CATHEDRAL, BAPTISTERY, MUSEO DELL'OPERA DEL DUOMO
Santa Maria del Fiore, the Gothic cathedral erected over the ancient basilica of Santa Reparata, was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio who began construction in 1296. Brunelleschi completed it in 1436 with the elegant dome, the inside of which was entirely frescoed by Vasari and Zuccari. The final phase in the construction of the cathedral, that is the completion of the fa?ade, dates from the mid-19th century.
To the right of the cathedral rises the Bell Tower, or Campanile, designed by Giotto in 1334. The square tower is covered with red, green and white marble inlays, decorated with panels and carvings, and made graceful by double- and triple-windows.
Opposite the Cathedral stands the green and white marble Baptistery of San Giovanni (1128), a masterpiece of Florentine Romanesque architecture. The interior of the dome is decorated with mosaics. The splendid bronze doors (including the Door of Paradise) were made by Andrea Pisano and Lorenzo Ghiberti.
The Museo dell'Opera del Duomo houses artworks from Santa Maria del Fiore, the Baptistery and the Campanile, including sculptures that had been made for the cathedral fa?ade. The most important works in the museum are by Michelangelo ("Pietà"), Donatello ("Mary Magdalen", "Cantoria"), Arnolfo di Cambio ("Boniface VIII"), Luca della Robbia ("Cantoria").

CHURCH OF ORSANMICHELE
Originally this building, a loggia designed by Arnolfo di Cambio (1209), was a granary and market. Only later did it become a house of worship: the loggia arcades were closed off by Simone Talenti and the exterior embellished with Florentine Gothic sculptures and ediculas.

PALAZZO MEDICI RICCARDI
This is the most typical example of privately commissioned Renaissance architecture. Cosimo the Elder commissioned Michelozzo to design a palace in 1444. Inside there is an elegant courtyard, a small Italian garden and the famous chapel with Benozzo Gozzoli's fresco the "Procession of the Magi" (1459).

BASILICA OF SAN LORENZO AND THE MEDICI CHAPELS
The original church that stood on this site was consecrated by Ambrose, Bishop of Milan in 393; Cosimo the Elder had it enlarged and remodeled by Brunelleschi. Inside there are works by Rosso Fiorentino, Desiderio da Settignano, Donatello and Bronzino. The church is flanked by the splendid, square-shaped Old Sacristy by Brunelleschi and the New Sacristy, by Michelangelo (1524), that houses the Medici family tombs. Along with the Baroque Chapel of the Princes, the New Sacristy comprises the museum of the Medici Chapels. To the left of the church is the Laurentian Library, also designed by Michelangelo, by order of the Medici family who wanted a place to conserve their fine collections of books, papyri and manuscripts.
Not far from the San Lorenzo complex is the Mercato Centrale, or central market, a fine example of late 19th century steel and glass architecture.

MUSEO FIRENZE COM'ERA AND MUSEO DI PREISTORIA
The Museo e Istituto Fiorentino di Preistoria and the Museo Storico Topografico "Firenze com'era" are situated in the former convent of the Oblate Nuns, whose buildings were once part of the Arcispedale di Santa Maria Nuova, the city's oldest (and still functioning) hospital that was founded by Folco Portinari in 1286.

GALLERY OF THE ACCADEMIA
This is one of the best known museums in Florence, because it houses famous sculptures by Michelangelo Buonarroti , including the "David". There are also many paintings, collected by the Grand Duke Peter Leopold to help the young artists enrolled in the Accademia d'Arte, which is still next door to the gallery.

OPIFICIO DELLE PIETRE DURE
The Opificio was founded by Ferdinando de' Medici in 1588. It is an important center for the restoration of inlays and mosaics, and it has a fine display of inlays, studies and drawings.

CONVENTO DI SAN MARCO
Michelozzo rebuilt and expanded this convent for Cosimo the Elder, and it still contains the splendid frescoes that Beato Angelico painted to decorate the monks' cells. Inside there is also a beautiful library that Michelozzo designed in 1448; this, the first public library of the Renaissance, contains many fine illuminated manuscripts.
The church of San Marco that stands alongside the convent was redesigned by Michelozzo.

UNIVERSITY MUSEUMS AND BOTANICAL GARDENS
The entrance to several of the University's scientific museums are on Via La Pira: Geology and Paleontology, Mineralogy and Lithology and the Botanical Gardens, or "Giardino dei Semplici", founded by the Medici and then enriched under the Lorraine rule; the Botanical Museum, on the other hand, dates from the 19th century.

CLOISTER DELLO SCALZO AND CENACLE OF SANT'APOLLONIA
The Cloister "Dello Scalzo" is located in Via Cavour; it contains monochrome frescoes by Andrea del Sarto portraying "Scenes from the Life of St. John the Baptist" and two "Allegories of Virtue". The entrance to the cenacle of Sant'Apollonia is on Via XXVII Aprile; on the back wall there is a "Last Supper" by Andrea del Castagno.

BASILICA OF THE SS. ANNUNZIATA
Founded in 1250 and then expanded over the centuries, this is one of the most important churches in Florence. The Cloister of the Voti and the Cloister of the Morti contain frescoes by Andrea del Sarto, Rosso Fiorentino, Franciabigio and Pontormo. Inside the temple of the Annunziata, designed by Michelozzo, there is an image of the Virgin Mary that is considered miraculous.

SPEDALE DEGLI INNOCENTI
This building was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, with a fine loggia decorated with glazed terracotta roundels by Andrea della Robbia. Originally a foundling hospital, it hosts activities for children even today, along with the Galleria dello Spedale that contains many fine paintings such as the "Adoration of the Magi" by Ghirlandaio.

ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
This collection, begun by the Medici and continued by the Lorraine, contains many important items related to Etruscan art and civilization such as the "Chimera of Arezzo", the "Orator" and the "Minerva of Arezzo", as well as several tombs that are in the garden. The Greek and Egyptian sections are also quite noteworthy, in fact, this is one of the major archeological museums in Italy.

MARKETS

Mercato Centrale di San Lorenzo (food)
Piazza del Mercato Centrale
Mon-Sat 7-14
in winter open also on Saturday afternoon.

Mercato di San Lorenzo
Piazza San Lorenzo and surrounding strets
Every day
In winter closed on the Sunday and Monday.

Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio
Piazza Sant'Ambrogio Mon-Sat

Mercato delle Pulci o del piccolo antiquariato
Piazza dei Ciompi
every day
In winter closed on the Sunday and Monday.

Mercato del Porcellino
Loggiato del Porcellino via Porta Rossa
every day

Mercato dei Liberi Artisti Artigiani
Giardino di Piazza dei Ciompi
Thu, Fri, Sat and holydays

Mercato delle Piante
Loggiati di Via Pellicceria Thursday

Mercato delle Cascine
Viale Lincoln Tuesday morning

Arti e mestieri d'Oltrarno
Piazza S. Spirito- Borgo Tegolaio
Second Sunday of each month.

 

CONSULATES IN FLORENCE

Austria
Lungarno Vespucci, 58 tel.0552654222 / 0574583500
Fax 055295474 / 0574571791 Mon-Fri: 10-12

Bangladesh
Via Pellicceria, 6 tel. 055 217500 fax 055 2398912
Mon-Fri: 10,30-12,30 15-17

Belgio
Via dei Servi, 28 tel 055282 094 fax 055294745
Mon-Fri : 9-12

Brasil
Piazza Pitti, 5 tel. 055 222 336 - fax 055 229 345
Tue: 10-12,30 Fri: 10 – 12,30

Capo Verde
Via Tornabuoni, 4 tel. 055216689/ 05759291-2 fax 055211883
Thu: 15,30-18,30

Cile
Indicatore 60G- 52020 Arezzo tel. 055597216/ 05749291-2 fax 0575987097
Mon-Fri: 8,30-12,30 13,30-17,30

Cina
Via dei Della Robbia, 89 tel. 0555058188 fax 0555520698
Mon-Fri: 9-13 16-19

Colombia
Via Santo Spirito, 11 tel. 055289468
Mon-Fri: 055289468

Costa d’Avorio
Via S. Spirito 9/r C/o Galleria Camiciotti
tel. 055294837 fax 0552398072 Mon - Fri: 9-12,30

Costa Rica
Via Giambologna 10 tel. 055573603 Only by appointment

Danimarca
Via dei Servi, 13 tel. 055211007/212732 fax 055289333
e-mail: consol.dkfirenze@tin.it
Mon-Fri: 10-12

Ecuador
Via Trieste, 67 tel. 055473151 fax 0558314600
e-mail: consulecuadofi@mclink.it Mon-Fri: 9-11

Estonia
Via Lamarmora, 55 tel. 055588313 fax 055575951
Mon-Fri: 10-12

Federazione Russa
Corso Italia, 8 tel. 0552608940 fax 0552740710
e-mail: Luclussu@tin.it

Finlandia
Via degli Strozzi, 6
tel. 055 293 228/293229/293150 fax 055280522
Mon-Fri: 9-13 15,30-19

Francia
Piazza Ognissanti, 2 tel. 0552302556 fax 0552302551
Mon-Fri: 9-12,30 /2-4 p.m. only by appointment

Germania
Lungarno A. Vespucci, 30 tel. 055294 722 fax 055281789
Mon-Fri: 9,30-12,30

Gran Bretagna
Lungarno Corsini, 2 tel. 055284133 fax 055219112
Mon-Fri: 9,30-12,30 14,30-16,30

Grecia
Via Cavour, 38 tel./fax 0552381482
Mon-Fri: 9-13

Guinea
Viale F. Redi, 43 tel. 055357007 fax 055350007
Tue and Thu: 9-12

Honduras
Via Erta Canina, 66 tel. 0552302825 fax 055289290
Mon-Wed-Fri: 9-12
Firenze Lettonia
Via Suor Maria Celeste, 1 tel. 055224 597 fax 055222090
Mon-Fri: 15-18,30 only by appointment

Lituania
Via degli Alfani, 68 tel. 055264474 fax 055283481
Mon-Fri: 9-13
Firenze Lussemburgo
Via Palestro, 4 tel. 055284 232 fax 0552676050
Mon-Fri: 9-13 14-18

Malta
Via dei Servi, 13 tel. 055217875 fax 0552302937
Mon-Fri: 10-12 16-18

Messico
Via Arte della Lana, 4 tel./fax 055217831
Mon and Thu: 9,30-12

Monaco (Principato)
Via Cherubini, 18 tel. 055 587 897 Mon-Fri: 11-12

Norvegia
Via G. Capponi, 26 tel. 0552479321 fax 0552342629
Mon-Fri 9-14 14,30-18

Paesi Bassi
Via Cavour, 81 tel./fax 055475249
Mon-Fri: 9-12,30 afternoon only by appointment

Panama
Via E. Meyer, 19 tel. 055473904 fax 055474751
Mon-Thu: 10-13 15-17

Peru’
Via dei Della Robbia, 38 tel./Ph. 0552343345 fax 0552346268.
Mon-Fri: 9-13 15,30 18,30

Portogallo
Corso Tintori, 3 Tel. 0552343543
Mon-Fri: 9-13 14,30-19

Repubblica Dominicana
Via dei Servi, 13 tel/fax 055213149
Mon-Fri: 8,30-12,30

Repubblica di San Marino
Via Roma, 3 tel. 055210864

Repubblica del Sud Africa
Piazza de’ Salterelli, 1 tel. 055281863 fax 055219735
Mon-Fri: 9,30-12,30

Romania
Borgo Pinti, 20 tel. 055240601 fax 0552480261
Only by appointment

Senegal
Borgo S. Lorenzo, 1 tel. 055216 999 fax 0552381984
Mon-Fri: 10-13

Seychelles
Via Alfieri, 19 - Viareggio LUCCA tel. 058453466 (emergency)
te. 0552345983 (information) fax 058455113
Mon-Fri: 9-13 15-19

Slovacchia
Via Lamarmora, 39 tel. 055579531 fax 055575944
Mon-Fri: 10-13

Spagna
Via Lamberti, 2 tel. 0552608606
Tue and Thu: 10-13

Stati Uniti D’America
Lungarno A. Vespucci, 38 tel. 0552398276 fax 055284088
Mon-Fri: 9-12,30 14-15,30

Svezia
Via Bonifacio Lupi, 14 tel. 055499536 fax 055471858
Mon-Fri: 10-12 Wed: 16-18 (emergency)

Svizzera
Hotel Park Palace, Piazzale Galileo tel. 055222434
fax 055220 517 Tue and Fri: 16-17

Turchia
Via Dante da Castiglione, 8 tel. 055 2335640 fax 0552306371
e-mail: medinter@tin.it Mon-Fri: 9,30-13

Ucraina
Via della Mattonaia, 46 tel. 0552476064
Mon-Fri: 16-19

Ungheria
Via Belgio, 2 tel. e fax 0556531817

Uruguay
Scali d’ Azeglio, 52 - Leghorn
tel./Ph. 0586883163 - fax 0586897087
Mon-Fri: 8,30-12,30

Venezuela
Via Giambologna, 10
tel. 055588082 fax 055573603
Only by appointment

Yemen
Via Maffia, 10
tel. 2399328 fax 0552398153
Tue-Wed: 16-19

Zambia
Via Alfieri, 19 - Viareggio LUCCA
tel. 058453466 (emergency) / 0552345983 information fax 058455113
Mon-Fri: 9-13 15-19