Florence Travel Guide

Florence OVERVIEW

'Are you by any chance from Tuscany?' So are asked virtually all Italian visitors to the US, and much as they'd love to say yes, a lot of them have to deny. Even fewer can proudly boast they come from Florence, the region's capital, the heart of Italian Renaissance, and a center of medieval European trade. The historic centre of Florence is so enchanting that it's held under the auspices of UNESCO and keeps attracting droves of more or less history-conscious admirers. Among the staggering number of basilicas, cathedrals, and palaces they unfailingly experience a refreshing take on the hackneyed ‘outdoor museum' tag. And should you think the city is yet another architecture buff's paradise, be informed it is also a hotbed of performing arts and an up-to-the-minute entertainment stage, let alone the mist of romance lingering along the banks of the Arno. Sheer elegance, overwhelming romance, and tides of color that flood the city as the sun changes its position over the horizon are Florence's additional hallmarks, as heart-robbing and unforgettable as its iconic monuments.