Florence Between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance: The Duomo, Brunelleschi’s Dome, Dante’s Quarter, Piazza della Signoria, and Ponte Vecchio. An overview of the main monuments in the historic center, offering a foundational understanding of the city’s history and art.
A classic itinerary for those wishing to explore Florence’s most famous landmarks, traversing centuries of the city’s history during its periods of greatest splendor.
Piazza del Duomo: The Religious Heart of Florence
The guided tour begins in Piazza del Duomo, the religious center of Florence, with the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, a symbol of the Renaissance crowned by Brunelleschi’s magnificent dome. Here, you can also admire Giotto’s Campanile and the Romanesque Baptistery of San Giovanni, adorned with three magnificent bronze doors, the most renowned being Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise.
The Duomo is one of the largest churches in the world, built over more than 140 years in competition with other Tuscan cities such as Siena and Pisa. The original design was created by Arnolfo di Cambio, with many architects and master builders contributing to its realization. Funding came from donations, citizen taxes, and Florentine guilds and institutions. The marble cladding is striking, featuring the green of Prato, the white of Carrara, and the pink of Siena.
Dante Alighieri’s quarter: medieval towers and echoes of a distant past
From the Duomo, it’s a short walk to Dante’s Quarter, where narrow medieval streets are lined with ancient tower houses and evoke the memory of the great poet. Dante was born within the “small circle” to an ancient family, as he recounts in the Divine Comedy in the Paradiso canto, during his famous encounter with his ancestor Cacciaguida.
Piazza di San Martino, the Church of Santa Margherita dei Cerchi, the Badia Fiorentina, and Via dei Cerchi all tell the story of the Florentine life of the father of the Italian language.
Piazza della Signoria: a political hub and open-air sculpture museum
After wandering through medieval alleys, you’ll reach Piazza della Signoria, Florence’s political heart. Here stands Palazzo Vecchio, one of the most significant examples of medieval civic architecture, along with the Loggia dei Lanzi, an open-air gallery featuring sculptures such as the formidable Perseus by Benvenuto Cellini. The piazza is adorned with numerous statues, including the elegant fountain by Ammannati. However, the statue of Neptune, nicknamed “il Biancone” (the big white one) by the Florentines with their characteristic wit, was not universally admired. The David statue here is a modern replica; Michelangelo’s original has been housed at the Galleria dell’Accademia since 1873.
Nearby, a walk will take you to Orsanmichele, a church symbolizing the power of the guilds during the Florentine Republic. Once a granary and market, the building now stands on Via dei Calzaiuoli, at the heart of Florence’s commercial center, once teeming with workshops of artisans and master craftsmen.
A stroll on Ponte Vecchio: dazzled by gold and precious stones
The visit concludes at Ponte Vecchio, famous for its jewelry shops and precious stones. This ancient bridge, dating back to 1345, is renowned for its goldsmiths and the Vasari Corridor. It survived wartime bombings and the flooding of the Arno River.
Once home to butchers’ shops, the bridge was transformed by the Medici, who replaced the malodorous trades with the more refined craft of goldsmithing. Little has changed since. At the center of the bridge, a bronze statue pays homage to the master goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini, creator of the famous Saliera, a masterpiece of Florentine Mannerism.
Above the bridge, Giorgio Vasari constructed a corridor allowing the Medici to travel from Palazzo Vecchio to Palazzo Pitti. Known as the Vasari Corridor, this private walkway enabled Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici to cross part of the city quickly, safely, and without a guard escort.