Experience
Italy

BUCKET LIST TRAVEL : FLORENCE

The city of the red lily

The capital of Tuscany is full of architectural wonders and Renaissance masterpieces. Walk in the footsteps of the Medici family and go inside the famous Duomo. Visit the Accademia Gallery (home to Michelangelo's David) and Uffizi Gallery (to see Botticelli's Birth of Venus and da Vinci's Annunciation). In Florence, you’ll be amazed by art wherever you look.

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE MEDICI FAMILY IN FLORENCE

The famous corridor, designed by Giorgio Vasari, connects the Palazzo Vecchio and the Palazzo Pitti. It’s one of the structures that are symbolic of power in Florence.

From the 17^th century, the passageway was decorated with works of art. The most extraordinary collection is undoubtedly the self-portraits, including several hundreds of artists from Italy and abroad, from the 16^th century to modern times.

The Palazzo Vecchio, which overlooks Signoria square, has been the seat of government in Florence since the end of the 13^th century. The Palazzo Pitti was chosen by the Medicis as the primary residence of the ducal family from the mid-16^th century.

In 1565, Cosimo I appointed the famous architect Vasari to create the passageway linking the two banks of the Arno river via the Ponte Vecchio bridge. He aimed to let members of the Medici family move freely in the city centre, safely and out of sight of the people, due to the constant risk of attack.

The kilometre-long Vasari Corridor starts from the Green Room of Eleanor of Toledo, the wife of Cosimo I de’ Medici. It travels through the Uffizi Gallery, along the Arno river and crosses the Ponte Vecchio bridge, passing over the houses.

Before being home to goldsmiths and jewellers, Ponte Vecchio was a market where the city’s butchers sold meat. According to legend, the Medici family couldn’t tolerate crossing this foul-smelling place unfit for nobility. They removed butchers and invited goldsmiths to open their shops on the bridge.

The corridor continues its path around the Tuscany tower house belonging to the Mannelli family, who refused to let architect Vasari go through their home. It then passes through the Santa Felicita church, allowing the family to access their private balcony to attend mass away from the people. The corridor ends in Boboli Gardens, in the Buontalenti Grotto, within the grounds of the Palazzo Pitti.

Today, you can visit the corridor by appointment and immerse yourself in the city’s history and the rich and powerful Medici family. You’ll enjoy unique views of Florence and its monuments and pass through some of the most beautiful parts of the old town.

Must-sees in Florence

PONTE VECCHIO

Designed in the 14^th century by Taddeo Gaddi, a student of Giotto, Ponte Vecchio is the city’s oldest and most famous bridge. Well known for its hanging houses, a pedestrianised street runs across it today, lined with jewellers. Walk across at the right time and see the sunset over the Arno.

PALAZZO VECCHIO

This palace looks like a fortified castle with its 94-metre tower that catches your eye from Signoria square. A symbol of civil power in the city, the construction of the Palazzo Vecchio started in 1299. It was completed in 1314, and the building was a place of residence and the seat of government. Visit its various courtyards and rooms, notably the impressive Hall of the Five Hundred, and experience the beauty of Florence’s Renaissance era.

The marble facade of the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral

CATHEDRAL OF SANTA MARIA DEL FIORE

Visitors enter the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore daily to admire the famous Duomo and its monumental dome. The marble facade of Florence’s most iconic building impresses from the outside, and the interior decoration, with its marble floor and frescos adorning Brunelleschi’s dome, is just as extraordinary.

BOBOLI GARDENS

Behind the Palazzo Pitti in Florence’s old town, Boboli Gardens are an oasis of greenery overlooking the city. Remarkable in history and scenery, they are also home to fountains, pergolas and a collection of Roman and Florentine sculptures.

The statue of David at the Academy Gallery

ACCADEMIA GALLERY

A Florence museum housed by an academy of art founded in 1562, the Galleria dell’Accademia exhibits many Michelangelo sculptures, including David. This famous white marble statue measures over five metres, representing the legendary David before confronting Goliath.