Santa Croce Square & Basilica: One of Florence’s most charming spots, Santa Croce Square and its iconic Basilica—home to the Franciscan order since 1226—offer history, art, and timeless architecture in the heart of the city’s eastern quarter.

National Library: Built in the 1930s from Pietraforte stone, the National Library showcases an eclectic style that blends both medieval and Renaissance architectural elements.

Basilica of San Miniato al Monte – Panoramic View: San Miniato al Monte is one of the Florentines’ favorite churches, perhaps also due to the stunning views it offers over the entire city. Together with the Baptistery of San Giovanni, the basilica is a splendid example of Florentine Romanesque architecture. It sits atop the so-called “Mons Florentinus,” where the first Christian communities carved their catacombs.

Piazzale Michelangelo: The large square, a true balcony over the city, was created between 1865 and 1875 and introduced the concept of a panoramic viewpoint to Florence for the first time. Designed by Giuseppe Poggi, it was built during Florence’s period as the capital of the newly unified Kingdom of Italy—a title it inherited from Turin in 1865 before passing it to Rome in 1871.

Oltrarno District & Basilica of Santo Spirito: The Oltrarno district, literally “beyond the Arno,” began developing in the 1200s with a growing influx of people from the countryside. Tower houses were first built near the river, and the area later experienced significant expansion in the 16th century with the arrival of the Medici court at Palazzo Pitti.

Ponte alla Carraia: Built in 1218, the bridge was named “alla Carraia” because it was used for transporting goods on carts.

Basilica of Santa Croce: Construction of the basilica began in 1294, designed by Arnolfo di Cambio, and was completed in 1444. Thanks to funding from the neighborhood’s prominent families, Santa Croce became one of the largest and most beautiful churches in the city. Its impressive size also reflects the large population of the district, with whom the Franciscans had established a close and fruitful relationship from the very beginning.

Palazzo Medici Riccardi: The powerful Medici dynasty originated in the Mugello, a hilly region north of Florence. Settling in the city during the 1200s, the Medici quickly became one of Florence’s wealthiest and most influential families—the palace before us, Palazzo Medici Riccardi, is proof of their prominence. The palace was designed by Michelozzo and commissioned around 1445 by Cosimo the Elder, patriarch of the Medici family.

Basilica of San Lorenzo: The Basilica of San Lorenzo stands on the ruins of an earlier Paleochristian place of worship of the same name, which served as Florence’s basilica outside the Roman walls before the construction of Santa Reparata, the city’s first cathedral. By the will of Giovanni di Bicci, father of Cosimo the Elder de’ Medici, it was completely rebuilt starting in 1419 by the young architect Filippo Brunelleschi.

Medici Chapels: The New Sacristy, located in the left transept of the church, and the so-called Chapel of the Princes behind it, together form the Medici Chapels—a true mausoleum of the ruling Medici family.

Basilica and Piazza of Santa Maria Novella: One of the first major Florentine basilicas, Santa Maria Novella served as the mother church of the powerful Dominican order, which settled here as early as the 1200s with a large convent. The square in front welcomed numerous worshippers drawn by the friars’ sermons and was expanded several times, eventually becoming one of the largest squares in the city.

Ognissanti District & Church: In the western part of Florence’s historic center lies the Borgognissanti area, which in medieval times was home to the Umiliati friars, a hardworking mendicant order renowned for their wool craftsmanship, an activity supported by the nearby river.

Ponte Santa Trinita: The most beautiful and beloved bridge by Florentines, Ponte Santa Trinita was originally built in 1252. It was destroyed by a flood of the Arno in 1557 and later rebuilt based on a design by Bartolomeo Ammannati, a pupil of Michelangelo.

Ponte Vecchio and Vasari Corridor: Dating back to Roman times, Ponte Vecchio was originally built at the narrowest point of the river with stone piers and a wooden deck. Destroyed by a flood in 1333, it was rebuilt in 1345 so solidly that it has survived numerous Arno floods over the centuries, including the devastating 1966 flood. The Vasari Corridor, named after its architect Giorgio Vasari, was constructed in 1565 in just five months. This elevated passage, over a kilometer long, served as a private connection between the government buildings in Palazzo Vecchio and the Medici court at Palazzo Pitti.

Palazzo Pitti and Piazza Pitti: Dominating Piazza Pitti is the grand Palazzo Pitti, commissioned in 1440 by Luca Pitti and designed by Filippo Brunelleschi. Ambitious and wealthy, Pitti sought to outshine the Medici and the Strozzi, another extremely rich Florentine family, by building a palace of such vast proportions that it had no equal anywhere in the city.