One Day in Florence Packed Itinerary

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My One Day in Florence - PackedItineraryDay 1

Hour Where Recommended Visit Time

1. 09:00 Florence Cathedral 1 hour

2. 10:00 Battistero 1 hour

3. 11:00 Campanile di Giotto 1 hour

4. 12:05 Piazza della Signoria 30 mins

5. 12:35 Palazzo Vecchio 1 hour

6. 13:35 Gallerie degli Uffizi 1 hour, 30 mins

7. 15:10 Ponte Vecchio 15 mins

8. 15:35 Santa Maria della Carmine 1 hour

9. 16:45 Palazzo Pitti 1 hour

10. 18:10 Piazzale Michelangiolo 1 hour


Transportation: Bus - 1, 6, 17, 14, 22, 23, 36, 37,

or 71

Web: www.operaduomo.firenze.it

Opening Hours: Church Mon-Wed and Fri

10:00am-5:00pm, Thu 10:00am-3:30pm, 1st Sat of

month 10:00am-3:30pm, other Sat

10:00am-4:45pm, Sun 1:30-4:30pm. Free tours

every 40 min. daily, 10:30am-noon and 3-4:20pm.

Cupola Mon-Fri 8:30am-7:00pm, Sat

8:30am-5:40pm

Admission: to church free, Santa Reparata

excavations 3, cupola 8

Phone Number: 055-230-2885

Address: Piazza del Duomo, Florence, Italy

09:00 Florence Cathedral Rating: Religious Sites

Visit Time: 1 hour

The Florence Cathedral, Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore isthe Roman Catholic mother church of the city. It was namedfor the lily (fiore), the city's symbol. The church wasdesigned by Arnolfo di Cambio. Construction commenced in1296, over time a number of architects took on the projectincluding Francesco Talenti and Orcagna. In 1436 thebuilding was completed with the help of FilippoBrunelleschi's engineering of the huge dome which is asymbol of the city. The cathedral is part of a UNESCOcomplex of buildings together with the Baptistery andcampanile on Piazza del Duomo.

The construction of the cathedral was inspired by grandcathedrals being built in other major Italian cities and wasfounded on the site of a previous church, Santa Reparata.You can see what remains of the original church in the cryptof the Duomo.

The original faade was destroyed in 1587 and only in 1864did Emilio De Fabis create the Gothic Revival replacement.Large bronze doors by Augusto Passaglia were addedbetween 1899 and 1903. The building's exterior is coveredwith marble panels of various shapes and sizes in shades ofgreen, white and pink. The dome has a unique octagonaldesign and was built without a supporting wooden frame,which was unheard of at the time. Horizontal tone and ironchains were used to reinforce the dome which is the world'slargest masonry dome. To commemorate the greatundertaking of Brunelleschi a statue of the architect now sitsin the adjacent square looking up at his creation. Along withBrunelleschi stands a statue of Cambio also admiring hiswork.

Within the church there are impressive stained glasswindows, some by Ghiberti. The floor is a marvelous marblemosaic paving created from 1526 to 1660. Other features inthe cavernous church include the 1443 clock by PaoloUccello and the stunning fresco by Giorgio Vasari whichcovers the entire interior of the dome. The dome frescodepicts the Last Judgment and was painted in 1579.



or 71


Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 12:15pm-7:00pm, Sun

and 1st Sat of month 8:30am-2:00pm

Admission: 4


Address: Piazza del Duomo, Florence, Italy

0.0 KM, 0 minutes by walking

10:00 Battistero Rating: Religious Sites

Visit Time: 1 hour

The Baptistery of Saint John or the Baptistery di SanGiovanni is one of Florence' oldest and most importantreligious buildings, it is dedicated to the city's patron, Johnthe Baptist. The present building was constructed on the siteof a former 1 century Roman edifice. None of the originalstRoman building remains but the present Baptistery datesback to the 11 and 14 centuries. The building wasth thconsecrated in 1059 and in those days needed to be largeenough to accommodate the crowds that attended thebiannual baptism ceremony.

The Tuscan Romanesque style octagonal exterior iscovered in white and green Prato marble and has elegantarches between polygonal columns on the upper level andsemi-pilaster columns on the lower level. The exterior istopped with a 12 century roof and lantern. The Baptisterythopens onto the Piazza di San Giovanni and the Piazza delDuomo. Lorenzo Ghiberti created the north and east facingdoors and Andrea Pisano was responsible for the southfacing door (1330). The eastern door, the Gates ofParadise, is the best known of the Baptistery doors, theoriginals are now housed in the Museo dell'Opera delDuomo but exact replicas now stand in their place. The doorhas ten panels depicting scenes from the Bible. Above thedoor is a sculpture, The Baptism of Christ, which wascreated by Andrea Sansovino.

The interior walls are covered with dazzling gold and fromthe ground Sardinian granite columns rise up around theperiphery and are topped with gilded capitals. The floor hasa marble geometric pattern (1209); there is a rectangularapse with mosaics dating back to 1225 created byFranciscan Jacopo di Torrita and the ceiling is covered withpredominantly gold mosaics which cover the entire spaceincluding the interior of the dome. Several tombs belongingto important people are kept in the Baptistery including thatof Antipope John XXIII designed by Donatello andMichelozzo.



or 71


Opening Hours: Daily 8:30am-7:30pm

Admission: 6


Address: Piazza Duomo, Florence, Italy


11:00 Campanile di Giotto Rating: Architecture

Visit Time: 1 hour

Campanile means "tower" and this Florence tower was builtas a bell tower for the adjacent cathedral on Piazza delDuomo and is part of a complex of buildings. The tower wascreated by Giotto between 1334 and 1337 when he diedand Andrea Pisano took over the task until 1348. FrancescoTalenti completed the tower from 1350 to 1359.

The exterior is covered in a geometrical pattern of Carraragreen marble, white marble and red marble from Siena. Itfeatures seven hexagonal marble tiles with sculptured reliefson each side of the bottom half of the tower. The tiles on theside facing the cathedral were a later addition by Luca dellaRobbia. On the second level of the tower there is anotherseries of tiles, this time in a diamond shape and with a blueMajolica background by Andrea Pisano, Maso di Banco andtheir assistants. The fourth level is adorned with life-sizesculptures by Donatello in niches on all sides of the tower.The top three levels were completed by Talenti, and featurelarge windows. The sculptures and relief tiles on the towertoday are replicas and the originals can be seen in theOpera del Duomo Museum for Conservation.

The tower is 84.7 meters high and visitors can climb 414steps to a terrace at the top of the tower to get brilliant viewsacross the city. The tower is divided into different levels andon each level one of the tower's seven bells is housed.


12:05 Piazza della Signoria Rating: Square


Adderss: Piazza della Signoria, Rome

Visit Time: 30 mins

This is one of Florence's most popular squares, the historicL-shaped square got its name from the Palazzo Vecchiwhich is also called the Palazzo della Signoria and is justone of the important buildings lining the square.

Throughout history the square has been a hub of politicalactivity because of the buildings which surround the squareand the role they played in civil service. The Palazzo Vecchiwas the seat of United Italy's government and today housesthe Town Hall, mayor's office and town council. The UffiziGallery which now houses a prestigious museum once wasused for administrative offices, the Tribunal and the statearchive. The Palace of the Tribunale della Mercanzia (1359)now houses the Bureau of Agriculture and once was usedas a venue for merchant trials. The Palace of theAssicurazioni Generali (1871) was specifically built forcommercial purposes to house the General InsuranceCompany. The Loggia della Signoria (also called the Loggiadei Lanzi) is a corner building with high open archways thatwas used for public assemblies and ceremonies. Today it isused as an open-air gallery of Renaissance art andantiquities including the statues of by FancelliMedici Lionsand Vacca. The Palazzo Uguccioni (1550) has a faadewhich has been attributed to various well knownRenaissance artists including Raphael and Michelangelo.Other palaces on the square are the Palazzo dei Mercatantiand the Palazzo dei Buonaguisi.

At the entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio stands a copy ofMichelangelo's in the same spot where the genuineDavidstatue stood for 69 years after its completion in 1504. Nextto is Baccio Bandinelli's sculpture of David Hercules and

. There is a bronze equestrian statue of andCacus Cosimo I by Giambologna; a copy ofThe Rape of the Sabine Women

Donatello's and Cellini's Judith and Holofernes Perseus with . The Fountain of Neptune (1565) is athe Head of Medusa

fountain in the square designed by Bartolomeo Ammannati.

It was in the Piazza della Signoria that in 1497 theDominican priest Savonarola instigated the Bonefire of theVanities, a protest where a pile of gaming tables, books,dresses, cosmetics, art, poems and other sinful items wereburnt. Unfortunately he was also burnt at the stake in thesquare in 1498.

Visitors to the square can dine in cafes and restaurantsincluding the well known Caf Rivoire on the ground floor ofthe Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali.


Transportation: Bus - A, B, 23, or 71

Opening Hours: Fri-Wed 9:00am-7:00pm, Thu

9:00am-2:00pm

Admission: 6


Address: Piazza della Signoria, 50122 Florence


12:35 Palazzo Vecchio Rating: Palaces

Visit Time: 1 hour

With the rising success of the guilds of Florence, in 1293 thePriors and people of the city decided to commission theconstruction of a grand building which would be animpressive seat of the Signoria. The building was initiallycalled the Palazzo dei Priori then the Palazzo della Signoria,Palazzo del Popolo and the Palazzo Ducale. ArnolfoCambio was responsible for the core of the building whichwas erected between 1299 and 1304.

The Romanesque fort-like palace has an open gallery at thetop of the building and the thin Arnolfo tower which rises 94meters. The belfry design mirrors the gallery of the palace.The palace is built of rusticated stonework and has two rowsof Gothic windows, bas-reliefs and the coats of arms of theFlorentine Republic painted on the building. Subsequentlythe palace was expanded and renovated first by Vasari inthe 16 century and later by Buontalenti in the 17 th thcentury. The palace served as the seat of the localauthorities before being taken over by the Medici family.Later the building returned to being office space for thegovernment rulers, Chamber of Deputies and then theForeign Ministry. Today the former palace operates as theFlorence Town Hall.

Above the main entrance is a marble decoration in brightblue guarded on both sides by lions. In front of the buildingstands a replica of Michelangelo's together withDavidBandinelli's . The building has threeHercules and Cacusgrand courtyards with exquisite frescoes. A stunning frescocovered hall, Salone dei Cinquecento, built by Simone delPollaiolo with statues by Bandinelli and the center piece isMichelangelo's . If you follow theThe Genius of Victorystaircase designed by Vasari up to the 2 floor you'll findndthe Chapel of Signoria; the Hall of Justice; the Room of theLilies decorated with gold lilies; Study Room and theApartments of the Elements. Among the manymasterpieces, frescoes and brilliant architecture is AngoloBronzino's painting Ritratto di Laura Battiferri.


13:35 Gallerie degli Uffizi Rating: Museums


Transportation: Bus - A, B, 23, or 71

Other: www.firenzemusei.it (to reserve tickets)

Web: www.uffizi.firenze.it

Opening Hours: Tue-Sun 8:15am-7:00pm. Ticket

window closes 45 min. before museum

Admission: 6.50

Phone Number: 055-238-8651, 055-294-883 to

reserve tickets

Address: Piazzale degli Uffizi, 6, 50122 Florence,

Italy

Visit Time: 1 hour, 30 mins


At this world famous art gallery you can see works by someof the top names in art history. The museum is one of theoldest in the world and has attracted visitors from aroundthe world since it was officially opened to the public in 1765.As far back as the "Grand Tour" era wealthy upper classEuropeans would tour Europe visiting the best that thecontinent had to offer in terms of culture and art. Themajority of the Uffizi collection is from the period betweenthe 12 and 17 century although there are works outsideth thof this period. Records show that even da Vinci andMichelangelo visited the Uffizi to see the precious artcollection.

Although the museum possesses about 3,100 works of artthere are usually about 1,700 on display at any given time.Among the famous artists whose work is on display here areGiotto Masaccio, Leonardo da Vinci, Raffaello, Veronese,Sandro Botticelli, Raphael, Michelangelo, Tintoretto, Titian,Caravaggio, Paolo Uccello and Caravaggio. The museum isso vast that it can take at least 3 hours to see, but there aresome must-see works not to miss. See Gentile daFabriano's byAdoration of the Magi; Battle of San RomanoUccello; by Masolino;Madonna and Child with Saint AnneFilippo Lippi's ; the worksMadonna and Child with Angelsby Botticelli on display in the Botticelli Room; da Vinci's

; Michelangelo's ; works byAnnunciation Doni TondoRaphael; Titian's ; Parmigiani's Venus of Urbino Madonna of

and the list of excellent art goes onthe Long Neck

One of the most famous rooms in the museum is theoctagonal shaped Tribuna of the Uffizi, designed byBernardo Buintaleti. Here the most precious pieces in theMedici collection are put on display.

In 1560 Cosimo I commissioned Giorgio Vasari to constructthe building that now houses the museum as offices for theFlorentine magistrates. Alfonso Parigi and BernardoBuontalenti took over the task of creating the offices whichwere completed in 1581. Later Cosimo I was alsoresponsible for starting the museum collection as he strivedto assemble a collection that represented the best ofTuscany art. The building has a long, narrow centralcourtyard which looks onto the Arno River at one endthrough a Doric screen. The or inner courtyard iscortilelined by identical facades with niches and columns along thelength of the courtyard. In the niches are sculptures byfamous artists.

Plan ahead as this is one of the top attractions in thecountry and the lines to get in are as famous as themasterpieces inside!


Transportation: Bus - B or D

Address: Ponte Vecchio, Florence, Italy


15:10 Ponte Vecchio Rating: Bridge

Visit Time: 15 mins

The Old Bridge is one of the most striking of Florence's sixbridges; it is thought to date back as far as the Romans whoconstructed stone pillars and wooden planks on this spotwhere the Via Cassia crossed the river. Until 1218 it was theonly bridge that crossed the Arno River. The Romanconstruction collapsed from flood damage in 1117 and againin 1333, 12 years later it was rebuilt. The bridge has threegraceful arches supporting the covered crossing which wastopped with stores and houses under the porticos.

The bridge was built again in 1565 during the reign of theMedici family when they wanted a route which wouldconnect them directly between Uffizi and the Palazzo Pittion the other side of the River, without even stepping footoutside. The covered "corridor" across the bridge wasconstructed on top of the bridge stores. It made theircrossing as easy as going from one room in a house toanother. This saved time crossing the river, protected themfrom the weather and meant that they wouldn't have toencounter any pesky commoners. Corridoio Vasariano,designed by Vasari, was literally a corridor which ran abovegoldsmith's stores crossing the river. Traders had set upshop along the covered bridge as far back as the 13 thcentury. Today on the bridge you can see a bust of one ofthe 16 century goldsmiths, Benvenuto Cellini. In thethmiddle of the bridge there is a break in the line of stores andthere are two observation terraces overlooking the river.

The bridge survived World War II when the German'sdestroyed all of the city's bridges except this one. There is amodern tradition for lovers to lock a padlock onto the bridgeand throw the key into the water, to symbolize their eternallove. This tradition is called "love locks" and is practiced inseveral countries on famous bridges.


Transportation: Bus - D, 6, 11, 36, 37, or 68

Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 10:00am-5:00pm, Sun

1-5:00pm

Admission: Free to church, Brancacci chapel 4,

cumulative ticket with Palazzo Vecchio available


Address: Piazza del Carmine, 50124 Florence


15:35 Santa Maria della Carmine Rating: Religious Sites

Visit Time: 1 hour

This church is best known for the Brancaccio Chapel wherethere are magnificent frescoes painted by Masaccio andMasolino da Panicale and later completed by Filippino Lippi.The church was constructed in 1268 however little of thefirst structure remains. The church was extended in 1328and in 1464 the Capitular Hall and the dining room wereadded. Then in the 16 and 17 century Santa Mari delth thCarmine was once again renovated this time the style of theRomanesque structure became Baroque and the interiorwas rebuilt in the Rococo style (1782). The Sacristysurvived a major fire in 1771 and the original work by Lippod'Andrea and Benedetto da Rovezzano remains.

Pietro Brancacci commissioned Brunelleschi to design thechapel which is accessed from the adjacent convent. TheBrancacci Chapel also survived the fire of 1771 and so thefirst work by Masaccio remains. Masolini was given the taskof decorating the chapel with frescoes, but half way throughhis work he left for Hungary to serve as the King's painter,and Masaccio, the painter's assistant, took over the job. Heexcelled at the task but unfortunately he too was unable tocomplete the frescoes as he died at the age of 27. Lippolater completed the paintings. The painting cycle was veryinfluential on the Renaissance artists and specifically onMichelangelo.

The Corsini Chapel (1675) was designed by Pier FrancescoSilvani and contains a dome with frescoes by LucaGiordano and a Rococo ceiling by Domenico Ferretti. Theconvent survived through several natural disasters but stillholds valuable works like the by AlessandroLast SupperAllori.


Transportation: Bus - D, 11, 36, 37, or 68

Web: www.firenzemusei.it

Opening Hours: Tue-Sun 8:15am-5:50pm, last

admission 45 min. before close

Admission: With Galleria d'Arte Moderna - 8.50

adults, 18 and under free. Cumulative tickets for

the Galleria Palatina, Museo degli Argenti, Galleria

d'Arte Moderna, and Giardino Boboli 12 adults

Phone Number: Galleria Palatina 055-238-8614,

Reserve tickets 055-294-883

Address: Palazzo Pitti, 1, Florence, Italy


16:45 Palazzo Pitti Rating: Palaces

Visit Time: 1 hour

This palace was home to the rulers of Florence up until1919 when the property became part of the state. Thepalace is situated in Oltrarno which lies across the RiverArno from the rest of the historic center. Luca Pitti wanted tobuild a luxurious and opulent palace which would rival theMedici family's stately homes. Filippo Brunelleschi wascommissioned to design the palace and on his death , 12years before the project's completion, Luca Fancelli tookover the task. The palace was completed in 1465. TheMedici's came into possession of the palace in 1549 whenPitti had no choice but to sell the property due to hisfinancial difficulties. The Medici family had a corridorconstructed connecting the Uffizi with the Palazzo Vecchioso that they could cross the river easily without goingoutside. Ammanati was employed to expand the palacefurther and he spent 12 years, up until 1570, working onfeatures like the beautiful inner courtyard.

Highlights of the palace architecture include the ArtichokeFountain by Giovanni Francesco Susini. It was under theMedici family that the palace gardens, the Boboli Gardenwere planted. Following the Medici family came the Houseof Lorraine in 1737, the palace was expanded again and theinteriors were renovated. Other owners included the Savoy,Bourbons, Napoleon and finally Vittorio Emanuele III. It wasEmmanuele III who opened the palace to the general public.

The vast palace holds several museums and visitors canalso see the royal apartments. The museums include theGalleria Palatina with Renaissance and Baroque paintings;the Galleria del Costume; the Museo delle Carozze (acollection of royal carriages) and the Galleria d'ArteModerne. There is also a Porcelain Museum and SilverMuseum. One of the prize pieces is Raffaello's Madonna on

and which can be seen in thethe Chair The Veiled LadyPalatine Gallery together with works by Tiziano, Caravaggio,Rubens, van Dyck and Murillo. The Modern Art Museum isbest known for its Macchiaoli movement paintings.


Transportation: Bus - 12 or 13

Address: 50125 Florence


18:10 Piazzale Michelangiolo Rating: Square

Visit Time: 1 hour

This Florence square has an observation point from whereyou can get brilliant views across the city skyline. Thesquare was built in 1869 and designed by Giuseppe Poggi,it is located on a hill in the Oltrarno District. The long wideViali dei Colli Boulevard ends at the square and was part ofmany changes made to the city during the renaissancewhen the city was the country's capital. At the time thesquare was constructed to provide a good vantage pointfrom which to look down upon the city's beautiful newbuildings. As the name suggests the Piazzale honors theartist and sculptor Michelangelo and there are severalreplicas of his work in Piazzale MIchelangelo. You can seebronze replicas of Michelangelo's marble statue of asDavidwell as the 4 allegories of the Medici Chapel of SanLorenzo.

The observation point on the square is a balustrade terraceand the panoramic views of the city are often seen on postcards of the city. The site was intended as a museum whereMichelangelo's work would be displayed but this goal wasnever realized. You can reach the hill top square via VialeMichelangelo or by climbing up the stairs or ramps fromPiazza Giuseppe Poggi, also called Poggi Ramps.

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One Day in Florence Packed Itinerary

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