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Sunday, February 27, 2011

Top 5 Historical Sites in Florence

05-24-04 Florence 0060Image by clare_and_ben via Flickr
Author: Kristel van Winkel

  1. The Duomo
The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is the cathedral church or Duomo of Florence and is absolutely worth a visit. The building process begun in 1296 and was completed in 1436. The Duomo has a Gothic style and is a design of Arnolfo di Cambio. The complex includes the Baptistery and Giotto's Campanile. The three buildings are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Duomo is one of Italy's largest churches and has the largest brick dome ever constructed. It is located at Piazza del Duomo, which is a very nice square, with terraces and shops. You could walk the stairs all the way to the top of the tower Giotto's Campile and have an amazing view over Florence.

  1. Ponte Vecchio
The Ponte Vecchio is a medieval bridge over river the Arno. The bridge is the oldest and most famous bridge of Florence and is build in Roman times. It is noted because it still has shops built on it. Earlier it were butchers but since the 15th century the jewellers and souvenir shops occupy the bridge. The bridge is rebuilt several times because it was destroyed by flood. The openings on the middle of the bridge offer beautiful views over the river.
  1. Uffizi Museum
The Palazzo di Uffizi is one of the world's oldest and famous art museums of the world. The narrow court yard gives a view to the Arno river and creates the effect of a little street towards Palazzo Vecchio. The museum has beautiful frescoes. The Uffizi's collection contains paintings of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rembrandt van Rijn and many more famous artists. The exterior of the museum is also beautiful.
  1. Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens
The Palazzo Pitti is a renaissance palace and is situated on the south side of the River Arno, close to the Ponte Vecchio. In the late 18th century the palace was used by Napoleon. Nowadays the palace is totally open for public. The Palace's gardens are the Boboli gardens and are the perfect place to rest a little bit after visiting sites. From parts of the Boboli Gardens you also have a beautiful view over Florence and the Duomo.
  1. Palazzo Vecchio
Palazzo Vecchio is the town hall of Florence, it is the most impressive town hall of Tuscany. The Palazzo Vecchio is definitely worth a visit and from inside the building you have ravishing views over the city. The design of the building is very typical for Tuscany and if you visit more places in Tuscany you will recognize this design in many more places. The building is located on the square Piazza della Signoria, the square is known as the political centre of the city and due to the central location it also attracts a lot of tourists. There are also many eye-catching statues located at this square.
Browse our selection of hotels in Florence http://www.ghotw.com/list/city/home/florence.htm
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/top-5-historical-sites-in-florence-4302658.html
About the Author

Kristel van Winkel
Marketing Intern
Great Hotels of the World

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