Today you will getthe chance to have a wonderful overview of Florence; not just the cradle of theRenaissance but showcasing 2000 years of history. The city’s Roman origins arestill very much in evidence in its grid pattern of streets. The tour will startat the Duomo, in the very heart of the city. Here you will see the Cathedral ofSanta Maria del Fiore, with Brunelleschi’s dome (the first to be built sincethe Pantheon in Rome) the Baptistery with Ghiberti’s legendary bronze doors andGiotto’s great Campanile. A short walk from here will bring you to the Piazzadella Signoria, the political heart of the city. The square is dominated by thePalazzo Vecchio, begun in 1299, to house the Signoria, the highest tier of thecity’s republican government. Standing in front of it is a copy ofMichelangelo’s David, for this is the space it was designed to occupy, symbolof the power of the city. By the end of the tour, you should have a solid ideaof the history of the city.
