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During your things to do in Florence, be aware that you are standing in the heart of heritage in Italy and in Europe. One of the most beautiful cities in the world. Florence makes art-lovers' hearts beat double time. The beating heart of Florence is Piazza del Duomo, with its monumental complex of the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore surmounted by Brunelleschi's majestic dome; the San Giovanni or St. John’s Baptistry, a magnificent example of the Florentine Romanesque; and Giotto’s Campanile or Bell Tower, a Florentine Gothic architectural master work. Behind the Duomo stands the Museo dell’Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, with various works from the Cathedral on display; visitors can admire pieces intended for all the structures of the complex, from the Baptistry to Giotto's Bell Tower. Piazza della Signoria represents the historical hub of civil and political life, and hosts the 13th-Century Loggia dei Lanzi, the Fountain of Neptune and the Palazzo della Signoria or Palazzo Vecchio, one of the city’s most symbolic monuments. In front of the Palazzo, statues, including a copy of Michelangelo’s famous David, stand tall. Next to the Piazza is the marvellous Uffizi Gallery, home to one of the most important museums in the entire world, hosting works by Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and numerous other master artists. A remarkable architectonic element of the Uffizi Gallery is the Vasari Corridor, realized by Giorgio Vasari himself around the mid-Fifteenth Century; the Corridor connects the Gallery to the Palazzo Vecchio and Palazzo Pitti. The church of Santa Croce, rebuilt for the Franciscan order in 1294 by Arnolfo di Cambio, is the burial place for the great and good in Florence. Michelangelo is buried in Santa Croce, as are Rossini, Machiavelli, and the Pisan-born Galileo Galilei, who was tried by the Inquisition and was not allowed a Christian burial until 1737, 95 years after his death. There is also a memorial to Dante, but his sarcophagus is empty (he is actually buried in Ravenna as he was exiled from Florence). The Church of Santa Maria Novella might not be at the top of your list of places to visit in Florence but we highly recommend you place it on there. Architecturally, it is one of the most important Gothic churches in Tuscany, built with the golden section's perfection. The exterior is the work of Fra Jacopo Talenti and Leon Battista Alberti. The interior holds extraordinary works of art including Masaccio's Trinità, Ghirlandaio's fresco cycle in the Tornabuoni Chapel and Giotto's Crucifix, among others. Crossing the very old and suggestive Ponte Vecchio, with its storied gold workshops, one arrives in the Oltrarno quarter to encounter the scenographic piazza that gives way to Palazzo Pitti, an imposing, sumptuous palace where resided the Medici and Lorena clans. The Pitti boasts a wondrous park, the glorious Boboli Gardens; the Gardens are an exemplar of Italian garden landscaping. Fans of Renaissance art will feel giddy touring The Galleria dell'Accademia, which is bursting with works by Michelangelo. Palazzo Pitti, this enormous palace is one of Florence's largest architectural monuments. The original palazzo was built for the Pitti family in 1457, designed by Filippo Brunelleschi and built by his pupil Luca Fancelli. Don't forget during your visit to Florencethat just walking around and enjoining a fabulous fiorentina steak in any of the Osteria in the city centre, will leave you great memories!
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