Florence: top attractions & road trip guide
Florence is the capital of Tuscany and the cradle of the Renaissance, where painters, sculptors, and architects like Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, and Botticelli transformed Western art in the 14th to 16th centuries. Its historic center, dominated by the red-tiled dome of the cathedral, is dense with museums, churches, and palaces built by the ruling Medici family.
On a road trip through Tuscany, Florence typically anchors one end of a route that continues south toward Siena and the Val d'Orcia. The medieval center is largely a ZTL restricted-traffic zone, so drivers park in one of the peripheral garages or Park & Ride lots and walk or take a bus into the old town.
Top attractions
Florence Cathedral (Duomo)
Topped by Brunelleschi's massive engineering feat of a dome, this cathedral with its pink, white, and green marble facade defines the city skyline.
Uffizi Gallery
One of the world's great art museums, housing masterpieces by Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo in a former Medici administrative building.
Ponte Vecchio
A medieval stone bridge over the Arno River lined with jewelry shops, one of the few Florence bridges to survive World War II bombing.
Galleria dell'Accademia
Home to Michelangelo's original marble David statue, along with his unfinished Prisoners sculptures and a collection of Florentine paintings.
Piazzale Michelangelo
A hilltop terrace south of the Arno offering a sweeping panoramic view over Florence's rooftops, domes, and towers.
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