Bargello National Museum - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

The Palazzo Vecchio is the main symbol of the civil power for the city of Florence, whose original project is attributed to Arnolfo di Cambio. Construction on the solid fortress began in 1299 above the ruins of the destroyed Uberti Ghibelline towers, the testimony of the final victory of the Guelph faction. From 1865 to 1871 it housed the Chamber of Deputies of the Kingdom of Italy, and since 1872 it has been the town hall.

Piazza Della Signoria is the central square of Florence, the seat of civil power and the heart of the city's social life. L-shaped, it is located in the central part of medieval Florence, south of the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. In the past, it has taken on various names, such as piazza Dei Priori or piazza del Granduca. It is the meeting place of Florentines as well as the numerous tourists, located near Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza del Duomo and gateway to Uffizi Gallery.

The Loggia dei Lanzi is a beautiful arched gallery that was built in the 14th century at the Piazza della Signoria right in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. It consists of wide arches open to the street. The arches rest on clustered pilasters with Corinthian capitals. The wide arches appealed so much to the Florentines that Michelangelo proposed that they should be continued all around the Piazza della Signoria.

This tall structure halfway down Via dei Calzaiuoli looks more like a Gothic warehouse than a church—which is exactly what it was, built as a granary/grain market in 1337. On the ground floor of the square building are the 13th-century arches that originally formed the loggia of the grain market. The second floor was devoted to offices, while the third housed one of the city's municipal grain storehouses, maintained to withstand famine or siege.

The Museo dell Opera del Duomo is a museum in Florence, on the north-east side of the Piazza del Duomo. It collects works of art from the sacred complex of the Duomo of Florence, Giotto's Baptistery, and Bell Tower, with a very important nucleus of Gothic and Renaissance statuary. Among the most important works, works by Andrea Pisano, Arnolfo di Cambio, Nanni di Banco, the original reliefs of the Porta del Paradiso by Ghiberti

Piazza della Repubblica is one of the main squares in Florence and marks the center of the city since Roman times. During medieval times the area around the column was densely populated with markets, tabernacles and churches. The square's Giubbe Rosse cafe has long been a meeting place for famous artists and writers, notably those of Futurism.