Pomarance

The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is the main church of the Catholic Diocese of Florence. It is the third-largest cathedral in the world and a symbol of the Italian city. In 1982, the cathedral was listed as a World Heritage Site and part of the historical center of Florence. The outside of the church is matched with bright red, dark green, and white marble to form spectacular geometric designs that display the classical, elegant and free interpretation characteristic of the Renaissance era. It is both dramatic and beautiful from any angle.

Uffizi Gallery, adjacent to the Municipal Square, is one of the best art galleries in Italy, and even Europe. The gallery was originally the official residence of the Medici family. The entire, giant, palace-sized building took over 20 years to complete. The gallery contains almost all of the Medici family's art collection. The Artwork nearly spans the entire history of art, from ancient Greek sculptures to 18th-century Venetian paintings. There are also many original master works, including Michelangelo's "Holy Family", Raphael's "23-year-old self-portrait", and Da Vinci's "Adoration of the Magi".

Though originally intended by architect Giuseppe Poggi as a gallery to display the works of Michelangelo, today Piazzale Michelangelo is a panoramic lookout for tourists and locals alike. A sweeping view of Florence from this observation point captures the entire city: the Duomo, Forte Belvedere, Santa Croce, the Ponte Vecchio and more. After snapping a few photos, grab a cappuccino in the square's neoclassical-style restaurant and examine a bronze replica of The David which, along with a few other sculptures, were brought up the hill as an attempt to fulfill Poggi's original dream.

Literally meaning "old bridge", Italians could have, perhaps, come up with a better name for what was to become one of the more iconic monuments in one of its most iconic cities. Nevertheless, this old bridge, which was only one of six spared by retreating Germans in 1944, is a monument to all that a monarch can accomplish. Once filled with butcher shops, which would dump their old/rotted animal carcasses into the river below, Grand Duke Fernandino I demanded that all butchers be replaced by goldsmiths-- thus ridding the bridge of its stench. Nowadays, rather than rotting animal carcass, Ponte Vecchio is the most golden spot in Italy. The bridge is lined with jewelry shops and vendors (careful, you'll likely encounter a scam or two) and is pleasant enough to walk down in the evening time, when it's not packed from end to end with the thousands of toursits who traverse the Arno over its cobblestones daily.