Eco

The Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, only 3 minutes away from our B&B, is a perfect example of Renaissance art. Its majestic marble façade will make you fall in love at first sight. The feeling of marvel is once again felt inside: a majestic complex of cloisters and chapels that contain splendid Medieval and Renaissance works. These include Masaccio’s Trinity, Santa Lucia and the Donor by Ghirlandaio, Brunelleschi’s pulpit, and Giotto’s crucifix. 

The Duomo - the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore - is the beating heart of the historical center. You can't say you’ve been to Florence unless you’ve stopped at the piazza of the same name, your eyes resting on the iconic cupola. The cupola was designed by Brunelleschi, while the cathedral was then built by Arnolfo di Cambio, Giotto, and Francesco Talenti. Inside, the Duomo is austere, but it contains works of art such as the frescoes of Paolo Uccello and Vasari, and Michelangelo’s Entombment.

The Galleria dell’Accademia is famous for being the home of Michelangelo's David, a symbol of the aesthetic ideals of Ancient Greece. The Grand-Duke Leopold of Lorena decided the statue needed a more suitable home than Piazza della Signoria, and had the Galleria built to host the marble masterpiece. Here you can admire Michelangelo’s works such as St. Matthew and the Prisons, next to splendid collections of paintings made in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance. 

Piazza della Signoria is probably the most elegant and historical square in Florence. For centuries the core of social life for the Florentine population, it is the home of Palazzo Vecchio, recognizable immediately for its façade with rustication and its austere look. It was once the seat of the Priori, who governed the city. Today Palazzo Vecchio still preserves its original institutional character and is the seat of the municipal government of Florence. Piazza della Signoria is also home of the Neptune fountain, with its marble Neptune statue by Bartolomeo Ammannati.