Florence

Human history has been distinguished by flashes of brilliance when all the planets just seemed to align. The Tigress and Euphrates around 5,000BC. Ancient Greece. And Elizabethan England.

But no moment in space and time has ever been quite as remarkable as Florence during the Renaissance. Fueled by money from the cloth trade and the patronage of the Medicis, Florence became the cultural center of the universe.

The world’s most brilliant architects and painters, philosophers and poets, scientists and sculptors, all revolutionized their fields here. And visitors to the city can observe the transition first hand. In the work of Brunelleschi and Giotto, Ghiberti and Donatello.

The legacy of this astounding bounty is a city which is, itself, a work of art.

Spend four days visiting incomparable treasures including Michelangelo’s David, Botticelli’s Venus, and Titian’s Venus of Urbino, savoring Bistecca alle Fiorentina, and shopping for gold and antiques in the Ponte Vecchio or along stylish Via de’Tornabuoni.

Climb to the top of Brunelleschi’s dome or Giotto’s Campanile for fantastic views of the Tuscan countryside. Sample Chianti from neighboring vineyards in an atmospheric wine bar. Or stroll the lovely, fountain-filled Boboli Gardens.

Whether you’re touring the Uffizi -- Italy’s greatest gallery -- assembling a picnic lunch at one of the city’s colorful markets, or dining at a sidewalk café on the piazza, you’ll know why Florence has proven irresistible to travelers for 500 years.

Duomo - Detail

Palazzo Vecchio