Ponte Vecchio Florence by Nuno Cardoso

Ponte Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) connects the city centre to the district of Oltrarno on the south bank of the river Arno. It is the first bridge ever built in Florence, surely one of the great icons of the city and one of the most famous bridges in the world.
It is best known today for the wooden-shuttered goldsmiths’ shops that line both sides of it, and for the Vasari Corridor that runs over it.

Historical sources indicate that Ponte Vecchio has been in place since at least the twelfth century, and we know that for a long time the Arno River was crossable only at this point.

The old bridge crosses the river at its narrowest point within the city, and a series of bridges—of which this the fifth version—have stood on or around this spot since the days of the ancient Romans.

Museo delle Cappelle Medicee by Richard, enjoy my life! CC BY-SA 2.0

The Medici Chapels

The Medici Chapels consist of two structures that form part of the monumental complex of San Lorenzo, in Florence, and they house monuments that belonged to members of the Medici family.

The Church of San Lorenzo was the official church of the Medici when they lived as private residents in their palace in via Larga (now via Cavour), and later became their mausoleum until the extinction of their line.

For several generations, the Medici family, of which author Dan Brown mentions in his book Inferno, had an outstanding reputation for promoting the arts, culture, spiritual ideas, as well as the scientific advancements of their time in the city of Florence and throughout Tuscany.

Badia Fiorentina by Andreas Jurgherr

Badia Fiorentina

The Badìa Fiorentina is an abbey and church that is now home to the Monastic Communities of Jerusalem. It is situated on the Via del Proconsolo in the centre of Florence. It is also in front of the ancient prison of the Bargello, next to the street that houses the now-called Casa di Dante, which was rebuilt in 1910 as a museum to Dante.

Badia in ancient Italian meant abbey, and Fiorentina just means Florentine.

Gucci Museum in Florence

The Gucci Museum

The Gucci Museum in Florence (now Gucci Garden) was inaugurated in 2011 on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the eponymous fashion house.

It tells the story of the Italian fashion and leather goods manufacturer, from its early start in the city of Florence to the global biggest-selling Italian brand that it is today.

The museum is located in the historic Palazzo della Mercanzia (Palace of the Merchandise) in Piazza della Signoria.

Inside the Baptirty by Marc Buehler

The Baptistry of Florence

The Florence Baptistery, also known as the Baptistery of Saint John, the patron saint of Florence, is a religious building that stands in Piazza del Duomo, across from the Florence Cathedral and the Campanile di Giotto. Its origins are in part mysterious. History It was long believed that the Baptistry was originally a Roman temple…

Boboli Gardens, Florence

Boboli Gardens

The Boboli Gardens are one of the most important Italian gardens and a fantastic open-air museum that embraces another site of culture in Florence, the Pitti Palace.

More than a garden, more than just a “green lung” in Florence, this gorgeous park in the heart of Florence takes your breath away and brings to mind the splendor of the life of the Grand Dukes of Tuscany.