Florence from Rome: Private Full-Day Tour by Fast Train with Guide

the Baptistery of San Giovanni (visit outside) is located in Piazza Duomo, in front of the Cathedral of S. Maria del Fiore, it is one of the most important monuments in Florence. The origins of the monument are not certain. It is thought to have been built on the ruins of an ancient Roman temple dedicated to the God Mars around the 4th-5th century AD. The first mention dates back to 897 when it was referred to as a basilica. In 1128 it officially became the city's baptistery, where the baptism rite took place. The baptistery, named after the patron saint of the city, is characterized by an octagonal plan, covered by a dome with eight segments covered on the outside by a pyramid roof. The exterior of the building is decorated with white Carrara marble and green Prato marble, characteristic of Florentine Romanesque architecture.

Adjacent to the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is the Bell Tower designed by Giotto (visit outside). Giotto's Bell Tower is the majestic bell tower of the Cathedral and one of the masterpieces of Italian Gothic. The Bell Tower has a square base of approximately 15 meters per side with corner reinforcements that rise up to the horizontal cantilevered crown located at a height of 84.7 metres.

Piazza della Signoria has been at the center of Florence's political life since the 14th century. The Square has seen important historical events and great triumphs take place, such as the return of the Medici in 1530. The famous sculptures located in Piazza della Signoria have references to the political events of Florence. The David (the original is located in the Accademia Gallery) was created by Michelangelo and positioned in front of Palazzo Vecchio to symbolize the power of the Florentine Republic in contrast with the tyranny of the Medici. Hercules and Cacus (1534) by Bandinelli instead symbolizes the physical power of the family.

Built near a Roman-era crossing, the Ponte Vecchio was until 1218 the only bridge that crossed the Arno in Florence. Above Ponte Vecchio you can see a part of the beautiful Vasari Corridor. This corridor, built in 1565 by Giorgio Vasari, passes just above the goldsmith shops that currently stand on either side of the bridge. Commissioned by the Medici, it allowed them to move from Palazzo Vecchio to Palazzo Pitti without having to cross the streets of Florence, in complete safety. At the time of the construction of the Corridor, the butchers' shops were gathered on the Ponte Vecchio, whose activity probably disturbed the passage of the Medici, who in 1593 had them moved, replacing them with the more "decorous" goldsmith shops.