The Baptistery of Saint John is an octagonal building clad in patterned white and green marble. Standing in the heart of Florence, it is one of the oldest structures in the city and served as its cathedral for decades beginning in ten…
Ancient Roman Florence
This walk peels back Florence's Renaissance facade to trace the 2,000-year-old street plan of ancient Roman Florentia. You will follow medieval alleys built over a massive amphitheater, find repurposed temple columns, and stand where the Roman forum once thrived.
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1. Baptistery of St. John
2. Torre della Pagliazza
The Torre della Pagliazza stands out in the center of Florence for its unusual semicircular shape, a defiant curve in a city defined by straight lines and stone corners. This structure dates back to between the sixth and seventh centuries,…
3. Piazza della Repubblica
Piazza della Repubblica stands as a spacious, rectangular plaza defined by its prominent triumphal arch, known as the Arcone, which bears an inscription marking the nineteenth-century transformation of the city center. This site occupies…
4. Via delle Terme
Via delle Terme is defined by its collection of medieval towers and fortified palaces that escaped the sweeping nineteenth-century redevelopment of Florence. While much of the city center was transformed to create grander boulevards, this…
5. Palazzo Vecchio
Palazzo Vecchio is a fortress-like palace of brown stone, distinguished by a massive, asymmetrical tower that rises ninety-four meters above the square. Completed in thirteen fourteen, this building was commissioned to serve as the seat of…
6. Ex Anfiteatro Romano di Firenze
The Roman amphitheater of Florence is hidden in plain sight, traced by the distinct, curving path of Via Torta. Built between one hundred twenty-four and one hundred thirty AD, the structure once sat entirely outside the city walls,…
7. Piazza dei Peruzzi
Piazza dei Peruzzi is a small, irregular square in the historic center of Florence, defined by its unusual curved shape and the presence of a medieval tower. This layout follows the hidden curvature of an ancient Roman amphitheater, which…