One day tour of Florence

The Church of Santa Croce is a good starting point because it’s testimony to the Gothic period of architecture in Italy and to the presence of the Franciscan order in 13th-century Florence. Don’t miss the frescoes by Giotto in the Bardi and Peruzzi chapels; the latter is in very bad condition but these are some of the earliest, not to mention most important, frescoes in Florence. The tombs and memorials of famous Tuscans including Galileo Galilei and Michelangelo are in the church as well as the Pazzi chapel by Brunelleschi and the small museum housed in the refectory that has Taddeo Gaddi’s Tree of Life on one wall.

Take a break and stop at the Oblate Public Library to have a coffee on the terrace with one of the best views of the dome of Florence’s Cathedral.

Next, head to piazza del Duomo. See the Cathedral, Giotto’s campanile (bell-tower)and the baptistery from the outside.

Enter the tourist information office which is located in the square (at the corner of Via Calzaiuoli) and book a free visit to the adjacent Bigallo Museum. This small museum contains art works, paintings and sculptures that once belonged to the Compagnia Maggiore di Santa Maria del Bigallo. A fresco produced by the workshop of Bernardo Daddi in 1342 - Madonna della Misericordia- features the oldest known depiction of Florence, in which today we recognize the baptistery and the incomplete facade of the Cathedral.

Go to the San Lorenzo area for lunch. Try lampredotto at the traditional vendor inside the covered market or a bistecca fiorentina at a local trattoria. Or pick up a panino (sandwich) at any bar. 

Stop in at the Church of San Lorenzo. This is the first complete building designed by Brunelleschi, who first designed the facade of the Ospedale degli Innocenti and then the cupola of the Duomo. This church makes a lovely contrast to Santa Croce because of it’s new Renaissance style, characterized by the harmonious alternation of grey pietra serena stone and white wall.

Next, stroll down via Roma or via Calzaiuoli for a bit of shopping. You’ll find yourself in Piazza della Signoria in front of Palazzo Vecchio, the city’s seat of government. The David outside is a copy and a perfect opportunity to take a photo. Go into the open loggia on the far end of the piazza – this is the Loggia dei’ Lanzi and it contains mostly original sculptures including Cellini’s bronze Perseus and Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabines. 

From here, walk to the end of the Uffizi buildings to the Arno and catch a view of the river and the Ponte Vecchio.

On the way back to the station, take via della Porta Rossa to via Tornabuoni – the luxury shopping street – and pop into the church of Santa Trinita where you’ll be rewarded by a beautiful fresco by Ghirlandaio. Look carefully at the backgrounds of each scene as you should recognize some of the locations that you've seen today.

Alternatively, you could finish your afternoon at the church of Santa Maria Novella. Constructed shortly after Santa Croce, it's a Gothic structure with a Renaissance facade designed by the architect, Alberti. It houses an important fresco known as Masaccio’s Trinity which is one of the first major studies in scientific perspective.

The monumental complex of Santa Maria Novella can be visited with a single ticket that includes the Basilica, the Museum, the Cloisters - Cloister of the Dead, Green Cloister - the Spanish Chapel, the Ubriachi Chapel, the Refectory.