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INTRODUCTION
Welcome to Florence, the capital of Tuscany and a city whose historic center is a stunning open-air museum, that you will discover with our audioguide (audioguides).
Originally, Florence was an Etruscan fortified camp. In 395 AD, the Etruscans fell to Rome, and the Romans founded the municipality of Florentia. In 774, it was conquered again, this time by the empire of Charlemagne.
After its liberation in the Middle Ages, the city participated vigorously in the power struggle between the different towns of Tuscany (Siena, Pisa ...), and later in the wars for and against the Pontiff and the nobility. It became one of the most powerful and prosperous cities in Europe, coining its own currency for three centuries, which was known as the golden florin.
The Florentines were pioneers of the "large-scale loan,” which began by lending sizable sums to Europe’s sovereign states in exchange for a portion of their tax revenue each year.
In 1406, Florence conquered Pisa and became a significant maritime power. The prosperity of the city prompted its wealthiest merchants to transform their homes into elegant palaces.
The Medici, who were the richest family in Florence, seized power in 1434, banishing and bankrupting their adversaries. Consequently, they ruled the city for 350 years. During this period, Florence was known for its prosperity and as the epicenter of art and culture under the patronage of the Medici.
In 1737, the Medici lineage came to an end. The city was passed to the Austrian crown until 1815 when Tuscany became a province of Italy after the Congress of Vienna.
It was the capital of Italy for six years until 1871.
During World War II, the city was occupied by the Germans which saw many of its bridges destroyed. Thankfully, the Old Bridge (Ponte Vecchio) could be saved.
The Arno River flooded in 1966, inundating a large part of the city. A terrifying surge of water and mud killed 34 residents and caused incalculable damage to the city and its heritage. An army of volunteers from all over the world came to help the Florentines. As a show of gratitude, the city still remembers them as the “Angels of the Mud.”
PIAZZA DEL DUOMO
Florence’s most important square is the Piazza del Duomo, which is considered the religious center of the city. From here you can see with the audioguide (audioguides) the Cathedral, the Baptistery of Saint John, and the Giotto Bell Tower.
Numerous homes were demolished to make room for the huge cathedral and bell tower. For some time, a local family known as Bischero refused to sell their home until a fire eventually destroyed it. A commonly used Florentine insult came from this event: "O Bischero!"
Near the Plaza del Duomo was the Loggia del Bigallo, a small house that belonged to the Santa María della Misericordia Company, where abandoned and orphaned children were gathered.
The Museo dell’Opera del Duomo explains the entire history of the square and the buildings surrounding it, and houses many of the original treasures of this architectural complex. The most important piece, displayed on a stairway landing, is The Pietà by Michelangelo. Intended for his own tomb, the Renaissance artist, dissatisfied with the final result, smashed Christ’s left arm and leg with a hammer. From the museum rooftop, one can enjoy an impressive view of the city.
The square hosts the most important events in Florentine tradition. One of these is the Scoppio del Carro (“Explosion of the Cart”). This ceremony dates back to 1099, during the siege of Jerusalem by the Crusaders to free the Holy Sepulchre. The Florentine Pazzino de’ Pazzi planted the banner with the red cross on the city walls. For his heroic act, Pazzino was given three fragments of the Holy Fire relic, and his return to Florence was celebrated with a grand festivity. Since then, the city has received the Crusaders’ fire every Holy Saturday as a symbol of purification.
The celebration was later moved to Easter Sunday. On that day, a cart donated by the Pazzi family in the 15th century is drawn by two oxen to the square, accompanied by 150 soldiers, musicians, and flag bearers of the Calcio Storico (Historic Football). The cart is placed between the Baptistery and the cathedral façade, and at exactly 11 a.m., the fireworks it carries are ignited.
CATHEDRAL OF SANTA MARÍA DEL FIORE (Saint Mary of the Flower)
The audioguide (audioguides) follows in the Cathedral of Santa María del Fiore, which construction began in 1296. Upon its completion 72 years later, it was the largest building in Europe. The black plague that laid waste to the city occurred during its construction.
Its name comes from the lily flower, which is a symbol of Florence and part of its flag.
Crowning the edifice is a great dome, which was built almost a century later by Filippo Brunelleschi. Its design was inspired by the Pantheon of Rome.
Due to the excessive weight of the Dome, Brunelleschi studied for years to invent a new and ingenious masonry method which was based on using a composition of crossing bricks. The result was a double self-supporting dome, measuring 114 meters high and containing 463 steps. The last flight of stairs at the top of the dome is almost vertical between the interior and exterior cupola. The highlight of its decoration is a fresco of the Last Judgment.
Brunelleschi passed away 10 years after he completed the dome. His funeral was held underneath the dome, and he was buried in the crypt of the cathedral.
After a series of excavations were conducted, in 1965 the remains of the original cathedral of Florence was discovered which date back from when the city was a Roman colony. The Santa Reparata is within its foundations.
At the end of the 16th century, the original façade designed by Arnolfo di Cambio was demolished. The current neo-Gothic façade, in pink, white, and green marble, is the work of Emilio De Fabris and was not completed until the late 19th century.
The nave is 155 meters long and the transept is 90 meters wide. The interior is a faithful example of the Florentine style’s sobriety, with a highlight being the 44 stained glass windows created by the great masters of the 15th century, such as Donatello, Del Castagno, and Uccello. Visitors can view these stained-glass windows up close by climbing a staircase on the north side of the cathedral.
Another notable work is the fresco Dante and His World, depicting the author of The Divine Comedy (La Divina Commedia) in one of his most iconic poses.
Above the main portal is the monumental mechanical clock from 1443. Its background was painted in fresco by Paolo Uccello, and it features a single hand moving counterclockwise, telling time according to the Italian style, which begins the day at sunset.
The three main aisles of the Duomo lead to the choir, where the stepped seating beneath the dome surrounds the high altar.
It is said that Lorenzo de’ Medici escaped an assassination attempt in 1478 through the new sacristy door.
THE BAPTISTERY OF SAINT JOHN
This baptistery is considered the oldest building in Florence, with construction beginning in the 5th century. Its octagonal shape symbolizes the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and its façade is adorned with white and green marble, keeping in line with the other buildings in the square.
Within its interior, highlights include the tomb of the antipope Juan XXIII and a beautiful dome decorated with a Byzantine mosaic.
Of its three bronze gates, the most impressive are the “Gates of Paradise,” as Michelangelo named them. These are located on the Battistero side and overlook the Florence Cathedral. The gates consist of 10 panels which portray scenes from the Old Testament such as the story of Adam and Eve and the flood of Noah.
Varnish was applied in the 18th century that concealed the original color of the panels. Over the years, however, restorations have been carried out to restore their original shape and color.
Various events throughout the city’s history put the resistance of the Paradise Gates’ to the test. An example includes during the Second World War when it was dismantled to protect it from bombing runs. Later, flooding of the Arno River caused 6 of its panels to fall off.
The original panels are currently being held in the Cathedral Museum for safekeeping. In their place is an exact replica which you can see with the audioguide (audioguides).
The South Door is the work of Andrea Pisano, created around 1330. It is divided into 28 panels narrating the life of Saint John the Baptist. Lorenzo Ghiberti designed the North Door between 1403 and 1423. Its 28 sections follow the same structure as the South Door and depict scenes from the life and passion of Christ. Ghiberti was also responsible for the East Door, crafted between 1424 and 1452.
The inlaid marble floor dates back to the 12th century, while the golden-background mosaics that decorate the walls and ceiling were created by Venetian and Tuscan masters between the late 13th and early 14th centuries.
GIOTTO’S BELL TOWER (Giotto’s Campanile)
The famous artist Giotto began this construction in 1334. However, his premature death meant other artists were put in charge of finishing it.
The bell tower is separated from the cathedral itself so that the vibrations of the chimes do not damage the structure.
It is 84 meters high and is comprised of three different levels. The exterior decoration consists of white and green marble, while its reliefs portray biblical moments as well as everyday activities around town.
The statues conserved in the belfry are copies. The originals can be seen with the audioguide (audioguides) in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo.
The tower reaches a height of 84 meters, although the original project planned to match the 116 meters of the nearby Brunelleschi’s Dome.
Andrea Pisano completed the first two levels initiated by Giotto, and Francesco Talenti finished the structure in 1359, solving the building’s stability issues. Talenti doubled the wall thickness planned by Giotto, reinforcing it with attached pilasters.
The interior decoration stands out for its 16 statues of prophets, some of which were sculpted by Donatello. Also notable are the bas-reliefs depicting medieval history, the planets, and the creation of man. From the exterior terrace, the views reward the effort of climbing the steep 414 steps.
UFFIZI GALLERY
The Uffizi Gallery is one of the most recognized art collections in the world, with works by prominent Italian Renaissance artists such as Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Titian, that you can discover with the audioguide (audioguides).
Initially, the building was to house the offices of the Florentine magistrates, which is where the name comes from, considering Uffizi means offices. However, in 1581 the Medici family decided to use part of this building to store their art collection.
In 1993, a nearby car bomb, which mostly affected the Niobe Room on the second floor, meant part of the gallery had to be rebuilt.
After its reorganization in the 18th century, the gallery began focusing almost exclusively on painting. Its collections of weapons, archaeological remains, and scientific instruments were moved to other museums, while ancient sculptures, miniatures, and tapestries from the Medici collection remained.
The dissolution of churches, monasteries, and convents between the 18th and 19th centuries greatly increased the number of religious paintings in the collection. Donations, inheritances, and the acquisition of 20th-century works have transformed the Uffizi Gallery into the most important museum of Italian art.
The Medici used the private corridor that runs above the Ponte Vecchio daily to move between their residence in the Palazzo Pitti and the Palazzo Vecchio, the seat of government. Francesco de’ Medici sought to make this passage more pleasant by displaying part of his collection along it, thus creating the first art gallery in the world.
PIAZZA DE LA SIGNORIA (Signoria Square)
This square is encircled by the Palazzo Vecchio, the Loggia dei Lanzi, the Fountain of Neptune, the Equestrian Statue of Cosimo I, and the Uguccioni Palace.
The plaza in which you stand with the audioguide (audioguides) is steeped in history. During the Roman Empire, there were hot springs here, which disappeared in the Middle Ages. Since then, it has been occupied by craftsmen and government buildings.
Numerous executions were carried out here, the most commemorated of which was that of Girolamo Savonarola. The feast of the Fiorita is celebrated every May 23 in his name, in which a tapestry of flowers is placed in the spot he was hung. A marble plaque can be found in the exact location today.
The plaza was covered with flowers the day after his death, symbolizing the appreciation the people had for this beloved Dominican religious figure.
The square adopted its current L shape after the battle of Benevento in 1268.
The reconstruction of the square’s pavement posed the difficult task of replacing the damaged grey pietra serena from the 18th century. The works were further complicated by the discovery of archaeological remains dating back to the Bronze Age.
This true open-air museum has been the center of Florentine political life since the 14th century. A century later, the bell of the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio began to ring to summon citizens to popular assemblies, then known as the parlamento.
In the sequel to the film The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal Lecter, played by Anthony Hopkins, mingles with the customers at the cafés of Piazza della Signoria. But the one who could not go unnoticed was the genius Michelangelo, who, each time he passed in front of the Fountain of Neptune, would shout that Ammannati, its creator, had wasted a block of marble.
Approaching the square from Via de’ Calzaiuoli, you will find the church and museum of Orsanmichele. This building emerged from the enclosure, in 1380, of the arcades of the Loggia of the Grain Market, originally founded by Arnolfo di Cambio in 1290 to store grain for the city in times of need.
The exterior of the former market is adorned with statues of the patron saints of Florence’s trade guilds. In total, there were seven major guilds and fourteen minor ones.
PALACIO VECCHIO (Old Palace)
Built in 1314, these were originally the agencies of the Florentine government of the republic. Back then, it was known as the Palazzo della Signora.
In the 16th century, Cosimo I de Medici ordered it to be remodeled which led to its current appearance. The court used it as a residence until it was decided to be moved to the Pitti Palace, thus earning it the moniker of the “old palace.” The Medici family ordered the construction of numerous passages so they could escape from danger and hide their valuables.
At its entrance is a copy of Michelangelo’s David as well as the famous Hercules and Cacus statues.
Steping inside with the audioguide (audioguides), we can find the Cinquecento Hall, the largest in Florence, and a place where audiences and events are still held. It was formerly used as a meeting place for the 500-member Grand Council. Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci were planning to paint a few frescoes in the room. In the end, however, Vasari was responsible for portraying the life of Cosme I through his art.
The structure of the Palazzo Vecchio stands atop the ruins of the Roman theatre of Florence, which once held up to ten thousand spectators. It was mainly used for prose performances until, from the 5th century onward, it was plundered. Its existence was confirmed in the 19th century, and archaeological excavations, which concluded in 2010, began soon after.
The main museum route in the palace leads through the Monumental Quarters, which trace the most significant stages of Florentine history and art. Niccolò Machiavelli, the renowned writer and author of The Prince, worked in the Chancellery Hall.
The greatest treasure of the Palazzo Vecchio is Donatello’s bronze group Judith and Holofernes, displayed in the Sala dei Gigli.
The tower of the Palazzo Vecchio, also known as the Arnolfo Tower after its architect Arnolfo di Cambio, is one of the symbols of the Tuscan capital, standing 95 meters tall.
LOGGIA DEI LANZI (Lanzi’s Lodge)
Built in 1381, this porch was originally an open balcony where assemblies and ceremonies were held. The structure was named after the mercenaries who camped here on their way to Rome in the year 1527.
In the 16th century, the Medici family put a few sculptures from their collection in the portico, thus the balcony no longer served its original use.
The two most important statues that you can see here with the audioguide (audioguides) are the Rapture of the Sabinas of Giambologna and the Perseus of Benvenuto Cellini.
Under this arcade are preserved Roman-era sculptures such as The Matron, the female figures along the back wall, the group Patroclus and Menelaus, and the lion statue on the right. These are joined by The Rape of Polyxena, a 19th-century work by Pio Fedi.
In Medici times, a hanging garden once grew on the roof of the Loggia. Today, there is a café offering views of the square.
This architectural complex is located on the right side of Piazza della Signoria, next to the Uffizi Gallery. It is also known as the Loggia della Signoria and the Loggia dell’Orcagna, in reference to the architect traditionally credited with its design.
PONTE VECCHIO (Old Bridge)
Construction began in 1345, making it the oldest stone bridge in Europe. Initially, the Romans built it out of wood, although it was later destroyed by floods.
The houses along the bridge were originally those of butchers and fishmongers. However, when the court moved into the nearby Palazzo Pitti, Fernando I ordered the closure of these buildings due to the bad smell they omitted. A jewelry and trinket market was opened in their place.
The word "bankruptcy" was coined on this bridge. When a merchant could not pay his debts, the table where he exhibited his product was destroyed, and the people would say “banco-rotto,” which means “Broken Bench.”
During the Second World War, this was the only Florentine bridge the Germans did not destroy.
The bridge is home to a romantic tradition. Couples who wish to consecrate their eternal love will attach a padlock and throw the key into the Arno River. However, doing so is prohibited and results in a fine because the bridge began to suffer structural damage due to the large number of locks being attached. Nevertheless, the tradition still continues today.
Several earlier stone or wooden crossings at the site of the Ponte Vecchio were swept away by floods of the Arno River, which gains strength at the narrow point selected for the bridge’s construction. Leonardo da Vinci designed the water containment measures that, centuries later, saved the bridge during the major flood of 1966.
This is a medieval bridge with three arches resting on two piers shaped like ship prows. The external extensions of the old workshops were supported above the water by wooden structures known as sporti.
In the center of the bridge, a bronze bust of the city’s most famous goldsmith, Benvenuto Cellini, was installed in 1900.
In 1565, Cosimo I de’ Medici commissioned Giorgio Vasari to build a corridor above the shops of the bridge. This allowed him to avoid mingling with the crowd during his journeys between the Pitti Palace, where he resided, and the Palazzo Vecchio. Known as the Vasari Corridor, it curves around the Mannelli Tower, since the owning family refused its demolition. Today, this corridor houses self-portraits by Rubens, Rembrandt, and others.
Let's go to the Palacio Pitti to follow the visit of Florence with the audioguide (audioguides).
PALACIO PITTI (Pitti Palace)
Built in 1458, this was the residence of Florentine banker Lucca Pitti. Filippo Brunelleschi designed this palace for the Medici family. However, because it was so ostentatious, the Pitti family decided to keep it. In 1565, it became the new Medici home thanks to Leonor de Toledo, the wife of Cosimo I de Medici, who ordered it to be extended. Later, Cosimo I commissioned the construction of the Vasari Corridor to join it with his old palace and with his administrative offices.
In the 19th century, it served as the military base of Napoleon I and was the home of the Kings of Italy.
Later, the palace was donated to the Italian people and become an art gallery featuring works of the 19th and 20th century.
The magnificent Pitti Palace houses five museums: the Museo degli Argenti (Silver Museum), the Palatine Gallery, the Museum of Fashion and Costume, the Gallery of Modern Art, and the Carriage Museum.
The Royal Apartments are also part of the exhibition spaces. These rooms, which once hosted distinguished guests, are lavishly decorated with heavy draperies, silks, and chandeliers.
Eleonora of Toledo suggested to her husband, Cosimo I, that they relocate their residence to the other side of the Arno River for health reasons, as she suffered from a pulmonary disease. Later, several Florentine aristocratic families moved to the same neighborhood. The House of Lorraine succeeded the Medici in governing Florence and also resided in the palace.
The Duchess consort was the driving force behind the creation of the Boboli Gardens, which are connected to the palace through the rear courtyard designed by Bartolomeo Ammanati.
You can walk into the gardens and listen to the next audio of the audioguide (audioguides).
THE BOBOLI GARDENS
When the Medici moved their residence to the Pitti Palace, they decided to extend their garden to what you can see today.
The Boboli gardens have several different access points: the Pitti Palace courtyard, the Belvedere Fortress, the Romana Gate, and the Porta Romana Square.
Walking in the gardens with the audioguide (audioguides) will allow us to discover statues of various styles and periods as well as elaborate fountains, such as the Fountain of Jupiter, the Fountain of Neptune, and the Fountain of Bacchus. The garden is also home to grottos including the Grotta Grande and the Grotto di Buontalenti, both of which are decorated with frescoes and sculptures.
The Viottolone Avenue crosses the garden towards the Isolotto, a small island which contains a replica of the Fountain of the Ocean.
The garden amphitheater was originally a quarry from which stones were extracted to construct the palace. Nowadays, the Egyptian obelisk of Pharaoh Ramses II is located here.
In 1599, the first opera in history, La Dafne, was performed in the amphitheater. This venue also hosts the annual concerts of the Florentine Maggio Musicale (May Musical Festival).
The gardens, spanning 45,000 square meters, were designed in 1550 by Niccolò Pericoli, known as “Il Tribolo,” and completed in the 17th century. In 1766, they were opened to the public. Near the Pitti Palace, the hedges are pruned into geometric shapes, while in the farther areas, cypresses, holm oaks, and wild vegetation predominate.
Within the gardens, the Knight’s Lodge houses the Porcelain Museum.
ACADEMY OF FLORENCE ART GALLERY
The gallery was commissioned by Duke Pietro Leopoldo in 1784 to host the works of the artists of the Academy of Fine Arts, which is located right next door.
Here we can find David by Michelangelo. However, this was not its original location as the world famous statue was displayed in the Piazza de la Signora for almost 400 years. An act of vandalism in 1873 prompted it to be moved here.
The magnificent marble sculpture, which is 5 meters high and weighs 5 tons, was crafted between 1501 and 1504.
Inside, with the audioguide (audioguides), we can find works by Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Pontormo, and Andrea del Sarto, among others.
The Academy of Fine Arts was founded in 1562 and inaugurated by Cosimo I. It was the first European institution to offer instruction in drawing, painting, and sculpture. Initially, artworks were transferred to the Galleria dell’Accademia so that students could copy them for study purposes.
The gallery holds many treasures beyond its remarkable collection of ancient musical instruments.
The Cassone Adimari, by Scheggia, is a painted wooden chest from 1440 that was part of a wedding dowry.
The Tree of Life, painted by Pacino di Bonaguida in 1310, is a representation of the crucified Christ using miniature painting techniques.
Also noteworthy is The Prisoners, an unfinished group of sculptures by Michelangelo intended for the tomb of Pope Julius II. The Renaissance artist was summoned to Rome to paint the Sistine Chapel and had to abandon the project in Florence.
BASÍLICA DI SAN LORENZO
The audioguide (audioguides) leads us now to the Basilica di San Lorenzo. Built in 393, this was the main city cathedral for 300 years. In 1419, Filippo Brunelleschi extended the building, although the facade is still unfinished.
The basilica is the burial place of much of the Medici family, housing 50 tombs of different members of the dynasty which are distributed between the Old Sacristy, the Chapel of the Princes, and the New Sacristy. The latter was made by Michelangelo but remains incomplete due to the siege of Florence and the artist’s escape in 1534.
The Old Sacristy was built by Filippo Brunelleschi between 1422 and 1428. It was adorned by Donatello between 1435 and 1443 with medallions, a frieze, and two exquisite bronze panels located on the doors of two chapels.
In the central nave of the basilica, one can admire Donatello’s late-period pulpits, depicting scenes from the life of Christ and Saint Lawrence, completed by his workshop. In the crypt lies the initial core of the Treasury Museum, which houses liturgical furnishings, crucifixes, and relics.
From the main cloister, known as the Cloister of the Canons, one can access the Laurentian Medicean Library via a grey pietra serena staircase designed by Michelangelo.
The library preserves the collection begun by Cosimo I and expanded by Lorenzo de’ Medici. Among its treasures are manuscripts of Virgil, a copy of Horace annotated by Petrarch, and autographs by Leonardo da Vinci.
SANTA MARIA NOVELLA (Basilica of Santa Maria Novella)
This is the main Dominican headquarters in Florence. Construction began in 1279 and was completed in the mid-14th century.
The 69-meter bell tower was originally used as a lookout to spot fires.
Inside, we find with the audioguide (audioguides) the Green Cloister, which is decorated with frescoes that reflect the "Triumph of the Dominican Order."
Since their early beginnings, Dominican monks have created perfumes and herb-based home remedies. By the 16th century, they had become so successful that Catalina de Médici created her own fragrance, "Acqua della Regina."
Nowadays, the Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella continues to manufacture their renowned fragrances, with retail branches in New York, Los Angeles, and Tokyo.
The billowing sail, symbol of the Rucellai family, appears on the façade of Santa Maria as a testament to their contribution to its completion. A cemetery of burial niches, known as avelli, stretches along the façade and one side of the basilica.
The interior of the basilica reflects a solemn Gothic style. Toward the eastern end of the church, the columns grow closer together to create a sense of depth.
The Spanish Chapel, once used by the court of Eleonora of Toledo, features frescoes where the Dominicans are portrayed as dogs herding stray sheep—domine canes, or "the dogs of the Lord."
The Strozzi Chapel is decorated with frescoes symbolizing paradise, purgatory, and hell. It is in this chapel that the narrative of the literary work The Decameron by Boccaccio begins.
The Holy Trinity by Masaccio is a fresco adorning the left side nave. It is one of the first works to apply the mathematical principles of perspective developed by Brunelleschi.
PIAZZA DELLA REPUBBLICA (Republic Square)
Since the Middle Ages, this plaza has been the commercial center of the city and a bustling locale complete with numerous street vendors. When the capital of Italy moved to Florence in 1865, sanitation works were carried out in the old town to resolve ongoing hygiene issues. As a result, the New Market was inaugurated in 1874.
Inside the square is the Column of Abundance, which symbolizes the center of the ancient Roman city where the main streets of Cardo and Decumano once intersected.
Also, we can see with the audioguide (audioguides) the Arch of Triumph and the Equestrian Statue of King Vittorio Emmanuele II, of whom the plaza was named after until 1947. This statue was moved during the interwar period.
An international campaign helped halt the demolition of much of Florence, which had been planned as part of a “civic improvement” initiative undertaken when the city briefly became the capital of Italy. More than six thousand residents were relocated following the demolition of the Jewish ghetto and unhealthy neighborhoods.
The disappearance of the Old Market—of which only the Column of Abundance remains—also led to the loss of the ruins of the Roman forum. On the eastern side of the forum once stood the Capitolium, a temple dedicated to the three major Roman deities: Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva.
Artists and writers used to gather in this square around the tables of the Caffè Giubbe Rosse, where the seeds of the Italian Futurist movement were sown.
MUSEO CASA DI DANTE (Dante’s House)
This museum is dedicated to Divine Comedy writer Dante Alighieri.
Inside, the artist's work is exhibited alongside details of his life and some facts of the time.
In 1900, the Florence City Council decided to build a house-museum on the site where the poet was believed to have been born.
Not far from his house-museum you can go with the audioguide (audioguides) to the Santa Margherita Dei Cerchi Church. Here, Dante, aged 9, saw for the first time his beloved Beatrice who, as you may be aware, was his great inspiration to write the Divine Comedy.
It was a forbidden love that inspired his poems. After her death from the plague, they would become his most celebrated works.
Beatrice’s mortal remains rest in the church where they met for the first time. Next to her grave are a couple of baskets where lovers can leave their messages.
The museum was built on the remains of a 13th-century tower. This era of the city is illustrated through paintings and models. Since 2020, the museum features an interactive and immersive journey through medieval Florence and the many facets of the life of its most famous son. Dante—who lived from 1265 to 1321—was a poet, soldier, politician, philosopher, and author of the famous work that established the new standards for written Italian later followed by Petrarch and Boccaccio.
In The Divine Comedy, originally titled La grande commedia in 1317, Dante describes an imaginary journey through the underworld realms of Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise.
OPERA MUSEUM OF SAINT MARIA OF DUOMO (Cathedral Museum)
This museum is located just behind the Cathedral of Florence. Within it, we can see with the audioguide (audioguides) some of the original pieces of the Cathedral, the Baptistery, and the Bell Tower. In addition, you can see sketches and tools which were used in the construction of these buildings.
Brunelleschi, Donatello, and Michelangelo worked in this building to create their greatest artworks, such as David.
Three works are exhibited inside:
The Pieta Bandini by Michelangelo, a sculpture created with the intention of being buried in Rome.
María Magdalena by Donatello.
The Gates of Paradise, which is the main door of the Baptistery of Saint John. Ghiberti took 27 years to finish it.
Its grand main entrance contains Etruscan and Roman reliefs, carvings, and sarcophagi. The museum also houses a significant collection of treasures, such as the stained-glass window by Duccio di Buoninsegna.
The twelve statues of prophets and philosophers, created by Giovanni Pisano for the Duomo façade, appear distorted because they were designed to be viewed from below.
The choir book room holds codices from the 16th century. Only three collections of codices were saved from the great flood of 1966, with more than fifty lost forever.
BASILICA DI SANTA CROCE (Basilica of Santa Croce)
Next stop of the audioguide (audioguides), this is the largest Franciscan church in the world, stretching a whopping 115 meters high. Construction began on the site of a small chapel dedicated to San Francisco de Asís.
The Quarantesi family financed part of the church, and their family emblem was to be included on the façade.
However, the monks in charge refused this request. As a result, the family stopped financing the construction, and the façade wasn’t completed until the 19th century.
Brunelleschi, Donatello, and Giotto were some of the artists to work on the interior decoration.
Known as the Temple of the Glories of Italy, the pantheon holds the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei, and Machiavelli.
Galileo was condemned by the Church in 1633, and therefore was not granted a Christian burial until 1737, when a tomb was built by Giulio Foggini.
The church was built outside the city walls in the tanners’ quarter. It stretches over 115 meters in length and features three levels divided by large pointed arches. The basilica is surrounded by typical Florentine buildings, such as the 15th-century Palazzo Serristori and the Palazzo dell’Antella, with its three overhanging floors.
Among the interior highlights of Santa Croce is the Pazzi Chapel (Cappella de’ Pazzi), an unfinished masterpiece of Renaissance architecture by Filippo Brunelleschi. It was decorated by Luca della Robbia with glazed terracotta medallions representing the apostles.
In 1817, the French writer Stendhal began to feel dizzy and experience palpitations upon leaving the church. This anecdote gave rise to what is now known as Stendhal syndrome, a condition affecting those exposed for long periods to intense beauty in art.
FONTANA DEL PORCELLINO, LOGGIA DEL MERCATO NUOVO (Loggia of the Wild Boar)
The statue you are looking at with the audioguide (audioguides) is a bronze copy. The original marble artwork is held in the Uffizi Gallery.
In the 17th century, it was located in front of the boar pharmacy, which was a meeting place for intellectuals.
Florentine tradition says that to earn a financial fortune, you must put a coin in the mouth of the boar and caress its snout.
Several copies of this animal statue are known to be distributed throughout the world, in America, France, and even in Australia.
Medieval war wagons were once placed beneath this portico to warn citizens of impending conflict.
The Loggia was designed as a food market and built by Giovanni Battista del Tasso in 1551. On its southern side stands the much-visited Fountain of the Wild Boar (Fontana del Porcellino).
From the late 19th century through the 1960s, the market became famous for selling Florentine straw hats and handcrafted baskets, which is why it is popularly known as the Straw Market (Mercato della Paglia).
Since the 19th century, the niches at the corners of the Loggia have housed three statues of prominent figures in the city’s history: Michele di Lando, leader of the 1378 revolt of the lesser wool workers (Ciompi); Giovanni Villani, a 14th-century historian; and Bernardo Cennini, one of the creators of the highly valued Florentine typeface.
LOGGIA DEL MERCATO NUEVO O DEL PORCELLINO
This portico was built in the mid-16th century to house the market. Originally silk and jewelry were sold here, although nowadays leather goods and local souvenirs are on sale.
If you step inside with the audioguide (audioguides), you will find the Scandal Stone near the center of the Loggia. Here, merchants with outstanding debts were exposed and humiliated. They had their pants pulled down and were hit repeatedly across the buttocks with the stone.
Here, the troops would gather before battle to the ring of the massive mobile Martinella bell wagon while waving the city the flag. The ancient Florentines considered it dishonorable to attack an enemy by surprise. Therefore, they would warn them up to a month in advance by continuously ringing the famous Martinella bell.
PIAZZALE MICHELANGELO (Michelangelo Square)
Located on the Monte alle Croci hill, this lookout was built in 1865 as part of the urban renewal of the city when it became the capital of Italy. In honor of the famous artist, the square boasts a bronze replica of David and the four statues of the chapel of the Medici of San Lorenzo.
The Viale dei Colli is a six-kilometer-long promenade designed by Giuseppe Poggi that runs between the San Niccolò Bridge (Ponte San Niccolò) and the Porta Romana. It climbs gently to Piazzale Michelangelo, where the avenues of Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and Galileo converge. The square can also be reached via the steep roads ascending from the San Niccolò Gate (Porta San Niccolò).
Architect Giuseppe Poggi oversaw the urban renewal of Florence during the second half of the 19th century. The square, part of this redevelopment plan, was completed in 1875.
Every June 24th, the traditional fochi (fireworks) are launched from this square to celebrate the feast day of Florence’s patron saint, Saint John the Baptist.
SAN MINIATO DEL MONTE (Basilica of San Miniato al Monte)
Legend has it that in the year 250, during the mandate of Emperor Decius and when the Romans were persecuting the Christians, a hermit named Miniato arrived in Florence and settled in the Monte de las Cruces. The Romans caught and decapitated him. Later, he is said to have taken his own head and carried it to the mountain where he was buried.
It was here that the basilica was built between 1018 and 1207, making Miniato the first martyr of the city.
The bones of San Miniato are kept in the main altar of the crypt that you can see with the audioguide (audioguides).
On the facade, we can see an eagle holding a wool bundle. This was a symbol of the Art of Calimala, an association of Florentine wool merchants who financed part of the basilica.
In the siege of Florence by the troops of Charles V, it is said that Michelangelo protected the tower by covering it with mattresses.
Bishop Hildebrand ordered the construction of the basilica atop the remains of an ancient sanctuary, which, according to tradition, was once visited by Charlemagne on pilgrimage. The façade was completed two centuries after construction began. It is decorated with traditional Florentine multicolored marble and features a gold-background mosaic depicting Christ, the Virgin, and Saint Minias (San Miniato).
The interior is sober and solemn, characteristic of Florentine Romanesque architecture. At the center of the nave is the Chapel of the Crucifix (Cappella del Crocifisso), by Michelozzo, which once housed the miraculous crucifix of Saint John Gualbert (San Gualberto). Also noteworthy is the Renaissance-style Chapel of the Cardinal of Portugal.
On the outer terrace stands the Bishop’s Palace (Palazzo dei Vescovi), dating from 1295. Initially conceived as a summer residence, it was later repurposed as an infirmary.
FORTE DI BELVEDERE
By order of the Medici family, Bernardo Buontalenti began construction of this fort at the end of the 16th century. It is also known as the Fort of San Jorge.
The fort is connected to the Palazzo Vecchio by the Vasari Corridor and with the Pitti Palace through underground passages that run below the Boboli Gardens.
In its interior is the Belvedere Palace, which was built in 1570. It is said that the Medici stored luxurious possessions within its walls which they guarded with deadly booby traps. Today, you can visit with the audioguide (audioguides) the building which is the Florentine Civic Museum.
BASILICA DI SANTO SPIRITO (Basilica of Holy Spirit)
Brunelleschi was commissioned to design this church in 1444 on top of the ruins of the old Augustinian convent which burned down in 1341. After the artist passed away, his followers were put in charge of finishing the construction.
However, the facade remains incomplete due to its overly complicated decorative design.
Michelangelo was welcomed into this convent when he was 17 years old. It was here he would learn anatomy from the corpses of the monks' hospital. To show his appreciation, he designed the wooden crucifix of the main altar of the church.
The basilica in which you stand with the audioguide (audioguides) is located in an area known as Oltrarno, the scene of a famous local love story not unlike that of Romeo and Juliet. The classic tale is also about two warring families, this time called the Bardi and the Buentolante, and two youngsters from each side who are madly enamored.
Protagonists Dianora and Ippolito fall in love at first sight and decide to get married in secret. But in one of his secret encounters, the young man is arrested and sentenced to death. On the day of the execution, Dianora expresses her love for Ippolito in the hopes that his sentence will be pardoned.
Unlike Shakespeare’s famous tragedy, these two Florentine lovers enjoyed a happy ending. In the end, the two families accepted their relationship and validated their marriage.
The final result of the church does not reflect the clean and harmonious style envisioned by Brunelleschi. One example is the Baroque-style high altar. The 38 semicircular chapels surrounding the church form a true art gallery with Renaissance paintings and sculptures. Particularly notable is The Virgin and Child by Filippino Lippi, painted in 1466.
The 35 Corinthian columns in grey pietra serena provide order and structure to the basilica’s three naves.
The unfinished 18th-century façade is painted entirely white. The Cenacolo di Santo Spirito, the refectory that remains from the old Augustinian monastery attached to the basilica, houses a collection of medieval and Renaissance sculptures.
PONTE ALLE GRAZIE (Bridge of the Graces)
Built in 1227, the appearance of this bridge was very similar to that of Ponte Vecchio, complete with wooden houses and a chapel called Santa María della Grazie.
In 1876, some buildings had to be destroyed to make way for the construction of a tram. Later, in 1944 the Nazis destroyed the entire bridge to prevent the Allies from advancing.
After a competitive tendering process, the bridge was rebuilt in 1953, although in a much more modern style which you can appreciate with the audioguide (audioguides).
The original Ponte alle Grazie was the third bridge built in Florence, following the Ponte Vecchio and the Ponte alla Carraia. In 1237, it was named Ponte Rubaconte in honor of the podestà of the time. In the 19th century, one of its shops provided access to the river, where public baths—similar to a spa—were in use.
On the northern end, the bridge connects to the Malenchini Alberti Palace, the Corsi Palace, and the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, from which it derives its current name.
On the southern end, it connects to the Torrigiani Palace and the Stefano Bardini Museum. The museum was renovated in the neo-Romantic style of the late 19th century and serves as an exhibition space for the man known as the "prince of Florentine antique dealers." Its collection includes over 3,600 items, such as paintings, sculptures, furniture, ceramics, armor, coins, and musical instruments. Among its most important works are The Virgin of the Ropemakers (La Madonna dei Cordai) by Donatello and Charity (La Carità) by Tino di Camaino.
GALILEO MUSEUM
Next stop of this audioguide (audioguides), the Galileo museum was inaugurated in the Catellani Palace in 1930. Within it is a collection of scientific objects from the Medici and Lorraine dynasties from the 16th to the 20th century.
Highlights include the telescope and the objective lens that Galileo used to discover the mountains of the moon and the satellites of Jupiter.
The museum houses Galileo's middle finger, which was separated from his body when his remains were moved to his family crypt.
Galileo Galilei, considered the father of modern science, was born in Pisa in 1564. In 1610, he moved to Florence at the invitation of the Medici family, and in 1633, at the age of 71, he was brought before the Inquisition in Rome, accused of heresy. Galileo was forced to recant his theory that the Earth revolves around the Sun, although he is said to have quietly added, “and yet it moves.” The scientist was sentenced to house arrest until his death and was not absolved by the Vatican until 1992.
In his memory, Florence founded the world’s first scientific institution: the Accademia del Cimento. In the building formerly known as the Museum of the History of Science, the inventions of the academy are now on display. Also featured are terrestrial globes and spheres from the 16th and 17th centuries, the 1554 world map by Lopo Homem, and nautical instruments belonging to Sir Robert Dudley.
The museum also houses thermometers, barometers, microscopes, and mechanical calculators—most originating from the collections of the Medici family and the Dukes of Lorraine.
BARGELLO NATIONAL MUSEUM
This palace was built between 1255 and 1261. It served as the residence of officials such as the "Podestà," a mayor-magistrate who was a foreigner to guarantee objectivity, the "Capitano del Popolo," who was the relations guarantor between the old aristocracy and the new bourgeoisie, and the "Captain of Justice," who was known as the Bargello.
For about 300 years, the city jail lay within the palace. In 1786, the death penalty was abolished, and all instruments of torture were burned in its courtyard.
In the tower is a bell called Montanina, which was used to warn the city in the event of a war or siege.
In 1865, the Bargello became a national museum. It houses a collection of Italian sculptures from the 14th to the 16th centuries, most of which were donations from wealthy characters of the time. Works from artists such as Michelangelo, Donatello, Della Robbia, and Verrocchio can be find with the audioguide (audioguides).
On the ground floor, next to the splendid courtyard, is the “Room of Michelangelo and Florentine Sculpture of the Cinquecento.” This room features some of the artist’s best early works, including a bronze Drunken Bacchus with a satyr—created when he was just 21 years old—the bust of Brutus, and the unfinished Virgin and Child with Saint John the Baptist.
On the upper floor is the Salone di Donatello, a 12th-century hall once used by the city’s General Council. Today, it houses, among other treasures, two versions of Donatello’s David. The bronze version is the first nude sculpture created by a Western artist since classical antiquity. The room also contains early Florentine Renaissance sculptures by Luca della Robbia and Desiderio da Settignano, as well as bird sculptures by Giambologna.
The second floor displays glazed terracottas by the prolific Della Robbia family, and collections of arms and armor from the Della Rovere and Medici families. Among the items preserved from Florence’s most influential family is a marble tournament saddle used in 15th-century jousts. Also featured are Tuscan sculptures from the second half of the 15th century, including the famous Lady with a Bunch of Flowers (Dama con un Ramo) by Verrocchio and a room dedicated to small bronze sculptures.
The fresco cycle by Giotto in the Chapel of the Podestà contains one of the oldest known portraits of Dante Alighieri.
CHIESA DI SAN SALVATORE DI OGNISSANTI (Church of Ognissanti)
The audioguide (audioguides) follows with one of the oldest churches in Florence, dating from the 13th century. Members of the Vespucci family were buried here. Among them was Américo, the Florentine explorer who the Americas were named after.
Another family member was Simonetta Vespucci, the wife of Marco Vespucci and the second cousin of Américo. This woman was the muse of the artist Botticelli who, like many other men in the city, fell instantly in love when he saw her for the first time. In 1475 she was considered the most beautiful woman in all of Florence.
When Simonetta was 23, she became sick with tuberculosis. Later, in 1470 she passed away from her illness, which caused Botticelli great heartbreak. He was obsessed with her beauty for the rest of his life and made her the star of many of his artworks.
In 1479, the artist finished "The Birth of Venus," his greatest tribute to Simonetta and the most representative painting of his career. In his work "Venus and Mars," he portrays himself and the young woman as two gods in love.
Botticelli never married. In 1510, he passed away and was buried alongside his beloved in the Church of Ognissanti. As his final wish, he was granted the opportunity to spend eternity with his muse.
The Baroque reconstruction of the church carried out by Matteo Nigetti in 1638 was not well received by the Florentine public, who favored the Renaissance style. Of the original structure, which was part of a Benedictine monastery, only the bell tower and the Coronation of the Virgin—a ceramic tympanum by Benedetto Buglioni—remain.
The refectory is decorated with a 1488 fresco by Domenico Ghirlandaio titled The Last Supper. It is very likely that this work inspired Leonardo da Vinci’s famous mural in Milan. The refectory also retains its original washbasins, portal, and an Annunciation from the early 15th century. The cloister leading into the church is adorned with 17th-century frescoes depicting the life of Saint Francis.
THE HOSPITAL OF INNOCENTS
Designed by Brunelleschi, this hospital is located in the Plaza de Santa Annunziata. After his passing, other artists got to work on finishing the facade.
The building was part of a program to improve the health and social security of the city.
The hospital became an orphanage which would care for abandoned children. Outside, there is a wheel where mothers would leave their offspring for collection. They would ring a bell to grab the attention of the nuns and quickly ran away before being seen. In 1490, medallions in the shape of diaper wearing babies were placed on the columns of the building so that people could easily identify the site.
Many children were welcomed here until 1878 when the hospital finally closed.
In the late 19th century, several rooms of the building were renovated to create the Museum of the Innocents. The museum traces the history of the hospital and displays the frescoes and artworks that once decorated it, along with altarpieces from the Church of the Innocents.
Most of the museum’s artistic heritage consists of paintings, the most notable of which is The Adoration of the Magi by Domenico Ghirlandaio. Glazed terracottas by Luca and Andrea Della Robbia are also part of the collection.
The hospital’s historical archive allows for the reconstruction of the stories of some of the abandoned children, as several of their personal items have been preserved.
The hospital is located between the library of the university’s language center and the National Archaeological Museum of Florence.
Let's go to the Piazza della Liberta to listen to the last audio of the audioguide (audioguides).
PIAZZA DELLA LIBERTÁ
This plaza was built in the 19th century when the old walls were knocked down. In the center is the Triumphal Arch of Francesco Stefano di Lorraine, which commemorates the arrival of the Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1739.
During the Middle Ages, the area was known as San Gallo. Within it were a small Franciscan church and a hospital.
Lorenzo de Medici commissioned Giuliano Giamberti to renovate the buildings that were beginning to collapse. From that moment on he was known as Giuliano da San Gallo.
From that period, only the Porta San Gallo has been conserved, which was erected in 1285 and is guarded by two stone lions. Getting closer with the audioguide (audioguides), we can read the two plaques of the structure, one in honor of Rolandino de Canossa and the other of King Frederick IV of Denmark.
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