Ancient Florentia was founded by Roman veterans 2000 years ago, and covered the area between the Duomo (left) and Palazzo Vecchio (right).

The oldest of Florence’s bridges, the Ponte Vecchio was first built by the Romans as a mixed stone and timber bridge to cross the Arno river. Destroyed twice by floods, this is the most recent version of the bridge, dating from the mid-1300s.

Even street corners have names in Florence. In the narrow Medieval city, squares were rare and small. Street corners were the most common spots were people gathered. At corners it was common to find torchlights (later lamp posts), tabernacles, and various signs and symbols related to the events of the city.

Florence is a city built in stone. The rock came from caves in the hills surrounding the city. The stones were held together by a powerful mortar (malta) which was produced using silty sand (rena) from the river Arno.

A special passageway built above street level to allow the ruling family (the Medici) to move unobserved from Palazzo Pitti, their residence across the river, to Palazzo Vecchio, the government building. Over a mile long, the stone and brick corridor goes through some buildings, wraps around others, and even crosses the river above the Ponte Vecchio bridge.

One of Florence’s many cloisters (semi-open areas of meditation and prayer for monks). This cloister is famous for the unique monochrome frescoes which adorn the wall, a masterpiece of drawing and painting by Andrea Del Sarto.

The oldest standing monument in Florence. Its origin is disputed. Some believe it is a converted Roman monument, much like the Pantheon in Rome. More likely, it is an early Medieval building, from around 1000 years ago. Inside, marbles decorate the walls, and the largest and oldest mosaics in Florence cover the octagonal dome.

Michelangelo was not only an architect, sculptor and painter. He was also a military engineer. This is one of the fortifications which he designed along the walls of Florence, preparing for an imminent siege.