The Palaces in Florence

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Renaissance Florence was politically and economically extraordinarily powerful and the ruling élite built suitably grand homes for themselves in the centre of the City. The Strozzi Palace was built in the 15C for Filippo Strozzi the Elder, a political rival to … Continued

The Piazza della Signoria, Florence

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The Piazza della Signoria is dominated by the 14C Palazzo Vecchio, the Town Hall of Florence. The building became ‘The Old Palace’ when the Medicis moved into the Pitti Palace across the river. The Piazza is spectacular at night!

The Bargello Museum in Florence

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The building that is now The Bargello Museum dates back to the 13C, and in the 16C it was the headquarters of the police, the ‘bargello’, and was used as a prison. The museum was established in the 19C. And … Continued

The Pitti Palace in Florence

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The Pitti Palace dates from the mid-1400s and was the town residence of Luca Pitti, a Florentine banker. In the mid 1500s it was bought by the Medici family. We visited in order to see the paintings, particularly those by … Continued

Santa Maria Novella in Florence

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The Church of Santa Maria Novella was built in the 13C by the Dominican Order on the site of a earlier church, hence ‘Novella’, and the new church was finally consecrated in 1420. The site is large, with a small burial … Continued

The Cathedral in Florence

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The first stone of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence was laid in 1296 and the building was finally consecrated in 1436. The complex of Cathedral (with Brunelleschi’s Dome), Baptistry (11C-12C), and Giotto’s 14C Bell Tower dominates the centre … Continued

The Convent of San Marco, Florence

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In November we squeezed in a few days in Florence. I hadn’t been to the city for many years and although I thought I knew Florence it was a discovery and adventure all over again. 

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