Florence is a really nice , old and monumental city; the city of Florence began to flourish in the early 1400s under the rule of Cosimo de Medici. Famous buildings were designed during that period including the Pitti Palace and the Uffizi Gallery; today these buildings are museums housing works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Titian, Raphael and many others.
One of the most popular museums to visit is the Uffizi Gallery which houses such famous works as the Birth of Venus and the Primavera by Botticelli, the Adoration of the Magi by Leonardo da Vinci as well as works by Michelangelo, Titian and Rubens. Because of its popularity and because only small groups are let into the museum at one time, people have to wait in line for several hours to visit the Uffizi Gallery.

We suggest you to call in advance and reserve a specific time to visit the museum in order to avoid long and borings wait; adding a little extra, you can call 39-055-294-883 and buy your tickets for the Uffizi Gallery.
The Pitti Palace houses several museums, including the Palatine Gallery on the ground floor, the Silver Museum and the Gallery of Modern Art. The Palatine Gallery is unlike any other art museum. It makes you feel like you are visiting an amazing private art gallery. The paintings are not organized in any particular order and hang in lavishly decorated rooms. Among the most important works presented in the Palatine Gallery are paintings by Titian and Raphael. The adjacent Boboli Gardens feature Renaissance-style gardens, statues and fountains.
As the birthplace of modern humanism, naturalistic arts and scientific enquiry, Florence was the cradle of Renaissance civilization, the place where Dante, Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Machiavelli and Galileo changed for ever the way we see the world. For centuries travelers and admirers of art and culture have fallen in love with this city and the undulating countryside that surrounds it. Located in the heart of Tuscany, Florence is the ideal destination for those interested in studying humanities, art, Italian language and culture. Extraordinarily rich in history and ancient traditions, the city, with its world-famous artistic heritage, offers the student a wide spectrum of cultural events throughout the year. The city is also known for its exceptional cuisine, characteristic restaurants, ice-cream parlors, wine bars, elegant shops, artistic workshops and traditional markets. As a thriving economic center with particular strengths in the fashion, luxury goods and tourist sectors, the city of Florence also offers its inhabitants the chance to investigate myriad aspects of the contemporary Italian world. In addition, Florence is an excellent location for access to other sites and cities in Tuscany, Italy and Europe.
Much of Florence looks as it did 500 years ago during the period called the Renaissance, a time of rebirth of art and culture in Europe. Many of the great painters and sculptors of the Renaissance were born in Florence or made the city their home.

Over 200,000 people now live in Florence town but some 6/7 milion tourists keep them company every year!

Places of interest
Florence was the first city in Europe to have paved streets and sidewalks. So, it is best to experience the city on foot, strolling down the narrow alleyways and cobblestone streets. A first stop might be the Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge across the Arno River. The bridge dates from the 14th century and houses many shops that sell gold jewelry. Palazzi (palaces), piazze (open squares), churches, statues, and museums are some of the other sights awaiting the visitor.

From the Ponte Vecchio, one can walk to Uffizi Gallery. One of the greatest museums in the world, the Uffizi offers masterpieces by Italian and other artists, including Giotto, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Raphael, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, and Francisco de Goya.

A short walk from the Uffizi is the spacious Piazza della Signoria, where one can see the proud Palazzo Vecchio. Built in the 1200’s, the palace is now the town hall. Nearby, in the Piazza del Duomo, is Florence cathedral, called the Duomo, which is topped by a mighty dome. Next to the cathedral is the magnificent Campanile, or bell tower, designed by Giotto di Bondone, who is considered the father of Renaissance art. The tower is covered with white, green and pink marble tiles and stands 276 feet (84 meters) high.

Across from the Duomo is the eight-sided Baptistery of San Giovanni, with its white marble and fancy geometric decorations. The Baptistery, which dates from the 6th to the 12th century, is thought to be the oldest surviving building in Florence. It is famous for its bronze doors. On one door, the Florentine Lorenzo Ghiberti sculpted the Life of Christ, on another, scenes of the Old Testament.

Not far from the Baptistery is the Accademia Gallery, where visitors from all over the world come to see Michelangelo’s giant statue of David, a symbol of Renaissance male beauty. The statue took three years to complete and stands 14’ 3 " feet tall (4.4 meters).

Children like to visit Florence’s Institute and Museum of the History of Science, where they can see the compass, celestial spheres, and telescopes used by Galileo Galilei to transform Renaissance astronomy.

Florence’s most famous park is the Boboli Gardens, which offers beautiful flowers and hundreds of fountains and statues. The Boboli Gardens served as a model for many of Europe’s royal gardens, including Versailles in France. Florence’s Iris Garden has more than 2,500 varieties of Iris, the flower that has symbolized the city since 1251.

One of the most respected libraries in Italy, the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale is located in Florence. It is second in size only to the National Library in Rome. Young people from all over Italy, as well as international students, come to Florence to study. Founded in 1321, the University of Florence is one of the largest in the world, with 60,000 students and over 2,000 professors.