First of all, I recommend you visit the city on foot because the historic centre is closed to traffic. Don't worry, the main attractions are close together and you will enjoy a wonderful walk along the Renaissance streets.
If you arrive from Florence station, your first stop will be the basilica of Santa Maria Novella where you will see the only true Renaissance façade.
Continue towards Oltrarno, cross the Ponte Alla Carraia bridge, and you will find yourself in Borgo San Frediano, crowned by Lonely Planet for the 'coolest neighbourhood in the world' in 2017. Here you will find many craft shops, peeking through the windows you can still see the artisans at work and hear the sounds of the tools shaping glass, metal, paper and wood to create unique objects.
Continuing through the streets of Borgo San Frediano, you will find yourself in the most beloved square of the Florentines, Piazza Santo Spirito. This square will envelop you in its simplicity and tradition from the market in the morning to aperitifs in the evening.
After a nice spritz in Piazza Santo Spirito, go and relax in the marvellous Piazza de 'Pitti where you will find one of the most impressive palaces in the city.
Little curiosity: Luca Pitti commissioned the palace from the great Filippo Brunelleschi and wanted his palace to be the largest of all, but the Pitti family in the 16th century was forced to sell it off to their great rivals, the Medici. If you look at the palace, to the left of the main door, you will notice the longest stone next to the shortest one; Luca Pitti identified himself with the big stone while his enemies represented the small one. His ego was really strong!
On a sunny day, you can't miss the Boboli Gardens. A veritable open-air museum, grottoes, statues and fountains decorate this beautiful garden.
At the end of the day, if you are not too tired, it is worth going to the Forte di Belvedere. After a nice climb, you will surely be rewarded with one of the most beautiful views in Florence, in fact it is considered one of the most romantic places in the city.
After visiting the main attractions in Oltrarno, we start our day by crossing the oldest bridge in Florence, Ponte Vecchio.
Famous for its splendid goldsmiths' workshops; you must know that where you see jewellers today, in the time of the Medici family, there were butcher shops and, because of the stench of the meat and the lack of elegance, Cosimo I de'Medici, decided to reclaim the bridge.
Impossible not to touch the piglet's snout, touch the snout, insert a coin in its mouth and if it falls into the grate you will have luck on your side. You are not obliged to do this, but a bit of luck never hurts!
Go straight ahead and you will find yourself in Piazza della Repubblica, a 19th-century square, home of the literary cafés and cradle of futurism. Umberto Saba, Nobel Prize winners such as Eugenio Montale end Salvatore Quasimodo they used to meet at the Giubbe Rosse and gave life to literary meetings and magazines that conveyed and interpreted history and public opinion of those years.
Welcome to one of the most important squares in Florence. Well, the palace with the tower in front of you is Palazzo Vecchio. Today it houses the offices of the Town Hall and hosts hearings and events, but why is it called Palazzo Vecchio? It was the main seat of the Medici family, but when Cosimo I decided to move to the "new" Palazzo Pitti Palace, it took the appellation 'old'. So, Piazza della Signoria is filled with art, from the Loggia dei Lanzi, Michelangelo's David and of course the entrance to two of the most important museums Italian museums: il Museo degli Uffizi e la Galleria dell’accademia.
Before you go any further, you should definitely look to the right of the Palazzo Vecchio entrance door Michelangelo Buonarroti's self-portrait!
We continue our tour of the piazzas by arriving at the heart of Florence, Piazza del Duomo. Here words are not enough, the Baptistery and the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore will leave you speechless. If you are not too tired I highly recommend climbing the Duomo Dome or Giotto's Bell Tower; you will have to climb a few steps, but it is really worth it!
We have reached our last day in Florence! We begin the day with a Gothic touch, starting with the Basilica of Santa Croce.
Welcome to the Florentine Pantheon, this is a church that is home to illustrious figures such as Galileo Galilei, Macchiavelli, Lorenzo Ghiberti and the great Michelangelo. Also, if you pass by Piazza Santa Croce in June, you will find the square transformed into an arena for the Calcio Storico Fiorentino; the city is divided into its four districts and each of them corresponds to a team/colour: Reds (Santa Maria Novella), Whites (Santo Spirito), Greens (San Giovanni) and Blues (Santa croce). Yes, football was born in Florence, but it is not the usual shot and goal, here to win you have to hunt!
If you have time, I recommend visiting the Teatro della Pergola,one of the oldest theatres in Italy.
Last day, last effort. I cannot fail to tell you to go to the terrace of terraces, Piazzale Michelangelo. From Piazza Santa Croce it's a 20-minute walk, but of course you'll be retracing the historical streets of Florence and going up the Rampe del Poggi; otherwise trams 13 and C4 will take you straight to the top. Once you get to the top ENJOY it and why not, take lots of photos! Time is never enough, but in just 3 days trust me, you will have visited more than any Florentine ever has!
Next time stay four days so I can take you to the Chianti
