"Florence" Florence by gigina

Florence has an attractive historic centre, with some interesting architecture, including fine Renaissance palaces and the famous shop-covered bridge, the Ponte Vecchio. But Florence's most popular, most famous and most unique tourist attractions are those on display in the town's museums and churches. From Michelangelo's iconic and kitsch-ified David to the delicate paintings of Botticelli, Florence is home to some of the world's finest art. The birthplace of the Renaissance is now a crowded tourist honey pot packed with visitors being shepherded from one masterpiece to another. Florence is a place to attack with a shopping-list of attractions, not a destination for a relaxing, atmospheric Italian break.

One last warning: don't invest all your hopes and dreams in seeing one particular work of art. Despite their massive revenue, museums in Florence frequently close one or more rooms/galleries with excuses like staff shortages. Details of galleries which are closed (chiuso) should be on display by the ticket desk; but this is not much use for tourists who are unable to return another day. Some exhibits may be removed for restoration (restauro), while other artworks may be on loan (in prestito) to exhibitions or museums in other towns/countries. And a final problem you may encounter is that Italian bugbear: the strike (sciopero). These problems can all cause frustration for the visitor, but are an unavoidable hazard of visiting Florence. You will still see a huge selection of some of the world's finest art.

Florence's most renowned tourist attraction is the unmissable Uffizi gallery, which contains a wonderful array of paintings including masterpieces by Giotto, Fra Angelico, Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Raphael, Titian and Caravaggio among many others. The Uffizi is part of the Polo Museale Fiorentino, the town's group of state museums, along with the superb Bargello sculpture museum, the Accademia (David), San Marco, the Medici Chapels and the excellent Archaeological Museum.