Cost: €6,50

Hours: Tues.- Sun. 8:15am- 6:50pm, closed Mondays

    The Galleria dell’Accademia hosts Michelangelo’s famous sculpture “David”.  Although this museum doesn’t offer many other significant pieces, the shear magnificence of David is well worth the admission price.  Michelangelo’s unfinished “slaves’ are also housed in this museum.  David was sculpted from 1501 to 1504.  There are no pictures allowed, although you may be able to sneak a picture or two if you’re quick and leave your flash off.  The detail of the sculpture and excellent proportionality truly make it one of the greatest works of all time. 

      Address: Viale Amendola Giovanni, 34

Cost: €5,00

Hours: Every day 9:30am- 5:30pm, except Sun. 1:00pm- 5:30pm

    Santa Croce is a basilica located in Florence, Italy.  This basilica’s claim to fame is that it hosts the remains of some of the world’s most notable persons.  Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, and Dante are just a few of the monumentally important people that rest in Santa Croce.  It is the largest Franciscan church in the world, and legend has it that it was founded by St. Francis himself. 

      Address: Plaza del Duomo

      Hours: Mon.- Wed. and Fri. 10:00am- 5:00pm; Thurs. 10:00am- 3:00pm; Sat. 10:00am- 4:45pm (except first Saturday of the month, when it closes at 3:30pm)

      Tickets: free to the church; €6 cupola

    Formally known as the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, the Duomo of Florence is the fourth largest church in all of Europe behind St. Peter’s in Rome, St. Paul’s in London, and the Duomo in Milan.  The Duomo’s most notable feature is its dome which was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi.  The first stone of the Duomo was laid in 1296, and it took over 170 years to complete the giant church.  Construction was delayed in 1302 when the designer, Arnolfo di Cambio, died, and again in 1348 due to the Black Plague.  By 1418, the only part of the Duomo that remained unfinished was the dome.  A competition was held to determine the design of the dome, and Brunelleschi barely defeated Lorenzo Ghiberti, the man responsible for the “Gates of Paradise” doors on the nearby Baptistery. Brunelleschi’s dome was the first ‘octagonal’ dome to be built without a supporting wooden frame.  To build the dome, Brunelleschi also had to invent hoisting machines and lewissons to get the heavy stones up to the rooftop.  It took 16 years to complete the dome, and it was finally finished in 1436.  The dome itself weighs over 37,000 pounds and contains over 4 million bricks, which to this day remains the largest masonry dome in the world.  The dome at the Duomo is one of the most impressive works to come from the Renaissance.  You can go up in the Duomo to get an excellent view of the city and surroundings of Florence.    

    San Giovanni’s baptistery is located in Piazza del Duomo right next to the Duomo.  It is famous for its three sets of artistically magnificent doors.  The baptistery is an octagon with eight equal sides with a rectangular addition to the west side.  It is made of the same three types of marble as the Duomo, which shows green, red, and white marble.  In 1401, a competition was held to determine the design of the bronze doors.  A 21 year old Lorenzo Ghiberti beat out the likes of six others including Donatello and Brunelleschi.  It took Ghiberti 21 years to complete the bronze doors, which consist of 28 panels depicting biblical scenes from the New Testament and the four evangelists and church fathers.  Ghiberti was later commissioned to design the east doors to the baptistery, and this set took him 27 years to complete.  Again made of bronze, these doors depicted scenes from the Old Testament.  Michelangelo dubbed these doors “The Gates of Paradise” and the name sticks to this day.  The bronze doors currently on the baptistery are reproductions, but the originals can be seen at the nearby Museo dell’Opera del Duomo. 

    Giotto’s Bell Tower stands in Piazza del Duomo adjacent to the Duomo.  It is styled with the same green, red, and white marble pattern as the Duomo and San Giovanni’s Baptistery.  It is well worth climbing 414 steps to see the incredible view that the tower offers of the Tuscan city of Florence. 

    The Piazza della Signoria is an L-shaped square in the heart of Florence.  The Palazzo Vecchio and Uffizi Gallery are both located in this square.  Many original and replicas of famous sculptures are located in this square.  Michelangelo’s David was originally placed here, although a replica now stands in its place in front of the Palazzo Vecchio entrance.  The square also contains Bartolomeo’s Ammanati’s Fountain of Neptune (1565) with a copy of the Florentine Lilly originally made by Donatello.  A replica of Donatello’s “Judith and Holofernes” is also placed in the Piazza della Signoria.  Bandinelli’s original “Hercules and Cacus” remains in the plaza along with two original works by Giambologna, “The Rape of the Sabine Women” and “Cosimo I.”     

      Hours: Tues.- Sun. 8:15am- 6:50pm, closed Mondays

      Tickets: €6,50

    The Uffizi Gallery is one of the world’s oldest and most notable art museums.  Cosimo I de Medici of the famous Medici family ordered the palace built in 1560.  Reserve a ticket in advance, because waiting times can take up to five hours in the summer months.  This museum contains works by the likes of da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, and Uccello.  Here a few of the famous works housed in this gallery. 

-Paolo Uccello – The Battle of San Romano

-Leonardo Da Vinci – The Annunciation, The Adoration of the Magi

-Michelangelo – The Doni Tondo

-Raphael – Madonna of the Goldfinch, Pope Leo X with Cardinals Giulio d’Medici and ---Luigi de’Rossi

-Titian – Flora, Venus of Urbino

      Cost: €2,50

      Hours: 10:00am- 5:00pm

   The Basilica of San Lorenzo is the oldest basilica in Florence, Italy and it contains the tombs of all of the principal members of the Medici family and Donatello.  Brunelleschi was commissioned to build the current basilica, but it was not completed until after his death and with many alterations from his design.  Michelangelo built the Laurentian Library, which is housed inside the basilica. 

    Ponte Vecchio dates back to Roman times, with the current bridge built in 1345.  It crosses the Arno River and has become a symbol of Florence.  It is one of the oldest segmental arch bridges in the world, and maintains the old style of shops along the bridge.  A stroll down the bridge will reveal souvenir shops, but mostly jewelers.  The shimmering shops windows filled with gold, silver and precious stones illuminate the bridge at night.  Vendors used to sell padlocks as well, which tourists purchased for a few Euros.  These padlocks were a symbol of love; couples would write their names on the lock with a permanent marker, lock it to the railing around the statue of Benvenuto Cellini, and then throw the key into the Arno River, becoming bonded forever.  Florence officials recently established a fine for anyone attempting to secure a lock on the fence, which became damaged and weighed down from the locks.

Address: Via del Parlascio 2r (in the city center)

Hours: Mon.- Sat. noon- 2:00pm, 7:00pm- 10:00pm

    One of the best places in Florence to experience traditional, home made Italian food, the Trattoria Anita serves delicious, inexpensive lunches and dinners.  Diners can choose to order both the primi and secondi courses (the first normally consisting of a pasta and the second a meat dish), most less than €10.  Italian wines line the walls, and the waiters are welcoming and courteous.   They may even offer a complimentary shot of Lemongello, the lemon Italian liquor, at the end of the meal.

Address: Lungarno Benvenuto Cellini, 65r

Transportation: bus no. 23 to Piazzale Michelangelo

    A musical inspiration, featuring a mix of live jazz, blues, Latin, and salsa, this café is unique for its drink selection, which includes a free buffet with the price (normally only for an hour in the evening-- 8-9:00pm).  A great find for students who are looking for an artistic musical atmosphere (and a great patio in the summer) without paying a lot for appetizers.  And the chef cooks until 3:00am, making it a great late-night spot.

Flights: Amerigo Vespucci Airport (FLR) is Florence’s main airport, and it can be reached from the city via the SITA buses at the train station, Stazione Santa Maria Novella. 

Trains: Florence backpackers will likely arrive and/or depart from Stazione Santa Maria Novella.  Trains run twice per hour to Rome (3.5hr), Milan (3.5hr), Venice (3hr), and Bologna (1hr). 

Buses: SITA charters intercity buses from Florence and some of their destinations include Pisa and Siena.

Public Transportation: Backpackers can get around Florence by taking the ATAF buses that run from 6am-1am.  The bus tickets cost €1.20 for 70 minutes, €5 for 24 hours, and €12 for a 3 day pass. 

Address: Parco delle Cascine

Hours: Mon.- Sat. 11:00pm- late

Cover: €20, free for students early in the night

    Florence’s only outdoor dance club, the Central Park Disco features three open-air dance floors for dancing away the evening, especially popular in the warm months.  This is a great place for students, who pay no cover charge before 12:30am.

Address: Via Pisana 77r

Transportation: Bus no. 6 to Via Pisana; behind Via della Fonderia

Hours:  Thurs.- Sun.  11:00pm (8:00pm for dinner)- 3:00am

    This former cinema exudes an old fashioned movie glamour of yesteryear, complete with an enormous, broad staircases. Every Thursday, this club has a “UniverCity” dance night for Italian and foreign students, where the cover charge with a student ID is only €3,00 (normally, cover charges are between €13 and €25, a price that is rather expensive, but includes a drink).

Address: Piazza Santa Cecilia 3r

Hours: Tues.- Sun. 10:00pm- 4:00am

    While this disco caters mostly to gay men, it’s a lively hot spot that includes disco, techno, some rock, as well as cabaret.  While the cover is €13, the Tabasco Bar is one of the top places to experience the gay scene in Florence, and it’s filled with young males from across Italy and the world.