The Accademia Gallery in Florence offers a focused, more intimate, and ultimately defined by a…read moresingle, overwhelming masterpiece, Michelangelo's David. Founded in the late 18th century as a teaching collection, it evolved into one of Italy's most important art institutions You slowly move through the gallery of Renaissance paintings and plaster models. You curiosity begins to build as you anticipate viewing this famous David. Quite impressive...the statue's size, precision details, and sculpture expertise lives you in awe. The Accademia's smaller size allows for a more intimate experience. It highlights Michelangelo's works as well as adding meaningful context.

You cannot visit Florence without visiting Galleria dell'Accademia to see Michelangelo's David…read more Though I had a tour guide, I felt like the pace was too slow. It's a great museum, don't get me wrong, but I'd rather beat the crowds to see David, and then take my time strolling through all the other works of art. Seeing 17' of David in person is unreal-- a human made this out of rejected marble. The magnitude of David's height and attention to detail is incredible and the lighting under a skylight highlights every vein and definition of muscle even more so. If you're looking for a deep dive art history lesson, I'd recommend using AI. Note: try to book skip-the-line tickets in advance. If you're unable to, you can try to book through a third party booking system such as Viator, but you'll be paying more.

25th Wedding Anniversary trip alert (European vacation)…read more.. The Uffizi Gallery is housed in a long, elegant structure designed in the 16th century by Giorgio Vasari for the powerful Medici family, the gallery retains an air of purpose and grandeur, its corridors opening toward views of the Arno River and the city's historic skyline. The Uffizi collection is widely considered one of the finest in the world, particularly for Italian Renaissance painting, and includes works by masters such as Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. Iconic paintings like Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera feel both familiar and astonishing when encountered in person. Their scale are beyond belief. The depth and breadth of the gallery is a bit overwhelming, with dozens of rooms and hundreds of masterpieces, creating moments where wonderment converges with a bit of tiredness. What lingers most is the sense of continuity: the Medici legacy encapsulated every wall, and the feeling that one is walking through the very cradle of Renaissance thought. The building itself is stunning...frescoed ceilings, eye-catching statues, and glimpses toward Florence's landmarks. Uffizi Gallery reinforces the idea that art, history, and city are intricately connected. Prepare to take adequate time to view the exhibits

November 6, 2024 3:45-6:45PM…read more We initially didn't plan to visit but was told this is a must do in Florence. I'm glad we did. I love art museums and thought this was more religious artifacts but glad to see some of my new favorite paintings in person. Silly me! Upon entering the museum, there a lot of stairs to climb. Get your exercise in for sure! I did see a very tiny elevator a little bit hidden to the side, so they definitely can accommodate those needing accessibility but plan accordingly as the elevator was tiny, probably one stroller/wheelchair at a time. The Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Spring are both so amazing to see in person. The works of Caravaggio were very powerfully presented. The da Vinci, the Michelangelo, the Raphael... so many great artist and their works are housed here. Lots of Sweet Baby Jesus and the Madonna, various Adam and Eve paintings.. My favorite besides Botticelli's, was from Pietro Perugino's a Portrait of a young man.. the eyes, the emotions, almost the sadness... what a great painting. The various views from the Uffizi Galleries of Florence was also pretty amazing, from Ponte Vecchio, along the Arno River and the view of the city... so glad we went during sunset as I caught some pretty great shots with just my iPhone. I definitely think this is worth the stop and glad to have this as an impromptu visit. Got in pretty quickly without a reservation either, we were very lucky.

In ancient times, to know the time, people used the sundial, a measurement tool based on the…read moredetection of the position of the sun. Sundials had a gnomon, the bar whose shadow marked the time on the dial. Standing outside the Museo Galileo near the Uffizi Gallery at the Palazzo Castellani in Florence, my partner, our friends, family member, and I stumbled on the Monumental Sundial on our way to find an establishment for lunch in September. Originally built in 2007, a tall bronze obelisk constitutes the gnomon of a modern sundial, which casts its shadow on the lines of travertine marble and brass flanked by the signs of the zodiac in glass and marble placed on the ground, indicating time and date. It was visually stunning.

Florence is like the birthplace of STEM, so when visiting here, going to the Galileo Museum is a…read moreMUST! Learning of not only Galileo, but his followers who came after him and the benefactors - the Medici family, was inspirational. It made me realize how bravery is foundational to how science evolves a society, and how essential loyal benefactors are to helping with the change. Truly amazing.

The museum is to die for. The exclusive store was very nice. This was part of my Birthday…read morecelebration and it really did not disappoint! We stopped at the cafe as we were leaving for a nice drink. If you love Gucci, you need to see it!

Perfectly fine outdoor seating area to grab a light lunch and look out over the Piazza Della…read moreSignoria. The people watching is the best!

From the Middle Ages to the present day, Piazza della Signoria, between Piazza del Duomo and the…read moreArno River, is the beating heart of the historic center of Florence with its distinctive L-shape, which my partner, our friends, family member, and I visited in mid-September. Palazzo Vecchio, the traditional seat of the Florentine government, with its distinctive tower, is yet another symbol of the city. In front stands a copy of Michelangelo's David (the original can be seen at the Accademia Gallery). One of the most impressive squares we've ever seen! The piazza looks like an outdoor museum, full of iconic statues and history in every corner. One can't miss the Fountain of Neptune that was commissioned to celebrate a Medici marriage. It is a colossal statue of Neptune, the Roman god of the sea and the counterpart of the Greek god Poseidon. The atmosphere is vibrant and lively with both tourists and locals, perfect to enjoy both during the day and at night. Definitely a must-see in Florence!

Nice gathering place next to Ponte Vecchio. There's a beautiful fountain here and plenty of places…read moreto gather and dine. I love these Italian palazzos!

Absolutely gorgeous place to visit. Please go inside if you have the chance but if you don't, the…read moreexterior is absolutely gorgeous. The areas has a lot of hotels (pretty obviously, since the train station is right across the street, on the back side of the church) and quite a few places to eat and drink. Two wine windows are in the area and my best friends favorite gelato shop, you can see from the square.

This review is merely for the exterior and a bit of the surrounding area. I read that they offer…read moretours inside, but we did not have time for one. This church was near our hotel and I wanted to at least see it as I'd taken an architecture course once in college that covered it. The back of the church is close to the front of the main Florence train station, separated by a wide street with multiple light rail tracks. You need to walk around to the far side (from the station) to see the façade, which is the famous view. There are businesses flanking one side of the church (hotels, restaurants, and other shops). There was some booth set up where people attempted to flag down passing pedestrians (I'm not sure if it was some political thing or they were eventually asking for donations, etc.; we escaped without hearing their pitch). Also around the front of the church there were African guys selling trinkets or attempting to engage tourists to sell something. These guys were fairly common throughout downtown Florence, actually. In front of the church is a large plaza which provides good longer-range unobstructed views for photos. The front of the church is sort of a 'late Gothic transitioning into the Renaissance' style. It is quite striking and worth a short detour on your way to the city center. The best lighting for photos seemed to be in the mid to late afternoon.

I liked it but I wouldn't say it's something I'd recommend because it's pretty small and crowded. I…read moredoubt there's a "good" time to go but who knows. It was something to kill time and I did learn something so I gave 3 stars. However, I've been to many museums and this one didn't really strike it for me. The place does have a few interesting props so definitely check it out if you're bored and have kids. I went with my boyfriend and he wasn't into it.

The Leonardo Da Vinci museum was a great museum showcasing Leonardo's inventions big and small…read more Almost all of them had interactive models. There were stations where you could build his bridge and other famous shapes. There was also a room showcasing his famous artwork. Highly recommend! Was about 30min to go through most of it.

This was a pleasant surprise for me while arriving in Florence!! Our driver dropped us off at our…read morehotel and he casually mentioned that this perfume shop was the same one filmed in the movie "Hannibal" . Say less... ...made my way over to the shop and walked around four or five times before approaching the nice ladies behind the fragrance bar. Told her what scents I liked and she picked out three for me. The one I bought she put in my arm and told me to walk around and sniff it for a bit and then come back. I did just that and bought the big bottle. It was worth every euro that I paid for it! Good thing is that they do have an online store and will ship to the US!! I plan to buy another bottle just so I have a back up!

Beautiful profumery -Santa Maria Nouvella in Firenze. The oldest known pharmacy in the world, is…read morehidden just around the corner from the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella. Established in 1221 by Dominican friars, the pharmacy still produces natural and herbal remedies, soaps, and fragrances displayed a beautiful historical building. My favorite lotion - Santa Maria Nouvella Milk is no longer produced. I found a new fragrance - Angeli. The room diffuser Europa is my favorite. Highly recommend visiting Officina Profumo Santa Maria Nouvella.

The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. Also known as Florence Duomo, is the defining landmark of…read moreFlorence and one of the most impressive cathedrals in the world. Dominating the city skyline, it is instantly recognizable for Brunelleschi's magnificent dome, a masterpiece of Renaissance engineering and artistic vision. The exterior is eyecatching , with its intricate façade of white, green, and pink marble that feels both elegant and monumental. Standing in Piazza del Duomo, the scale of the cathedral is awe‑inspiring, especially when viewed alongside Giotto's Bell Tower and the Baptistery. Inside, the cathedral is huge and relatively restrained compared to its ornate exterior. This simplicity emphasizes the immense size of the space. Climbing the dome was a highlight for sure although it nearly took out the hubs. Smile. Folks back in the day must have been tiny because there steps are so small and curvy. When you reach the top, you think you can walk out on the ledge for the spectacular panoramic views. No!!! You have to climb a ladder to get to the perimeter. Similar exhale to that of crossing the finish line at a marathon. The panoramic views are spectacular!

The Florence Cathedral, commonly referred to as the Duomo di Firenze, is one of the world's largest…read morechurches and probably the most stunning building I've ever seen. It is the beautiful crown jewel of the beautiful city of Florence, a gothic cathedral built between 1296 and 1436. The dome, envisioned at the project's inception, was only completed over a century later. It remains, in 2025, the largest masonry dome ever constructed. We made a point of visiting the Duomo almost as soon as we arrived in Florence, then ran across it several more times over the course of our two-and-a-half-day stay. It felt like the spiritual and practical center of the city. I don't think you can avoid the Duomo on foot any more than you can miss it in Florence's skyline--not that you would want to. The exterior is exquisite. The dome, the gothic architecture, the extravagant details. All that pink, green, and white marble. You get a lot out of the Duomo just by staring at it whenever you happen to walk by. The cathedral is free to enter, but there is almost always a line. We waited in it twice, once just to grab a postcard from the gift shop. It wasn't bad, maybe five to ten minutes, but that was in mid-November. The interior was gorgeous, too, vast and intentionally bare relative to, say, St. Peter's or the Duomo's own exterior. No gold, but a wealth of stained glass and God knows how many tons of marble. There was a small gift shop downstairs, where we purchased a magnet and a postcard for our kids, left at home. I thought about getting the nice Christmas ornament of the dome, but it cost almost €80. We wanted to go to the Opera del Duomo museum on our last afternoon in town, but the window was too tight, and we realized we would've been better served buying a pass for a few of the standalone attractions--the museum as well as the baptistry or the belltower. In any case, I'm pretty sure we'll be back to Florence, and I look forward to revisiting the Duomo.

We visited the Boboli Gardens and the Palazzo Pitti on our first afternoon in Florence, and what…read morewith the Duomo views and the Medici glamor, it was a nice introduction to the city. The palace was originally commissioned in 1458 by a Florentine banker named Pitti. The Medicis picked it up in 1549, and it remained a ruling class residence until 1919, when it was gifted to the nation and turned into a museum. It's a giant place, literally palatial, with a kind of forbidding, fortress-like aesthetic. Seems like a weird place to live, but what do I know. We walked in on a Wednesday afternoon, and neither the gardens nor the museum were crowded. We started with the Boboli Gardens, which were quite attractive, even in mid-November with nothing in bloom. It felt like a large, inclined park, pleasant to walk, with impressive fountains and tremendous views. There was an empty amphitheater and an ancient Egyptian obelisk. Tons of old statues, including a fenced-off 17th century work called "The Abundance," where we saw a weird lady sneak in to molest the base. We wandered up the garden's main axis and reached the Giardino del Cavaliere, an intricately landscaped walled garden with truly fantastic views. We spent about an hour in the gardens and another hour in the Palatine Gallery, Palazzo Pitti's primary museum space. The gallery contains over 500 paintings, most of them from the Renaissance, a collection that once belonged to the Medicis and their successors. I'm sure we would've gotten more out of the visit had we taken a guided tour, but we did pretty well walking through those endless rooms on our own. We had a good time at the Palazzo Pitti and would recommend it to anyone visiting Florence. Less mandatory than the Uffizi or the Accademia, but a great place to absorb the lavish splendor of the Medicis.

From the front, it doesn't look like much - a standard U shaped brick palace. But what you don't…read morerealize is the majestic, jaw-dropping botanical maze that follows. This place is HUGE, with views beyond what the eye can meet - spanning from Tuscany country side on one end and the city's architecture on the other. After landing at the airport, dropping our bags, we headed straight here and did not regret a minute of the exploration.