Your visit with an AGT tour guide will begin in Piazza del Duomo, the religious center of the city, dominated by the extraordinary dome of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Baptistery of San Giovanni, and the famous Giotto’s Bell Tower.
After exploring the medieval district—once the scene of conflicts between the Guelphs and Ghibellines and the backdrop to the life of Dante Alighieri—the tour continues to Piazza della Signoria to admire and learn about the magnificent sculptures and historic buildings that make this square one of the most elegant in the world: the Loggia dei Lanzi, the Palazzo Vecchio—home to a museum and the current city hall—and the other historic palaces surrounding it, most notably the Vasari-designed Uffizi Gallery building.
After a panoramic view of the Arno River and the Ponte Vecchio, the itinerary includes a visit to one of Florence’s great basilicas of your choice:
- Santa Croce, the grand Franciscan basilica of the 13th century and the pantheon of the “Italian Glories,” as defined by Ugo Foscolo. Here lie the tombs of Machiavelli, Michelangelo, Galileo, and Rossini. The basilica houses extremely important frescoes by Giotto and his school, the famous Crucifix by Cimabue, and the Christ by Donatello. Next to the Gothic architecture, nestled in the cloister, stands the Pazzi Chapel—an example of Renaissance architecture designed by Filippo Brunelleschi and decorated by Luca della Robbia.
- Santa Maria Novella, monumentale basilica domenicana iniziata nel Duecento e completata nel Quattrocento con la splendida facciata di Leon Battista Alberti. It houses masterpieces such as Giotto’s Crucifix, Brunelleschi’s Christ, Masaccio’s Trinity, as well as frescoes by Ghirlandaio, Filippino Lippi, and others. Not to be missed are also the frescoes of the Green Cloister by Paolo Uccello and the magnificent Spanish Chapel.
