Santa Maria Novella
From the moment you step out into bustling
Piazza Santa Maria Novella, the first of Florence’s great basilicas comes into view. Cross the square to the Dominican
Santa Maria Novella church and follow its cloisters south to
Via degli Avelli towards the
Old City where David and the Duomo await. Pass two museums on the way, which depart from Florence’s Renaissance theme and house modern art. Turn right to see
Museo Marino Marini‘s equestrian sculptures, or left for
Palazzo Strozzi’s contemporary exhibitions.
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Narrow streets flanked by palatial Renaissance residences adorned with shutters and balconies open up at Florence’s centrepiece, the
Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, or Duomo. In the same piazza as Brunelleschi’s terracotta brick-domed cathedral, the marble
Campanile di Giotto’s 414-step bell tower is the spot to get city bearings and Tuscan rural views. From
Piazza del Duomo, the elegant, pedestrian-only
Via dei Calzaiuoli shopping street is the main artery of human traffic south towards the
River Arno.
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North of the river, the
Piazza della Signoria square is an open-air sculpture gallery. Exit the square’s eastern side and wander on to
Piazzale degli Uffizi for a treasure trove of Renaissance art, the
Uffizi Gallery. Walk the length of the central courtyard of this old office building – it is so long that looks over the River Arno. At the narrowest part of the meandering
River Arno, the medieval stone
Ponte Vecchio bridge carries building blocks of jewellery shops on its stone arches.
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Just east of the Duomo, laid-back
Piazza Santa Croce is dominated by its monochrome church. The neo-Gothic façade of the
Basilica di Santa Croce guards the tombs of famous dead like Michelangelo and Machiavelli. Walk under the silent cloister archways to
Museo dell'Opera di Santa Croce to see Florence Nightingale’s graceful monument. Take
Via Antonio Magliabechi south to the
National Central Library, which holds a copy of every book published in Italy.
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Just north-east of the Duomo, the brickwork Brunelleschi church, the
Basilica of San Lorenzo, marks one of Florence’s most vibrant districts. At sunset, traders clinch last-minute deals at
San Lorenzo Market. Stalls stretch from Piazza San Lorenzo to
Via dell'Ariento where the covered food market at
Mercato Centrale sells gourmet truffle oils and olives. From San Lorenzo, it’s a short walk north to the
Galleria dell'Accademia, home of Michelangelo’s David. Queues start early on narrow
Via Ricasoli to glimpse the marble giant.
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