72 Hours in Florence Italy

One of the best places to visit in Italy.

Duomo

You've always wanted to travel to Florence, Italy because everyone else does, your friends have been, celebrities spend time there, it is home to many masterpieces of Renaissance art and architecture or because it is the capital of Tuscany.

It may even be because the Dalai Lama and Theresa May are giving speeches in Florence in the same week! Which did you follow? (Brexit vs Boris?)

It has Michaelangelo's "David" sculpture' the iconic Duomo as well as the Affizi Gallery exhibiting Boticelli's "The birth of Venus and da Vinci's "Annunciation" We can carry on with the majesty of Florence - but reading about and experiencing it is a vast difference.

Other Informative Links

Flights to Italy

Transfer and ground transport to Florence

Hotels in Florence

Aside from Florence, Tuscany has a host of famous and interesting history in towns such as Pisa, Lucca, Viarregio and Chianti. Each with their own heritage. Talking of which here is an article Italy for Wine Lovers by Chelsea Roderick. from Titan on wine in Italy - sorry to digress!

When to Visit

Peak holiday season tends to be from April to July. Summer June to August is hot and humid, while winter, December to March is cold.

Winter

This is a 3 day itinerary  from Google.

Day 1
Ponte Vecchio
How long? 30 minutes
Picturesque medieval arched river bridge with Roman origins, lined with jewelry & souvenir shops.
Then less than 5 minutes by foot

Uffizi Gallery
How long? 2 hours
16th-century building housing vast collection of Primitive & Renaissance paintings & masterpieces.
Then less than 5 minutes by foot

Piazza della Signoria
45 minutes
The city's heart, a square dominated by the 14th-century crenellated tower of the Palazzo Vecchio.
Then less than 5 minutes by foot

Palazzo Vecchio
1 hour
Fortified, 13th-century palace housing lavishly decorated chambers & ornate courtyards.
Then 5 minutes by foot

Florence Baptistery
30 minutes
Iconic octagonal basilica with striking marble facade, known for its bronze doors & mosaic ceiling.
Then less than 5 minutes by foot

Giotto's Campanile
45 minutes
Celebrated red, green & white marble-clad Gothic tower with steps leading to a terrace & city views.
Then less than 5 minutes by foot

Florence Cathedral
45 minutes
Landmark 1200s cathedral known for its red-tiled dome, colored marble facade & elegant Giotto tower.
Then 10 minutes by foot

Galleria dell'Accademia
1 hour
Art museum with Michelangelo sculptures, including David, plus Renaissance painting & Russian icons.

After a Long Day

You may consider a guided tour
Cycling or Walking Tour of Florence


Day 2
Santa Croce, Florence
1 hour
Neo-Gothic Franciscan church known for its Giotto frescoes, plus tombs of Michelangelo & Galileo.
Less than 5 minutes by foot

Bargello
1 hour
Art museum with Renaissance sculptures including works by Michelangelo, set in 13th-century palace.
15 minutes by foot

Santo Spirito, Florence
45 minutes
Brunelleschi's plain-fronted 1400s church with a lavish art-filled interior & baroque altar.
20 minutes by foot

Boboli Gardens
1 hour
Public gardens laid out in the 15th–16th centuries, with Renaissance statues & ornate fountains.
15 minutes by foot

Palazzo Pitti
2 hours
Gallery complex in Renaissance royal palace housing vast Italian & European masters art collection.
15 minutes by car

San Miniato al Monte
1 hour
Hilltop, 11th-century church with a gleaming Romanesque facade, medieval interiors & city views.
10 minutes by foot

Piazzale Michelangelo
30 minutes
19th-century piazza with a bronze replica of Michelangelo's David & panoramic views over the city.

I'd be exhausted by now both mentally, trying to absorb all the information and physically. Definitely time to cool off.

An option is going on a tour which should be less stressfull.
Quintessential Tuscany

Pisa

Day 3
Santa Maria Novella
45 minutes
15th-century Dominican church including famous frescoes by Gothic & early Renaissance masters.
10 minutes by foot

Mercato del Porcellino
45 minutes
A 16th-century loggia, originally a covered luxury-goods market, with statues & a famed fountain.
Less than 5 minutes by foot

Orsanmichele
1 hour
Church & museum in a 14th-century granary with religious paintings & a marble shrine to the Madonna.
10 minutes by foot

Mercato Centrale
1 hour
Local produce & everyday goods piled high in a covered, 19th-century iron & glass market hall.
Less than 5 minutes by foot

Basilica di San Lorenzo, Firenze
20 minutes
Landmark Renaissance church, burial place of the Medici, with a library designed by Michelangelo.
Less than 5 minutes by foot

Medici Chapel
30 minutes
Domed landmark containing tombs of the Medici family, including the New Sacristy by Michelangelo.
10 minutes by foot

San Marco, Florence
50 minutes
Art museum in 15th-century convent housing Renaissance frescoes & 16th-century painting collection.
20 minutes by car

Teatro Romano
1.5 hours
This historical ruin of a Roman amphitheater offers scenic views of the countryside.

Tour Group