Here Are The Things To Do In Florence On Your Next Trip

There is nothing more emblematic of Medici Florence and the Renaissance than the Cappelle Medicee at the Basilica of San Lorenzo (6 Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini; +39-055-238-8602). Perhaps the city’s most celebrated site, Claudio also considers the chapels the “heart of Florence.” The Medici family brought in the best artisans to create the resplendent chapels. Michelangelo designed and decorated the ambitious Sagrestia Nuova with his sculpture and architecture, while the Baroque Cappella dei Principi features an ornate, octagonal dome.

Florence’s Oltrarno, the neighborhood opposite the Arno River from the Duomo, is considered Florence’s left bank—an area of beautiful piazzas bustling with the scenes of daily life from artisans and intellectuals, families and students. Forced to choose, Claudio favorite piazza would be Piazza Santo Spirito. a quiet piazza in the daytime, which livens up in the evenings as the neighborhood denizens fill the cafés and restaurants lining the square. Like many of Florence’s squares, Piazza Santo Spirito is centered around a church, the Santo Spirito Basilica (30 Piazza Santo Spirito; +39-055-210-030), considered one of the best examples of Renaissance architecture in Italy. Originally built in the 13th century, famed architect Filippo Brunelleschi redesigned the church in the late 15th century.

In the subterranean wine cellar of Palazzo Antinori, a 550-year old Renaissance palace just off the posh via de’ Tornabuoni, hides a literal hole in the wall: Buca Lapi (1R Via del Trebbio; +39-055-213-768). Founded in 1880, Buca (which means hole) Lapi is considered one of the oldest, if not the oldest, restaurant in Florence and the atmosphere is willfully yesteryear. Vaulted ceilings are covered in vintage travel posters, and low hanging lights and wooden tables and chairs provide a delightfully antique atmosphere for wine magnate Antinori’s local eatery which claims to have the best Florentine T-bone steak in the city. According to Claudio, it’s more than just the fabulous bistecca alla Fiorentina and the wine list dominated by Antinori labels that keeps locals and tourists coming back—it is owner Luciano and his ability to personalize the evening for each of his guests.

Hiding in plain sight in Piazza San Maria Novella, one of the main architectural symbols of the Florentine Renaissance is Museo Novecento (10 Piazza di Santa Maria Novella; +39-055-286-132), a museum showcasing 20th century Italian art in a Medieval hospital. With holdings that range from the turn of the century to the 1990s, the modern collection is a combination of 300 paintings, sculptures, videos, and installations supplemented by rotating exhibitions from international artists, all set within the striking setting of the 13th century former Ospedale di San Paolo.

There is nothing more desirable than a view of the rooftops of Florence. Waves of terracotta roofs signify the Florentine landscape and the The Place Terrace Rooftop has its own tiny outpost with an eye-to-eye view of Brunelleschi’s famous dome.