Firenze - Descrizione

Florence

Florence in brief

Florence is the intellectual and artistic centre of the country known to millions as the

“Cradle of the Renaissance”. The city is an exquisite treasure chest of paintings,

sculptures and terracotta-domed buildings, a tribute to artists like da Vinci, Botticelli

and Michelangelo from a glorious golden age three centuries long.

Santa Maria del Fiore

It was created by Arnolfo di Cambio, and subsequently it was crowned with

Brunelleschi’s famous dome. His dome is a majestic structure from the top of which

you will get a wonderful panoramic view of the city, and also of the interior of the

cathedral. The cathedral mixes Romanesque and Gothic elements, while the imposing

dome by Brunelleschi is a typical product of the Renaissance period.

Giotto’s campanile

The cathedral’s façade is covered with white, green and pink Tuscan marble. Designed

by Giotto, it was completed by Pisano. The three apses, crowned by smaller copies of

the dome, have five chapels each.

British baptistery of St. John

It is an octagonal building with the bronze doors made by the sculptor Ghiberti. It is an

example of Romanesque architecture in white and green marble. It is one of Florence’s

oldest buildings.

Santa Croce

It is the home to frescoes by Giotto, and the tombs of some of Florence’s greatest men

such as Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli. The campanile is Neo-Gothic.

Cappella dei Pazzi

It is a Renaissance masterpiece designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, remarkable for the

harmony of its decorations.

Santa Maria Novella

The church was founded by the Dominicans. The façade has a Romanesque style. The

Gothic interior contains superb frescoes, including Masaccio’s powerful Trinity.

Piazza della Signoria

It is a large square with Palazzo Vecchio and Loggia dei Lanzi.

Palazzo Vecchio

It is an impressive example of a medieval public palace, but it has a Renaissance

interior, which is in complete contrast with the outside.