Europe Travel Guides

Points of interest

Baptistery

The Romanesque Baptistery may have been built as early as the 5th century on the site of a Roman temple. It is one of the oldest buildings in Florence. The present facade dates from about the 11th century. It is said that the eighth side represents the (nonexistent) eighth day of the week, which symbolises birth, death and resurrection all in one.

Most striking are the three sets of bronze doors, conceived as a series of panels in which the story of humanity and the Redemption would be told. The earliest set of doors was completed by Andrea Pisano in 1336.

Lorenzo Ghiberti tied with Brunelleschi in a competition in 1401-2 to do the north doors. Brunelleschi was so disgusted that he flounced off to Rome, leaving Ghiberti to toil away for 20 years. Good as his late-Gothic effort was, Ghiberti returned almost immediately to his workshops to turn out the east doors. Made of gilded bronze, they took 28 years to complete. So extraordinary were his exertions that, many years later, Michelangelo stood before the doors and declared them fit to be the Porta del Paradiso (Gate of Paradise), which is how they remain known to this day.

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Loggia della Signoria

Built by Orcagna in the late 14th century as a platform for public ceremonies, this elegant arcade now serves as an open-air sculpture gallery, with highlights such as Cellini's magnificent bronze Perseo (Perseus). Also known as the Loggia dei Lanzi, the arcade was named after Cosimo I's Swiss mercenaries, the Lances, who were once stationed here.

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Basilica di Santa Croce

Completed in 1385, this Gothic temple is as much the resting place of a Who's Who of Florentine greats as repository of stunning art. The magnificent facade is a neo-Gothic addition of the 19th century! Deceptive, huh? Michelangelo's tomb here was designed by Vasari. Galileo and the composer Rossini also rest in peace here.

The two chapels nearest the right side of the Cappella Maggiore, belonging to the Bardi and Peruzzi clans, are decorated with partly fragmented frescoes by Giotto. Brunelleschi designed the serene cloisters, dominated by his Cappella de' Pazzi.

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Duomo

This is the holy centre of Florence and once the site of the town's Roman temple. As the city emerged to become the dominant power in medieval Tuscany, it lavished money and genius on this piazza, a place for Florence to beat its chest proudly and show the world its greatness.

You'll probably have already spotted Brunelleschi's sloping, red-tiled dome from afar, but when you first come upon the Duomo (cathedral) from the crowded streets around the Piazza, you will doubtless be taken aback by the ordered vivacity of its pink, white and green marble facade. Brunelleschi won a public competition to design the enormous dome, the first of its kind since antiquity. Although now severely cracked and under restoration, it remains a remarkable achievement of design.

The great temple's full name is Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore and it is the world's fourth-largest cathedral. It was begun in 1296 by Arnolfo di Cambio and took almost 150 years to complete. It is 153m (502ft) long and 38m (125ft) wide, except the transept, which extends to 90m (295ft). The cathedral it replaced, dedicated to Santa Reparata, fitted into an area extending less than halfway down from the entrance to the transept.

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Astor Caffè

This is a place where you could take breakfast, then return some 12 hours later to mix with the nocturnal crowd who gather around for loud music and cocktails, opposite the solemn walls of the cathedral. Keep an eye on the giant red clock so closing time doesn't sneak up on you unannounced.

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La Dolce Vita

One of the most popular pre-club hang-outs, this place gets so packed with wealthy wannabes that you might never see the bar. An outdoor terrace helps you forget you're in a car park, although the self-consciously beautiful regulars don't quite make you feel like you're at home.

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Moyo

This trendy number has a mixed crowd of arty, grungy Florentines, as well as students and a sprinkling of the fashion set quaffing from its tumblers. For cocktail-sipping you can opt to perch on high stools, lounge out the back or sit on outdoor tables. Occasionally you'll strike live music and when the sounds are vinyl-based, the sounds are eclectic.

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Antico Noè

It isn't pretty in this arcade but if you want to choose from almost 20 delicious, heaped and filling takeaway sandwiches from this Florentine institution, you'll have to run the gauntlet of the hobos. There's also reasonable food at the comfy cafe next door, where you can enjoy slow jazz and blues tunes with your meal.

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Alle Murate

A must for visiting foodies, this elegant and discreet restaurant combines the best of contemporary Italian cooking with a monumental wine list featuring labels from throughout Italy and a few from France. Dine under the exquisite medieval frescoes, among them the earliest known portrait of Dante.

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Enoteca Pinchiorri

Hallowed turf in Italian gastronomy, this Michelin-starred place occupies an elegant palazzo with a delightful inner courtyard. It's famous for its tiddly portions of astounding contemporary Tuscan fare and a cellar chock-a-block with 80,000 wines. Trust the tasting menus - Tuscan, seasonal and vegetarian - and the suave sommeliers.

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Events

Florence's major festivals include the Explosion of the Cart, when a cart full of fireworks is exploded in front of the Duomo (Easter Saturday); and the Feast of St John the Baptist, the patron saint of the city (24 June). The lively Gioco del Calcio Storico, featuring football matches played in 16th-century costume, is held in June in Piazza della Signoria and ends with a fireworks display over Piazzale Michelangelo.

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