Top architectural sightseeing and landmarks of Florence - ideas on city exploration routes

» Santa Maria del Fiore means ‘the flower of St. Mary.’ The Cathedral is the most important in Florence and one of the largest churches in Italy.
» The Florence Cathedral is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
» At least six architects were employed in the development of the project and construction.
» A number of famous painters and sculptors, including Michelangelo, worked hard to decorate the Florence Cathedral.
» One of the most interesting features of the temple is the tower decorated with 16 statues of the patriarchs and prophets, as well as bas-reliefs depicting the creation of man and woman, the planet, human labor and inventions.
» The top-level tower offers the most stunning panoramic views of Florence.

» The Basilica of Santa Croce is located in the heart of Florence; that’s one of the most popular attractions of the city.
» About 300 famous figures of culture, science and politics are buried in the church. Among them Galileo, Dante, Machiavelli, Michelangelo and many others have to be mentioned. The tomb has a form of the marble box with the figure of the deceased on top of the sarcophagus.
» The Basilica of Santa Croce is famous for its frescoes by Giotto.
» Initially, all the walls of the church were decorated with frescoes, but during the plague in the 16th century, when the church was used as a hospital, the walls were whitewashed. Once, during restoration, the frescoes were found, and the works of the great Giotto were among them.
» The Basilica is famous for its 16 chapels.
» In 1452 Leonardo da Vinci was baptized in this church.

» The Palazzo Pitti is the largest Florentine palace. Today, the Palazzo Pitti is one of the biggest and most interesting museums in Florence.
» The Silver Museum and the Carriage Museum, the Palatine Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art can be visited within the walls of the Palazzo Pitti.
» The Silver Museum has a magnificent collection of vases. There are Roman amphorae, vases of the Sassanid Empire, samples from Byzantium and Venice of the 14th century.
» The Gallery of Modern Art has a unique collection of works by Italian painters of the 19th century.
» The Palatine Gallery is decorated in Barocco style; that’s an incomparable backdrop of artistic works. Here are the paintings of Raphael, Titian, as well as works of Tintoretto and Giorgione, Venetian masterpieces by Rubens and Van Dyck, Caravaggio and Murillo and many others.

» The Certosa di Firenze is the ancient Florentine monastery, located in Galluzzo suburbs, about 5 km south-west of the center of Florence.
» Construction of the monastery began in 1341. Subsequently, the Certosa di Firenze has been expanded and enriched by many gifts of noble Florentine families.
» The collection of pictures that are stored in a separate room, called Pinakothek, is of particular interest.
» One of the most remarkable works are five poorly preserved frescoes in the lunettes of the Pontormo (1523 - 1525), Madonna and Child with Saints by Perugino and Saint Peter of Verona and Martyr Saint George by Ridolfo Ghirlandaio.
» In 1958, monks made a vast monastic complex open for the public.
» Visiting the monastery is free, but you can only walk around it accompanied by a monk who conducts a tour in Italian.

» Villa di Castello is one of the oldest suburban residences of the Medici.
» Works of several Florentine artists and craftsmen are kept in Villa di Castello, including Renaissance masterpieces of Sandro Botticelli, Birth of Venus and Spring.
» It’s important to note that in 2011 the villa was enlisted in the top ten parks in Italy.
» Its gardens, fountains, grottoes and garden mazes are famous throughout Europe.
» Entrance to the park is free, but going on a trip it’s worth to remember that every second and third Monday of the month the residence is closed to the public access.

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Facts: » The Basilica of the Holy Spirit is the Catholic church in Florence built in the 15th century.
» The Basilica of the Holy Spirit is one of the most famous buildings by the Florentine genius architect, Filippo Brunelleschi.
» The church has collected a large number of magnificent paintings and frescoes.
» Among the most important treasures of the church there are such works of art as Madonna and Child with Saints by Filippino Lippi and The Crucifixion by Michelangelo.