 12PM Monday, Tuesday and Saturday |
| Admission is free |
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| Orsanmichele, Via Arte della Lana 1
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Once the city's grain market, this 14th-century building became a church
when an image of the Virgin appears on one its columns. The 14 exterior
niches are adorned with statues by the leading sculptors of the time,
including Ghiberti, Donatello, and Verrocchio.
| Phone: | 05.52.84.944 |
| Hours: | Church is open from 9AM to noon and 4PM to 6PM daily; museum is open
for 45-minute visits at 9AM, 10AM and 11AM daily |
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| Plant Market, Piazza della Repubblica
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You’ll get good pictures at this colorful plant market outside the Post Office.
| Hours: | 8AM to 1PM Thursdays |
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| Rinascente, Piazza della Repubblica 1
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Florence’s most stylish department store is good for fashion, housewares, and gifts.
| Phone: | 05.52.19.113 |
| Hours: | 9AM to 9PM Monday through Saturday; 10:30AM to 8PM Sundays |
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| Santa Maria del Fiori (Florence Duomo), Piazza del Duomo
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Faced with white, pink, and green marble, Florence's Duomo is the fourth
largest in Europe. Brunelleschi's magnificent dome was the largest to be
built without scaffolding when it was completed in 1463. There are three
apses at the east end of the church, each crowned with a smaller dome. The
chapels there have stained glass windows designed by Ghiberti. The
intricate, inlaid floors were designed in the 16th century by Baccio d'
Agnola and Francesco da Sangallo. The ceiling is decorated with a huge
fresco of the Last Judgement by Vasari and Zuccari. Brunelleschi is buried
in the Duomo.
| Phone: | 05.52.30.28.85 |
| Hours: | 10AM to 5PM Monday through Wednesday and Friday; 10AM to 3:30PM Thursday; 10AM to 3:30PM first Saturday of Month; 10AM to 4:45PM other Saturdays; 1:30PM to 4:30PM Sundays;
Sundays; tours every 40 minutes from 10:30AM to 12PM and 3PM to 4:20PM |
| Admission to church free |
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| Dome admission: | 6EUR |
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| Santa Maria della Carmine, Piazza della Carmine
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The Brancassi Chapel at Santa Maria della Carmine houses some of the finest Renaissance frescoes in existence,
painted by Masolino, Masaccio, and Filippino Lippi. Highlights here include Masolino’s "Temptation of Adam
and Eve," and Masaccio’s "Expulsion of Adam and Eve" and "Tribute Money."
| Phone: | 05.52.38.21.95 |
| Hours: | 10AM to 5PM daily; 1PM to 5PM Sunday |
| Admission to church free |
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| Brancacci chapel: | 4EUR |
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| Santissima Annunziata, Piazza Santissima Annunziata
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Founded in 1250 and rebuilt in the 15th century, Santissima Annunziata contains frescoes by Andrea del Sarto
and a shrine built around an icon of the Madonna which is reputed to have been completed by angels.
| Phone: | 05.52.66181 |
| Hours: | 7:30AM to 12:30PM and 4PM to 6:30PM daily |
| Admission is free |
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| Santo Spirito, Piazza Santo Spirito 29
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Brunelleschi designed this church in 1435 although it wasn't completed until
the late 15th century. Inside the church, there are paintings by Ghirlandaio
and Filippino Lippi. The highlight of the small museum here is the
14th-century Crucifixion and fresco of the last Supper.
| Phone: | 05.52.10.030 |
| Hours: | 8AM to noon daily; 4PM to 6PM, Thursday through Tuesday |
| Web: |
giubileo.comune.fi.it/en/itinerari/cenacoli.htm |
| Church admission is free |
0EUR
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| Refectory: | 2.20EUR |
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| Spedale degli Innocenti, Piazza Santissima Annunziata 12
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This orphanage designed by Brunelleschi, opened in 1444, making it the oldest in Europe. The exterior is
decorated with terra cotta cameos created by Andrea della Robbia. Spedale degli Innocenti is considered the first
Renaissance building.
| Phone: | 05.52.49.17.08 |
| Hours: | 8:30AM to 2PM Thursday through Tuesday |
| Web: |
www.istitutodeglinnocenti.it |
| Admission: |
3EUR
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| Teatro Comunale, Corso Italia 16
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Florence’s leading venue for classical music and dance, Teatro Comunale offers a progam of performances year
‘round. Zubin Mehta has been the principal conductor here since 1985. The concert season runs from January
through March, followed by the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino festival which lasts until July. This is one of the
most popular festivals in Florence, so if you want to go, purchase tickets in advance through their web site.
Reservations are required to tour the corridor Vasari built in 1564 so Grand Duke Francesco I could walk from
the Pitti Palace to his "job" at the Uffizi without having to rub shoulders with the riffraff. The passageway offers
wonderful views of Florence and more than 700 paintings. There are only three tours a week and they are limited
to 30 people each.
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