The seat of city government since the 1300s, this fortress-palace, with its soaring 94m-high Torre d’Arnolfo, is synonymous with Florence itself. Medici dukes turned the medieval building into a Renaissance palace in the 1500s, filling it with art and frescoes that still grace its labyrinth of rooms. Spring for the guided ‘secret passage’ (€2) tour, which takes you backstage into the Medici’s private digs. There are also good tours for children that include costumed re-enactments of Medici court life.