To travel to Florence is to accept that you are walking a well-trodden path, one that has been prominent on the map since the 18th century, when the Grand Tour was considered an educational rite of passage. The home of the Renaissance, the Medici banking family and luxury fashion house Ferragamo, it draws a crowd that appreciates art history and chianti in equal measure.
From her scallop shell, Botticelli’s gold-haired Venus beckons about 8,000 people to the Uffizi Gallery every day. Michelangelo’s David watches over the city – from the full-scale replica in Piazza della Signoria to the fridge-magnet versions sold at kiosks and souvenir shops – while the original can be found at the Galleria dell’Accademia. Churches and basilicas are adorned with works by Giotto, Ghirlandaio and Masaccio.
