First Time in Florence

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For centuries, people have commented that Florence's cathedral is turned inside out, its exterior boasting Brunelleschi's famous dome, Giotto's bell tower, and a festive cladding of white, green, and pink marble, but its interior left spare, almost barren.

By the late 13th century, Florence was feeling peevish: Its archrivals Siena and Pisa sported huge new Duomos filled with art while it was saddled with the tiny 5th- or 6th-century Santa Reparata as a cathedral. So, in 1296, the city hired Arnolfo di Cambio to design a new Duomo, and he began raising the facade and the first few bays before his death in 1302. Work continued under the auspices of the Wool Guild and architects Giotto di Bondone (who concentrated on the bell tower) and Francesco Talenti (who finished up to the drum of the dome and in the process greatly enlarged Arnolfo's original plan). The facade we see today is a neo-Gothic composite designed by Emilio de Fabris and built from 1871 to 1887 (for its story, see the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo).

The Duomo's most distinctive feature is its enormous dome [STSTST], which dominates the skyline and is a symbol of Florence itself. The raising of this dome, the largest in the world in its time, was no mean architectural feat, tackled admirably by Filippo Brunelleschi between 1420 and 1436. You can climb up between the two shells of the cupola for one of the classic panoramas across the city. At the base of the dome, just above the drum, Baccio d'Agnolo began adding a balcony in 1507. One of the eight sides was finished by 1515, when someone asked Michelangelo -- whose artistic opinion was by this time taken as cardinal law -- what he thought of it. The master reportedly scoffed, "It looks like a cricket cage." Work was immediately halted, and to this day the other seven sides remain rough brick.

The Duomo was actually built around Santa Reparata so it could remain in business during construction. For more than 70 years, Florentines entered their old church through the free-standing facade of the new one, but in 1370 the original was torn down when the bulk of the Duomo -- except the dome -- was finished. Ever the fiscal conservatives, Florentines started clamoring to see some art as soon as the new facade's front door was completed in the early 1300s -- to be sure their investment would be more beautiful than rival cathedrals. Gaddo Gaddi was commissioned to mosaic an Enthronement of Mary in the lunette above the inside of the main door, and the people were satisfied. The stained-glass windows set in the facade were designed by Lorenzo Ghiberti, and Paolo Uccello, a painter obsessed by the newly developed perspective, frescoed the huge hora italica clock with its four heads of Prophets in 1443.

At a right-aisle pier are steps leading down to the excavations of the old Santa Reparata. In 1972, a tomb slab inscribed with the name Filippo Brunelleschi was discovered there (visible through a gate). Unless you're interested in the remains of some ancient Roman houses and parts of the paleo-Christian mosaics from Santa Reparata's floor, the 3€ ($3.90) admission isn't worth it.

Against the left-aisle wall are the only frescoes besides the dome in the Duomo. The earlier one to the right is the greenish Memorial to Sir John Hawkwood (1436), an English condottiere (mercenary commander) whose name the Florentines mangled to Giovanni Acuto when they hired him to rough up their enemies. Before he died, or so the story goes, the mercenary asked to have a bronze statue of himself riding his charger to be raised in his honor. Florence solemnly promised to do so, but, in typical tightwad style, after Hawkwood's death the city hired the master of perspective and illusion, Paolo Uccello, to paint an equestrian monument instead -- much cheaper than casting a statue in bronze. Andrea del Castagno copied this painting-as-equestrian-statue idea 20 years later when he frescoed a Memorial to Niccolò da Tolentino next to Uccello's work. Near the end of the left aisle is Domenico di Michelino's Dante Explaining the Divine Comedy (1465).

In the back left corner of the sanctuary is the New Sacristy. Lorenzo de' Medici was attending Mass in the Duomo one April day in 1478 with his brother Giuliano when they were attacked in the infamous Pazzi Conspiracy. The conspirators, egged on by the pope and led by a member of the Pazzi family, old rivals of the Medici, fell on the brothers at the ringing of the sanctuary bell. Giuliano was murdered on the spot -- his body rent with 19 wounds -- but Lorenzo vaulted over the altar rail and sprinted for safety into the New Sacristy, slamming the bronze doors behind him. Those doors were cast from 1446 to 1467 by Luca della Robbia, his only significant work in the medium. Earlier, Luca had provided a lunette of the Resurrection (1442) in glazed terra cotta over the door, as well as the lunette Ascension over the south sacristy door. The interior of the New Sacristy is filled with beautifully inlaid wood cabinet doors.

The frescoes on the interior of the dome were designed by Giorgio Vasari but painted mostly by his less-talented student Federico Zuccari by 1579. The frescoes were subjected to a thorough cleaning completed in 1996, which many people saw as a waste of restoration lire when so many more important works throughout the city were waiting to be salvaged. The scrubbing did, however, bring out Zuccari's only saving point -- his innovative color palette.

Our Local Expert Says:

"The jewelry is superb and really expensive on the Ponte Vecchio. Grab your camera and catch the Tuscan Hills alive and rolling beyond the city center."

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You can't miss the most recognizable landmark of Florence, the Ponte Vecchio.  Constructed in 1345, the Ponte Vecchio is the oldest bridge still standing in Florence, hence the name.  The multicolored structure bridge was first home to butcher shops. As the noble bankers would cross the Arno river to their offices, there was a rancid smell of pigs blood and rotted meat which extremely offended them.  In an effort to improve the area, the Medici stepped in and ordered the lower class shopkeepers out and moved goldsmiths and diamond-cutters in. Ponte Vecchio is the only bridge that escaped the bombing by the Germans in WWII.  Today, now a pedestrian bridge, the shops shimmer and shine with necklaces, rings and charms of the most expensive kind.  Tourists can enjoy an early morning walk over the bridge before the shops open or at sunset where lovers stare at the horizon as musicians sing and be merry.

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The Medici Chapels are historical labors that are as grand in their own way as are the pyramids of Egypt. Started in 1605, these shrines were under construction for centuries. Eighty five years earlier Michelangelo was tasked to design and build the New Sacristy from one of the Medici cardinals Giulio de' Medici, who is remember in history as Pope Clement VII. Typical of a spiritual leader he was obsessed with the here-after and the creation of these intricate chapels testifies to that. Of artistic note are actual charcoal sketches by Michelangelo's own hand.

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Piazza del Duomo is one of the most famous landmarks in Florence. Truly an architectural piece of beauty, it encompasses the art and history of medieval Italy, through its sheer design. A visit to this city is not complete without visiting the piazza's cathedral 'Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore' whose dome dominates the skyline. It is no wonder that tourists are spellbound and spend hours trying to capture these images for eternity.

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The Loggia dei Lanzi or Loggia della Signoria is a wide-open gallery of great works of art and sculpture.  It brings together the piazza with the Uffizi Gallery flowing down into the Arno River.  As the Florentines adored this masterpiece, Michelangelo suggested having loggia encompass the whole Piazza della Signoria.  The artist or designer of the Loggia dei Lanzi was Orcagna.  He built it between 1376 and 1382 when Benci di Cione and Simone Talenti took over.  The name Loggia dei Lanzi came from the years the Grand Duke Cosimo I was in power, it was used to keep his Lanzichenecchi(Italian) or Landsknechts(German).  Shortening it to Lanzi, these were German mercenary pikemen.  As the Uffizi was nearly complete, the Loggia's roof was constructed as a terrace for the Medici so they could watch ceremonies in the piazza away from the peasants.  The Loggia's roof was designed by Bernardo Buontalenti. Today, the sculptures of divine beauty that are located inside are Benvenuto Cellini's Perseus, Giambologna's Rape of the Sabine Woman and the Rape of Polyxena by Pio Fedi.  Loggia dei Lanzi is gorgeous at night.  Take a stroll after dinner to see the Loggia light up.

Our Local Expert Says:

"Neptune Fountain was not well-liked by most Florentines when it was first displayed."

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At the end of Via dei Calzaiuoli, Piazza della Signoria welcomes you into it's arms.  This 13th century piazza houses the Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi Gallery, and the replica of the David by Michelangelo.  Daily tourist groups travel to and fro, capturing photos of every inch of Piazza della Signoria.  As a common meeting place for locals, there is much history jammed into this L-shaped meeting point.  The Fountain of Neptune sits right in front of the very spot Girolamo Savonrola was burned at the stake for burning some of Florence's best art and literature.  Thus after the Palazzo Vecchio was constructed it grew as the political center for Florence.  Piazza della Signoria is lined with cafes, restaurants and gelaterias.  Enjoy a late afternoon beer or a evening walk through this mesmerizing Piazza della Signoria.

Our Local Expert Says:

Respect the rules of not taking flash photography inside.

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This tall structure halfway down Via dei Calzaiuoli looks more like a Gothic warehouse than a church -- which is exactly what it was, built as a granary/grain market in 1337. After a miraculous image of the Madonna appeared on a column inside, however, the lower level was turned into a chapel. The city's merchant guilds each undertook the task of decorating one of the outside nichelike Gothic tabernacles around the lower level with a statue of their guild's patron saint. Masters such as Ghiberti, Donatello, Verrocchio, and Giambologna all cast or carved masterpieces to set here. Since 1984, these have been removed and are being replaced by casts as the originals are slowly cleaned and exhibited up on the second story.

Unfortunately, the church now keeps erratic hours due to a lack of personnel, so there are no set opening hours; however, you may get lucky and find the doors thrown open when you pass by (or, though this may take even more luck, someone might actually answer the phone number below and give you details on when it will next open). Since it's pretty nifty, and there's a chance you'll be able to pop in, I'll go ahead and describe it all.

In the chapel's dark interior (emerged in 1999 from a long restoration and entered around the "back" side on Via dell Arte della Lana) are recently restored 14th- to 16th-century paintings by the likes of Lorenzo di Credi and Il Poppi. The elaborate Gothic Tabernacle (1349-59) by Andrea Orcagna looks something like a miniature church, covered with statuettes, enamels, inset colored marbles and glass, and reliefs. It protects a luminous 1348 Madonna and Child painted by Giotto's student Bernardo Daddi. The prominent statue of the Madonna, Child, and St. Anne to its left is by Francesco da Sangallo (1522).

Across Via dell'Arte della Lana from the Orsanmichele's main entrance is the 1308 Palazzo dell'Arte della Lana. This Gothic palace was home to medieval Florence's most powerful body, the guild of wool merchants, which employed about one-third of Florence in the 13th and 14th centuries. Up the stairs inside you can cross over the hanging walkway to the first floor (American second floor) of Orsanmichele. These are the old granary rooms, now housing a museum of the statues that once surrounded the exterior. A few are still undergoing restoration, but eight of the original sculptures are here, well labeled, including Donatello's marble St. Mark (1411-13); Ghiberti's bronze St. John the Baptist (1413-16), the first life-size bronze of the Renaissance; and Verrocchio's Incredulity of St. Thomas (1473-83). This museum, too, does not always adhere to its posted hours, as those are dependent on someone being around to honor them. Still, it's at least worth a try.

Our Local Expert Says:

"You can see the hill town Fiesole and end of the Appennine Mountains from the Piazzale."

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The vista which one can see the whole valley of Florence and of the surrounding hills is a must see.  The climb up is rewarding, the view is breathtaking. There are buses available to take you to Piazzale Michelangelo. Tourists, tourist groups and tour buses all congregate at this panoramic view.  Vendors set up early in the morning with cool beverages for the parched tourists and souvenirs for the eager shoppers. A sunset visit is for the romantics, bringing a wine bottle and gazing at the Florentine sky as it ends another day. There is never a bad time to visit Piazzale Michelangelo, there is always something to see from this height

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By day, students type furiously on their laptops, taking advantage of the wireless Internet that Moyo provides for free until 7:30p. But by night, the bartenders crank up the music and mix hundreds of cocktails for an energetic young crowd. Bar-goers spill out onto the street, clutching Moyo's signature cocktail – a cranberry martini with lemon juice and triple sec. Thursday nights have a hip-hop theme, while on Friday and Saturday a DJ spins the latest remixes.

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You can dine out on the sidewalk in nice weather, or sit on the benches at tiny wooden tables inside to taste the excellent pizzalike crostini here. Start with the pappa al pomodoro or gnocchi with broccoli rabe and sausage. The crostoni are divided by cheese -- mozzarella, sharp pecorino, creamy goat-cheese caprino -- along with a list of the toppings to accompany them. My favorite is caprino con prosciutto arrosto e pomodori secchi (with goat cheese, roasted prosciutto, and sun-dried tomatoes). The wine is a key part of the meal; the list draws from the more interesting vineyards in Tuscany and beyond. This place is a bit out-of-the-way but worth the trip.

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The white cafe has a comfortable feeling as you enter. Located right over Ponte della Carraria, you would not normally see this hidden cucina(kitchen). With white tables and walls, the atmosphere is calm and relaxed. The entrance has tables chairs outside for smokers and there is also a back room for private functions or parties. The rooms are filled with books from child size to all the cooking books you can imagine. They serve every meal, Brunch is a common thing nowadays and they offer it for only 10euro. The aperitivi are originally done. For only 6euro for your drink, there is a buffet of chicken with rice, veggies, and potato like casseroles. They have on display Art from locals and special chocolate in the pastry window. Brunch in Florence, now that is a great idea.

Our Local Expert Says:

Try the famously made calzone, it will be difficult to finish.

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The specialties consist of the wood-burning oven pizza presented to you hot right out of the brick oven.   Another favorite is the Calzone which is as large as your head, literally.  It is an enticing adventure in your mouth with so much mozzarella and ricotta.  The Pizza Lorenzaccio created by my friend, Michelangelo, topped with the famous prosciutto crudo, sun-dried tomatoes, arugala, black olives, mozzarella.  By the same name but an insalata(salad), Insalata Lorenzaccio is another favorite, consisting of prosciutto of parma, fresh tomatoes, mouth-watering mozzarella, black olives and lettuce of course.  It really is refreshing and full of flavor.  Perfect for a hot summer day.  Topping it with fresh olive oil and red wine vinegar,  I wouldn't have it any other way. 

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Chiaroscuro is a very famous and well visited cafe` by many Italians. 
This interesting place in the historic city center has recently been renovated. Its main attraction is the extraordinary variety of coffee blends on offer here which come from all over the world as well as the long leaf tea, which is also sold at the bar. This is a perfect place for an evening aperitif.

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It is a room full of warmth and the scents of a seasonal menu.  Coquinarius has a small menu of different types of bruschette for antipasti, tasty meats and fish. Salads are a forte here; creative choices include toppings such as sun-dried tomatoes, eggplant, sunflower seeds, zucchini flowers or pear. This elegant and striking enoteca has a wide range of wines from Italy, California, Argentina, Austria and Chile. The camerieri(waitstaff) are very kind and full of life.  It is a great place to sit for the afternoon, bring a book, enjoy the chiacchiere(chatter) of the other patrons, or get lost in the glass of wine.  Wines are served by the glass or bottle in this relaxed, inexpensive experience of true Italian style.

Our Local Expert Says:

Sitting on the small balcony at a table for two overlooking the baptistery and the Duomo while sipping on a cool pint, you are sure to be the envy of every passerby on a steamy Florentine day.

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Old Stove Duomo is located right in the center of Florence, in Piazza del Duomo. There is also Old Stove Signoria and Old Stove Porcellino all over the same management. Each having their own ambiance. Although all are Irish Pubs. This locale is decorated like a typical Irish pub. They serve many different types of beers, from Italian to Irish to German. Pub food is available to order with such favorites as popcorn, chips, peanuts. Also hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese (toast in Italian)There is upstairs seating and a tiny terrace for two people who can enjoy people-watching. A pairing of bother Irish and Italian vibes, Old Stove Duomo is a common hang out for students, locals and tourists. They also broadcast popular European soccer matches and series. Try the many beers and scrumptious pub food as you let the evening turn into night. Stay for a drink, stay for the night, enjoy the ambiance around you.

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A pint of Guinness, karaoke nights, live music sessions, all the sports you need on TV. This is what you will find at this Florentine Irish pub. Not the best place to be if you want to meet a local crowd, but people from all over the world meet at the Lion's fountain to enjoy a good Irish beer on tap or a super Bloody Mary. Prices are not the cheapest in Florence but the authenticity is worth it! The Lion's Fountain is the place to be on St. Patrick's Day - wear with green, drink a pint of Guinness and celebrate with the Irish in Florence! –Luca Giani

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Grom is a gelateria that is frequented by not only tourists but Florentines as well.  It has their own specific gusti (flavors) that really entice the new traveler.  Founded in 2003 in Torino, it grew very successful and famous among the Italians.  In fact, in 2007 Grom opened in New York it being the first city abroad to take on this delicious gelato.  In Florence, there is constantly a line running along side the tiny shop near the Duomo. 

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Enjoy a nice hot tea or a glass of wine at this little cafe.  With books aligning the walls and a cozy upstairs to sit and use the Wi-Fi, no wonder why this is the new hip place to be.  There is a schedule of activities every week that includes a Jazz session on Mondays, Tango on Wednesdays and a handful of exotic theatrical performances and quartets with jazz, rock and fusion.  La Cite during the day is a much more low key with people sitting on their computers.  The evenings is when Borgo San Frediano livens up a bit, with great music and ambience.

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This excellent, traditional gelateria can be found behind the Piazza della Signoria where ice cream flavored with fruits which are in season can be enjoyed and semifreddi. The flavors are always changing and there is a lot of originality, including yogurt and soy gelato.

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Perché no! (Why not!) is one of Florence's traditional gelaterie. It was established in 1939 and not even World War II stopped their production! Located in the central shopping area a few meters off Piazza Signoria, home-made gelato and semifreddi are produced in the laboratory on the back of the small shop using natural ingredients and following traditional recipes. Classical flavors as well as new and innovative creations abound, and fancy something lighter, there are sorbets and sherbets made with real, seasonal fruits! There is also a wide selection of gluten-free flavors, and even a gluten-free ice cream cone!

Our Local Expert Says:

Karaoke is fabulous to take part in. Enjoy a cocktail and then sing one of your favorite songs.

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Found in the heart of Florence in Piazza della Signoria, OldStove Signoria, formally known as Michael Collins Pub, is a perfect stop for the museum-going folk. Close to the Uffizi Gallery you can enjoy a cold European beer and relax before you head to the next museum. The nightlife here is full of action and energy. There is karaoke performed in the basement on most weekends. Many students and tourist and locals call OldStove Signoria home. There is an upstairs where you can watch the football match that is on that day. In the basement there is an enormous space where many bands come to play live and other nights people tend to sit down and chit chat the night away. The staff are very friendly and speak English pretty well. The outside cafe area is usually full while the weather is nice. A great spot to people-watch in the piazza. When there is karaoke things usually can get pretty lively while the drinks keep flowing.

Our Local Expert Says:

"A peaceful place to read a book or write away from the bustle of the center."

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Giardino dell'Orticoltura was built by Giacomo Roster in 1879 for the Società Toscana di Orticoltura (the Tuscan Horticultural Society), this impressive steel and glass pavilion is used to display the flowers and plants that are grown each year. Marquis Pietro Torrigiani, the chief of the Georgofili Academia, founded the Tuscan society of Horticultural in 1859. Since then, the Florentines come to admire the flowers and plants grown during the month of April where there are exhibitions.  The grounds surrounding the pavilion are very serene with a playground for the children on a fall day. 

Our Local Expert Says:

Stop by around 5pm and hear the monks chant in the crypt.

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High atop a hill, its gleaming white-and-green facade visible from the valley below, San Miniato is one of the few ancient churches of Florence to survive the centuries virtually intact. San Miniato was an eastern Christian who settled in Florence and was martyred during Emperor Decius's persecutions in A.D. 250. The legend goes that the decapitated saint picked up his head, walked across the river, climbed up the hillside, and didn't lie down to die until he reached this spot. He and other Christians were buried here, and a shrine was raised on the site as early as the 4th century.

The current building began to take shape in 1013, under the auspices of the powerful Arte di Calimala guild, whose symbol, a bronze eagle clutching a bale of wool, perches atop the facade. The Romanesque facade is a particularly gorgeous bit of white Carrara and green Prato marble inlay. Above the central window is a 13th-century mosaic of Christ Between the Madonna and St. Miniato (a theme repeated in a slightly later mosaic filling the apse inside).

The interior has a few Renaissance additions, but they blend in well with the overall medieval aspect -- an airy, stony space with a raised choir at one end, painted wooden trusses on the ceiling, and tombs interspersed with inlaid marble symbols of the zodiac paving the floor.

Below the choir is an 11th-century crypt with small frescoes by Taddeo Gaddi. Off to the right of the raised choir is the sacristy, which Spinello Aretino covered in 1387 with cartoonish yet elegant frescoes depicting the Life of St. Benedict. Off the left aisle of the nave is 15th-century Cappella del Cardinale del Portogallo, a brilliant collaborative effort by Renaissance artists built to honor young Portuguese humanist Cardinal Jacopo di Lusitania, who was sent to study in Perugia but died an untimely death at 25 in Florence. Brunelleschi's student Antonio Manetti started the chapel in 1460 but soon died, and Antonio Rossellino finished the architecture and carving by 1466. Luca della Robbia provided the glazed terra-cotta dome, a cubic landscape set with tondi of the four Virtues surrounding the Holy Spirit to symbolize the young scholar's devotion to the church and to humanist philosophy. It stands as one of della Robbia's masterpieces of color and classical ideals. The unfinished bell tower seen from the outside was designed by Baccio d'Agnolo. In 1530 the combined troops of Charles V and Medici Pope Clement VII, who had recently reconciled with each other, lay siege to the newly declared Republic of Florence in an attempt to reinstate the Medici dukes. San Miniato al Monte was one of the prime fortifications, and an artilleryman named Lapo was stationed up in the tower with two small cannons -- he was basically bait, stuck there to draw the fire of the enemy where it would do little harm. The man in charge of the defenses was Michelangelo, who, the authorities figured, was so good at everything else, why not military fortifications? After throwing up dirt ramparts and cobbling together defensible walls out of oak timbers, Michelangelo helped poor Lapo out by devising an ingenious way to protect the tower: He hung mattresses down the sides to absorb the shock of the cannonballs fired at it and left the tower (and, more important, Lapo) still standing.

The siege was eventually successful, however, and the Florentine Republic fell, but while it lasted, Michelangelo spent his day up here and referred to the church of San Salvatore al Monte just below as "my pretty country maid." It's a simple 1400 church built by Cronaca, with a Giovanni della Robbia Deposition and a Neri di Bicci Pietà inside.

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Tucked away in the heart of the historic district of Sant Ambrogio, this beautifully kept restaurant's old-fashioned charm and flair for authentic local cuisine have made it a popular haunt of the rich and famous. Don't come here looking for basic dishes and ordinary meats: expect exotic cuts of various types of local wild game. Given a light new touch, revamped traditional fare features on its inspirational menu of starters, main courses and desserts. Great wine list too. If you're looking to save a bit, go around the corner to their trattoria Il Cibreino. The secret? Same menu, same kitchen, lower prices - it's just knowing which door to go through. Also within the same block are their Caffè and shop, and their Dinner Theatre. You're guaranteed a good time in this neighborhood if you venture over here for lunch or dinner.

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Zoe combines lively, young and stylish all into one place. This bar is a meeting place for many Italians for a hearty aperitivo. This locale is open all day long until late in the evening. They have a great spread of food from pasta dishes, salads and desserts. At 6:30 every evening the party begins with an aperitivo. There are always many people waiting in line by 8pm hits to catch some of the great and scrumptious food. A place to meet, hang out or chat all night long. There is good music playing while you are sipping delicious cocktails. On the walls there are works of art and photographic exhibitions of young local artists which gives the surroundings an interesting touch of creative flair. Enjoy an evening out with friends, meeting new people and being enthralled with the nightlife that Florence has to offer. Nothing can compare when you are surrounded by art, culture and interesting people every turn you make.

Our Local Expert Says:

Don't miss Giotto's chapels: Peruzzi and Bardi!

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The center of the Florentine Franciscan universe was begun in 1294 by Gothic master Arnolfo di Cambio in order to rival the huge church of Santa Maria Novella being raised by the Dominicans across the city. The church wasn't completed and consecrated until 1442, and even then it remained faceless until the neo-Gothic facade was added in 1857 (and cleaned in 1998-99). The cloisters are home to Brunelleschi's Cappella de' Pazzi, the convent partially given over to a famous leather school, and the church itself a shrine of 14th-century frescoes and a monument to notable Florentines, whose tombs and memorials litter the place like an Italian Westminster. The best artworks, such as the Giotto frescoes, are guarded by euro-gobbling lightboxes; bring plenty of change.

The Gothic interior -- for which they now charge a premium admission (it was free until recently) -- is wide and gaping, with huge pointed stone arches creating the aisles and an echoing nave trussed with wood beams, in all feeling vaguely barnlike (an analogy the occasional fluttering pigeon only reinforces). The floor is paved with worn tombstones -- because being buried in this hallowed sanctuary got you one step closer to Heaven, the richest families of the day paid big bucks to stake out small rectangles of the floor. On the right aisle is the first tomb of note, a mad Vasari contraption containing the bones of the most venerated of Renaissance masters, Michelangelo Buonarroti, who died of a fever in Rome in 1564 at the ripe age of 89. The pope wanted him buried in the Eternal City, but Florentines managed to sneak his body back to Florence. Past Michelangelo is a pompous 19th-century cenotaph to Florentine Dante Alighieri, one of history's greatest poets, whose Divine Comedy codified the Italian language. He died in 1321 in Ravenna after a long and bitter life in exile from his hometown (on trumped-up embezzlement charges), and that Adriatic city has never seen fit to return the bones to Florence, the city that would never readmit the poet when he was alive.

Against a nave pillar farther up is an elaborate pulpit (1472-76) carved by Benedetto di Maiano with scenes from the life of St. Francis. Next comes a wall monument to Niccolò Machiavelli, the 16th-century Florentine statesman and author whose famous book The Prince was the perfect practical manual for a powerful Renaissance ruler.

Past the next altar is an Annunciation (1433) carved in low relief of pietra serena and gilded by Donatello. Nearby is Antonio Rossellino's 1446 tomb of the great humanist scholar and city chancellor Leonardo Bruni (d. 1444). Beyond this architectural masterpiece of a tomb is a 19th-century knockoff honoring the remains of Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868), composer of the Barber of Seville and the William Tell Overture.

Around in the right transept is the Cappella Castellani frescoed by Agnolo Gaddi and assistants, with a tabernacle by Mino da Fiesole and a Crucifix by Niccolò Gerini. Agnolo's father, Taddeo Gaddi, was one of Giotto's closest followers, and the senior Gaddi is the one who undertook painting the Cappella Baroncelli (1332-38) at the transept's end. The frescoes depict scenes from the Life of the Virgin, and to the left of the window is an Angel Appearing to the Shepherds that constitutes the first night scene in Italian fresco. The altarpiece Coronation of the Virgin is by Giotto. To the left of this chapel is a doorway, designed by Michelozzo, leading to the sagrestia (sacristy) past a huge Deposition (1560) by Alessandro Allori that had to be restored after it incurred massive water damage when the church was inundated during the 1966 flood. Past the gift shop is a leather school and store.

In the right transept, Giotto frescoed the two chapels to the right of the high altar. The frescoes were whitewashed over during the 17th century but uncovered from 1841 to 1852 and inexpertly restored. The Cappella Peruzzi, on the right, is a late work and not in the best shape. The many references to antiquity in the styling and architecture of the frescoes reflect Giotto's trip to Rome and its ruins. His assistant Taddeo Gaddi did the altarpiece. Even more famous, if only as the setting for a scene in the film A Room with a View, is the Cappella Bardi immediately to the right of the high altar. The key panels here include the Trial by Fire Before the Sultan of Egypt on the right wall, full of telling subtlety in the expressions and poses of the figures. One of Giotto's most well-known works is the lower panel on the left wall, the Death of St. Francis, where the monks weep and wail with convincing pathos. Alas, big chunks of the scene are missing from when a tomb was stuck on top of it in the 18th century. Most people miss seeing Francis Receiving the Stigmata, which Giotto frescoed above the outside of the entrance arch to the chapel.

Agnolo Gaddi designed the stained-glass windows, painted the saints between them, and frescoed a Legend of the True Cross cycle on the walls of the rounded sanctuary behind the high altar. At the end of the left transept is another Cappella Bardi, this one housing a legendary Crucifix by Donatello. According to Vasari, Donatello excitedly called his friend Filippo Brunelleschi up to his studio to see this Crucifix when he had finished carving it. The famed architect, whose tastes were aligned with the prevailing view of the time that refinement and grace were much more important than realism, criticized the work with the words, "Why Donatello, you've put a peasant on the cross!" Donatello sniffed, "If it was as easy to make something as it is to criticize, my Christ would really look to you like Christ. So you get some wood and try to make one yourself." Secretly, Brunelleschi did just that, and one day he invited Donatello to come over to his studio for lunch. Donatello arrived bearing the food gathered up in his apron. Shocked when he beheld Brunelleschi's elegant Crucifix, he let the lunch drop to the floor, smashing the eggs, and after a few moments turned to Brunelleschi and humbly offered, "Your job is making Christs and mine is making peasants." Tastes change, and to modern eyes this "peasant" stands as the stronger work. If you want to see how Brunelleschi fared with his Christ, visit it at Santa Maria Novella.

Past a door as you head back down the left aisle is a 16th-century Deposition by Bronzino. A bit farther along, against a pier, is the roped-off floor tomb of Lorenzo Ghiberti, sculptor of the baptistery doors. Against the wall is an altarpiece of the Incredulity of St. Thomas by Giorgio Vasari. The last tomb on the right is that of Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), the preeminent Pisan scientist who figured out everything from the action of pendulums and the famous law of bodies falling at the same rate (regardless of weight) to discovering the moons of Jupiter and asserting that the earth revolved around the sun. This last one got him in trouble with the church, which tried him in the Inquisition and -- when he wouldn't recant -- excommunicated him. At the urging of friends frightened his obstinacy would get him executed as a heretic, Galileo eventually kneeled in front of an altar and "admitted" he'd been wrong. He lived out the rest of his days under house arrest near Florence and wasn't allowed a Christian burial until 1737. Giulio Foggini designed this tomb for him, complete with a relief of the solar system -- the sun, you'll notice, is at the center. The pope finally got around to lifting the excommunication in 1992. Italians still bring him fresh flowers.

Our Local Expert Says:

"You can buy fruit at a low, low price."

Description:

Located in Piazza Ghiberti, Mercato Sant' Ambrogio is a hidden gem of Florence. The mornings bring the fresh fruit and vegetables stands surrounding the market and paired with the scent of fresh flowers that awaken the senses. Mercato Sant' Ambrogio is opened for business from 7am to 2pm every day except Sunday. Walking into the market, which was built in 1860's, you will find market explode with sounds of dishes clattering from one of the many restaurants, the chit chat of Italian banter and of course the smells. Meat, cheese, wine, fresh herbs, you name it you can smell it.  Although Mercato Sant' Ambrogio isn't as big and glorified as the Mercato Centrale, it is all about your preference. Having a small compact market like Mercato Sant' Ambrogio can bring you closer to the Italian lifestyle.

Description:

Loggia del Mercato Nuovo or Loggia del Porcellino, was built in the middle of the 16th century. Walk a few steps towards the Duomo, you will find Piazza della Repubblica and following the crowds towards the Arno river, the Ponte Vecchio. The stalls used to sell more of silk and luxury goods, but today all you will find is leather bags, coats and tourist souvenirs. The main focus is the Fontana del Porcellino, which was by Pietro Tacca in the 16th century, the original wild boar sits in the Palazzo Pitti. If you rub the nose of the boar it is said you will receive good fortune, after of course leaving a coin in the mouth of the boar as well. Superstition implies that the wish will be granted if the offering tumbles through the grate whence the water flows. Check out the Loggia at night as well. Without the stalls, it is somewhat peaceful.