Square, Plaza sights in Florence
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Duomo
Begun in 1296 by Sienese architect Arnolfo di Cambio, the world’s fourth-largest cathedral took almost 150 years to complete. Behind the Gothic welter of its white, green and red marble facade (actually a 19th-century re-creation), the interior of the city’s cathedral is surprisingly Spartan, as most of its treasures have been moved to the adjacent Museo dell’Opera del Duomo. However, the vast and soaring space still houses masterpieces such as Uccello’s portrait of Sir John Hawkwood and Michelino’s fresco Dante e I Suoi Mondi (Dante and His Worlds). The gorgeously geometric marble paving is best appreciated when climbing up to Brunelleschi’s cupola del duomo …
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Piazza della Signoria
A massive holding tank for tourists (if you want space, bring a bicycle bell), the city's most splendid piazza was created virtually by accident in the 13th century and - lined with replicas of famous sculptures and historical buildings - has been the hub of Florentine political life ever since.
In times of political crises, the public would be summoned here for popular votes, which usually decided the fates of conflicting families and frequently descended into frenzied riots. Emotions would be stirred up by political speeches delivered from an arringhiera (oration platform) in front of Palazzo Vecchio, from where we get the word 'harangue'.
Nowadays it's predominantly to…
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Borgo San Frediano
Just north of Piazza del Carmine stretches Borgo San Frediano. The street and surrounding area have, to a degree, retained their feel of a working-class quarter where small-scale artisans have beavered away over the centuries. Many continue to do so.
At the western end of the street stands the lonely Porta San Frediano, one of the old city gates left in place when the walls were demolished in the 19th century. Before you reach the gate, you'll notice the unpolished feel of the area neatly reflected in the unadorned brick walls of the Chiesa di San Frediano in Cestello, whose incomplete façade hides a restrained version of a baroque interior. The western side of Piazza di …
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Piazza della Repubblica
In a masterstroke of 19th-century middle-class fatheadedness, this brash, broad and breezy square was ruthlessly gouged out of the ancient city centre (wiping out the Roman forum) during Florence's brief spell as the Italian capital. A huge memorial plaque atop a bombastic triumphal arch proclaims stridently 'l'antico centro della città da secolare squallore a nuova vita restituito' (the ancient city centre returned to new life after centuries of squalor).
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Piazza della Santissima Annunziata
This elegant and relaxed 16th-century space is flanked on three sides by arcades, including the Brunelleschi-designed and La Robbia-decorated façade of the Spedale degli Innocenti. Commanding from the centre is Ferdinando I de' Medici, Giambologna's last statue, finished by his student Pietro Tacca, who also designed the two bizarre Baroque bronze fountains after, perhaps, one too many sleepless nights.
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Piazza di Santa Maria Novella
This vast five-sided piazza was extended several times to accommodate the huge crowds drawn to the Dominican church. From the 16th to the 19th centuries, it hosted the annual Palio dei Cocchi (Chariot Race), which went around the two marble obelisks atop bronze turtles made by Giambologna in 1608. It's a rather dour and uninviting place today but there are ambitious plans to one day remodel the square.
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Piazza di Santa Croce
Basilica di Santa Croce keeps haughty watch over this piazza, which was cleared in the Middle Ages to accommodate the overflow from the church. Once the scene of colourful jousts, festivals and the ferocious Calcio Storico, it was also Savonarola's preferred place to execute heretics. Jammed with tourists by day, it's much more pleasant in the evenings when reclaimed by the locals.
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Piazza di Santo Spirito
Florence's most lively, yet laid-back and local piazza is lined with good cafés and bars spilling out onto the square beneath the façade of Brunelleschi's basilica. It attracts a mixed crowd of students, layabouts, artists, slumming uptowners, savvy foreigners and dodgy hash dealers.
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Piazza del Duomo
Not only is Florence’s Duomo the city’s most iconic landmark, it’s also one of Italy’s ‘Big Three’ (with Pisa’s Leaning Tower and Rome’s Colosseum). Its famous red-tiled dome, graceful bell tower and breathtaking pink, white and green marble facade have the wow factor in spades.
Begun in 1296 by Sienese architect Arnolfo di Cambio, the cathedral took almost 150 years to complete. Its neo-Gothic facade was designed in the 19th century by architect Emilio de Fabris to replace the uncompleted original, torn down in the 16th century. The oldest and most clearly Gothic part of the cathedral is its south flank, pierced by Porta dei Canonici (Canons’ Door), a mid…
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Piazzale Michelangelo
A few twists and turns above Porta San Niccolò, this affable piazza has a carnival atmosphere at sunset and is the most popular vantage point for views over the city, partly because the car park is big enough to accommodate tour buses.
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