DK Travel : Tuscany : Florence

Florence is the cradle of the Renaissance, the city of Michelangelo’s David and Botticelli’s Birth of Venus . It was here that the Italian language was formalized and its literature born under the great poet Dante. Here enlightened Medici princes ruled: Lorenzo the Magnificent encouraged a teenage Michelangelo to pick up a hammer and chisel, and Cosimo II protected Galileo from the Inquisition. If you feel overloaded with art, explore Dante’s medieval neighbourhood or the Oltrarno artisan and antiques quarter across the river; stroll around the Boboli Gardens, or venture to hilltop Fiesole.

For more on Florence (see The Uffizi, Florence, Pitti Palace, Florence andChurches in Florence For more on Florence’s museums (see The Uffizi, Florence, Pitti Palace, Florence) For more on Tuscan museums and art (see Tuscan Masterpieces

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Cibrèo

Top restaurant, favoured by intellectuals. The annexe serves a limited menu from the same kitchen at less than half the price.
Emilio Pucci

Pucci has had a fashion house in Florence for decades, offering his daring prints and colours.
Enoteca Alessi

This sweet shop’s basement wine merchant’s is the best in town.
Ferragamo

Flagship store (and museum) for the firm that made cobbling an art form during Hollywood’s golden age.
Fiddler’s Elbow

Not wishing to miss out on the latest fashion, Florence has its very own Irish pubs; this one is the best.
Galleria dell’Accademia

Michelangelo’s proud David (1501–4) stands pensively at the end of a corridor lined by the artist’s Slaves . The plaster casts crowding one long room hint that this is still a fine arts academy (the statues’ black “pimples” are reference points to help students copy the works). (see Florence’s Accademia)
Gilli

Risorgimento intellectuals met under this historical café’s stuccoed ceilings in the 1850s and 1860s to discuss the unification of Italy.
Giubbe Rosse

The waiters’ giubbe rosse (red jackets) hark back to Garibaldi’s glory days; and it is here that Florence’s Futurists used to meet. The café’s artistic associations persist: literary competitions are still hosted here.
Gucci

Former saddlemaker Guccio Gucci opened this leather-goods shop in 1904. The interlocking Gs are gone, but the quality remains high.
I Fratellini

This is a traditional fiaschetteria – a hole-in-the-wall wine bar also serving delicious sandwiches for on-the-go street-side eating.

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Restaurant price categories

For a three-course meal for one with half a bottle of wine (or equivalent meal), taxes and extra charges.
- under €25
- €25-€35
- €35-€55
- €55-€70
- over €70