Newsweek
Lost in Florence: An insider's guide to a weekend in Florence
Florence has so much to discover, from classic art to contemporary exhibitions, plus an illustrious heritage for fashion and food. It's a city to ignite your passions on every level.
Today it's a magnificent example of Renaissance architecture built on the wealth of the city's 15th- and 16th- century burgeoning new banking scene, as the newly rich built grand palaces to out-do their neighbors and commissioned fine artworks by the city's most talented creatives to adorn their palace walls. The city's heart lies within the old Renaissance parameters, intersected by the river Arno, crossed by the famed Ponte Vecchio bridge, and containing the major landmarks: the Uffizi Gallery, Palazzo Pitti, Boboli Gardens, Galleria dell'Accademia, Palazzo Vecchio and the Duomo.
For a small city, Florence is a vibrant capital that today retains much of its traditions especially with its artisan heritage. Equally, there is a fresh array of contemporary spaces to enjoy a balance of traditionally made creative crafts with a modern design twist, whether it's leather-made goods or jewelry in artisan studios, or restaurants using locally sourced produce of the finest quality.