Florence

Florence (Firenze), the city that was the centre of the Italian Renaissance, is a place of beauty and splendour. Every street is a masterpiece of statues, cobblestones, and imposing edifices, all of which further cement the legendary Florentine love of display. There are rich galleries, even richer churches, impressive domes, corresponding to different periods of history, from early medieval, to neoclassical. It is hard to measure Florence's cultural and historical impact, and even the most conservative estimate concedes it a world-changing status. A visitor can be overwhelmed by this, and needs constantly to be reminded that the reason for such elegant opulence is that Florence was the hub of most activity during the rebirth of art, philosophy, and science in Europe, largely spurred on by the Medici family.