Famous as the art capital of Italy Florence is rich in museums and art galleries that show the best of the Italian culture and art. The city has the best preserved Renaissance centers of art and architecture in the world and has a high concentration of art, architecture and culture.

• Museo di Storia Naturale: It is a major natural history museum having six major exhibits. It is a part of the University of Florence. Museum collections remain open since morning except Wednesday, and all day Saturday. There an admission fee is charged. The museum was founded on 21 February 1775 by Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo as the Imperial Regio Museo di Fisica e Storia Naturale. It has developed immensely during the passage of two centuries and has one of the finest collections in Italy.

• Museo dell’ Opera del Duomo: This museum preserves some of the original art works and sculpture from the Florence Cathedral as it contains important works by Michelangelo, Donatello, Lorenzo Ghiberti, Luca and Andrea della Robbia, and others.

• National Archaeological Museum: The National Archaeological Museum of Florence is an archaeological museum that is situated midst of the city. It is located at 1 piazza Santissima Annunziata, in the Palazzo della Crocetta.

• Institute and Museum of the History of Science: The Museum was founded in 1927 by the University of the Florence, Italy. It is situated in the Palazzo Castellani, by the River Arno and around premises to the Uffizi Gallery. One of the most famous of its collection is middle finger from the right hand of Galileo Galilei that was removed from there when Galileo’s remains were transported to a new burial spot on 12th March 1737.

• Uffizi: It is considered as one of the most famous and important art galleries in the world, it consist of art works from Giotto, Cimabue, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael which are a few names to be kept in mind.

• Palatine Gallery: Situated on the first floor of The Palatine Gallery, it has collection of around 500 principally Renaissance paintings, that were once part of the Medicis’ and their successors’ private art collection. The gallery that that further extends into the royal apartments has works by Raphael, Titian, Correggio, Rubens, and Pietro da Cortona. Yet the character of the gallery is still that is of a private collection. In the museum these painting are arranged in chronological sequence as according to the school of art.

• Costume Gallery: Stated in a wing known to be as the “Palazzina della Meridiana”, this gallery has a collection of theatrical costumes as old as from the 16th century until the present time. This is the only museum in Italy that talks about the Italian fashions. Other than theatrical costumes, the gallery also shows garments worn between the 18th century and the present day. Their some of the exhibits are like the Palazzo Pitti that includes the 6th-century funeral clothes of Grand Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici, and Eleonora of Toledo and her son Garzia, both of whom died of malaria. The gallery also shows an exhibition of mid-20th century costume jewellery.

• Carriages Museum: This ground floor museum exhibits carriages and other conveyances as used by the Grand Ducal court primarily in the late 18th and 19th century. Some of the carriages in the room are very decorative and adorned not only with by gilt but by the painted landscapes on their panels. They used it as on the grandest occasions, such as the “Carrozza d’Oro”. Other carriages on view are those used by the King of the Two Sicilies, and Archbishops and other Florentine dignitaries.

• Porcelain Museum: This museum is housed in the Casino del Cavaliere in the Boboli Gardens. It shows cases the porcelain notably from various European porcelain factories, with Sèvres and Meissen near Dresden and is being well represented. There are many large dinner services are there by Vincennes factory, that later on renamed as Sèvres, that is a collection of small biscuit figurines.

• Bargello: This museum preserves the classis works of art by Michelangelo, his primary buildings and paintings are Bacchus, Pitti Tondo, Brutus and David-Apollo. The other collections in the museum include Donatello’s David and St. George Tabernacle; Vincenzo Gemito’s Pescatore (”fisherboy”), Jacopo Sansovino’s Bacco; Giambologna’s L’Architettura and his Mercurio and many other works from the Della Robbia family. Benvenuto Cellini is represented with his bronze bust of Cosimo.

• Royal Apartments: This suite of 14 rooms used by the Medici family, and their successors altered in 19th century. They contain a collection of Medici portraits, primarily painted by the artist Giusto Sustermans. In contrast to the great salons containing the Palatine collection, some of these rooms are much smaller and are much suitable for day-to-day living. A period furnishing there includes four-poster beds and other necessary furnishings that can not be found at anywhere else in the palazzo. The Kings of Italyused the Palazzo Pitti in the 1920s though then was converted into a museum.

• Modern Art Gallery: This gallery was developed from recasting of the Florentine academy in 1748, when a gallery of modern art was made there. The gallery was made to keep prize winners in the academy competitions. The Palazzo Pitti was renovated in a grand style and this time new works of art were being reinstated over there. By the 1922, this gallery was shifted to the Palazzo Pitti and showcased with further modern works of art in the ownership of both the state and the municipality of Florence. The pictures by the Macchiaioli artists are of the distinguished note at that time and have been preserved here in the gallery.

In Florence, while on a shopping spree, the Fashion accessories and items plays such an important role that they have become integral to city’s culture and ethos. It is in Florence, you can have stores and boutiques of the most important Florentine designers like Ferragamo, Cavalli, Gucci, Prada, Enrico Coveri, Patrizia Pepe, Emilio Pucci and that shows up themselves into the real world of Italian fashion and luxuries.

More adding to the fashion and shopping in Florence there exists Ponte Vecchio that as due to its cause and reason for precious jewelleries is the heart of the artistic Florence. The Goldsmith art of Florence is quite famous all around the world and still shows up the original characteristics. Other than shops, Florence is too rich in open air markets. The Market of San Lorenzo, situated in the center of the city, is the liked destination of tourists. The New Market, where one can get leather goods and souvenirs, it is protected under the sixteenth-century Loggia del Porcellino. However, on the basis and convenience of shopping in Florence, the entire shopping arena in Florence is divided into many parts and sections on the basis of items that it sales out.

•    Antiques market in Florence: There are many a good number of antique shops in Florence that specializes in a wide range of goods involving genuine antiques and some reproductions in marble and bronze. There are many antique shops in Florence that too specializes in a wide range of goods, involving both genuine antiques and other reproductions in marble and bronze. In Florence ‘bottega’ there runs the system of the project and then they leaves out the much detail of the apprentices. However, be wary about you are procuring there as not always clear, and in case if you are not an antiques expert do not go into that market with the huge amount and be sure what you are there purchasing out there in the market.

•    Books, Prints and Art Paper shops in Florence: Guilo Giannini e Figlio, situates at Piazza Pitti, there makes it and sell out marbled paper, a speciality of Florence for more than 600 years. Parione at Via del Parione is better known in   Florence for selling this traditional marbled paper. Florence has good number of bookshops for not Italian readers. It is situated on the corner of Borgo Ognissanti and Piazza Goldoni, and sells out a good selection of guidebooks and books on local history available in different languages especially in English.

•    Clothes and Fashion in Florence: As for Fashion clothes and accessories Florence is second only to Milan as a source of Italian high fashion and is also conserved as for extensive range of leather goods. It is as at the Via de’ Tornabuoni lives Versace, Gucci and Ferragamo the renowned name in Italian fashion industry and streets close to this one is shops for leading Italian names like Via della igna Nuova, Valentino, Armani and Pucci. Other notable shops in the area are Luisa at Via Roma for more and attractive outlets. Max Mara at via de’ Pecori and Krizia in Piazza Strozzi. Are another reasonably priced shops including Via de’ Cerretani, Via del Corso, Via Roma and Via Calimala.

•    Leather items in Florence: For leather goods in Florence there are hundred of shops that sales out leather goods like shoes, coats, handbags, gloves and belts. There for top quality craftsmanship you need to visit some of the best known outlets, such as Ferragamo and Gucci, located at Via de’ Tornabuoni. Cellerini, in Via del Sole, is recognized as the best shop of its type in the city, which specializes in everything from gloves to lizard skin handbags, and they all are made on premises.

•    Jewellery items and shops in Florence: Jewellers are having a good presence in Florence on the Ponte Vecchio for around 400 years. The shops on this bridge are one of the important sources of Jewellery in Florence and show off an impressive range of high quality pieces and goods Italy is known for the main world leaders for the fabrication, design, fashion and so it is very easy to find out souvenir over there. If you are interested to the Jewels or souvenir then these stores are appropriates for you. At historical center in Italy there you would get historical and traditional stores like antiquarian’s concentration in via dei Fossi, via di Maggio and the close roads, orafi and gioiellieri with their characteristics shops on the Old Bridge.

There are also many important markets in Florence along the important sections of the road.  The markets are: The Mercato Nuovo is the market where one can procure goods skin souvenirs, as closer to the Old Bridge and is situated under the Loggia of the Porcellino of 16° the century. The Mercato delle Pulci (Market of the Pulci) in Public square Dei Ciompi is located close to Santa Croce Public square in direction of the Dome and is formed from many objects of antique dealing.  The Mercato delle Cascine, along the Arno River, to the inside of the park of the Cascine is flea market that is being organized on every Tuesday morning. There we can find indeed all like dressed, stoffe, shoes, swimsuits, verdura, yield, cheeses, bread, crushed and articles for the houses.

The best place to find some of Italy’s finest places in terms of attractions is to take a trip to Florence. And there is too much for attraction in the city that keep them attracted and occupied during the stay. There are places like Christian sites, historical sites, markets and shopping areas, forts, fountains, monuments, park and gardens among other places to visit.  Below are mentioned some of the most famous places preserved in the form of historical sites and museums.

•    Santa Maria Novella: It is a famous church in located across the main railway station on its name. It is considered as the first recognized basilica in Florence and is the city’s first prominent basilica in Florence.  The church, the adjoining cloister, and chapterhouse contain a store of art treasures and funerary monuments.

•    Santo Spirito: The Basilica of Santa Maria del Santo Spirito (”St. Mary of the Holy Spirit”) is one of the prominent churches in Florence. Also known as Santo Spirito, it is situated in the Oltrarno quarter having the square with similar name. The current church was made over the earlier ruins of an Augustinian convent from the 13th century, destroyed in a fire. Filippo Brunelleschi made designs for the new building from 1428. After his death in 1446, his followers Antonio Manetti, Giovanni da Gaiole, and Salvi d’Andrea carried out the work.

•    Great Synagogue: The Great Synagogue of Florence or Tempio Maggiore is a notable synagogue in Florence, Italy. It was constructed between 1874 and 1882 and its architects were Mariano Falcini, Professor Vincente Micheli, and Marco Treves, who was Jewish. It combines both architectural traditions from the Islamic as well as Italian worlds.

•    Accademia: The Accademia delle Arti del Disegno (”Academy of the Arts of Drawing”) of Florence take care of art works in Italy.  Founded in 1563, it was the first academy of drawing established in Europe. Founded by Cosimo I de’ Medici, on 13 January 1563, under the influence of the architect Giorgio Vasari, it initially denominated Accademia e Compagnia delle Arti Del Disegno—Academy and Company for the Arts of Drawin into two functional branches.

•    Bargello: Also termed as to be the Bargello Palace it is a former barracks and prison and now an art museum, in Florence. It was made as to house the Capitano del Popolo and in 1261 as home to the highest magistrate of the Florence City Council. This Palazzo del Podesta as it termed is the oldest public building in Florence. In 1574, the police chief of Florence started residing at the building. The executions took place in the Bargello’s yard until they were abolished by Grand Duke Peter Leopold in 1780, yet it existed as the headquarters of the Florentine police until 1859. After the exile of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor Peter Leopold, the temporary Governor of Tuscany prohibited it to be jail and it became a national museum.

•    David: It is an excellent example of masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture developed during the period from 1501 to 1504, by the Italian artist Michelangelo. The 5.17 meter marble statue displays the Biblical hero David while in its thoughts.    The common opinion about the statue is that it shows David immediately before his battle with Goliath. Later on statue came as reflection to the defense of civil liberties embodied in the Florentine Republic, an independent city-state threatened on all sides by more powerful rival states and by the hegemony of the Medici family. The sculpture was unveiled on 8 September, 1504 where on in the eyes of David with a warning glare, were looking towards Rome.

•    Institute and Museum of the History of Science: The Institute and Museum of the History of Science is located in Florence and was founded in 1927 by the University of Florence. The museum is situated in the Palazzo Castellani, by the River Arno and close to the Uffizi Gallery. Among its famous collections the most important is its middle finger from the right hand of Galileo Galilei, that was removed when Galileo’s remains were transported to a new burial spot on March 12, 1737.

•    National Archaeological Museum: It is an archaeological museum in Florence, Italy.  It is located on 1 piazza Santissima Annunziata, in the Palazzo della Crocetta The museum was started in the presence of Victor Emmanuel II in 1870 in the buildings of the Cenacolo di Fuligno on via Faenza. When the museum started it only had Etruscan and Roman remains. With the increased collections it became necessary to grow museum and in 1880 the museum was transferred to its present stage.

•    Giotto’s Bell Tower: It is tall free standing campanile which is the part of the complex of buildings that has made up Florence Cathedral on the Pizza del Duomo in Florence in Italy. It is situated close to Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore and the Baptistry of St. John. It is one of the finest examples of Florentine Gothic architecture with design by Giotto. This tall structure stand on a square plan with a side of 14.45 meters. Its total height is 84.7 meters.

•    Ponte Vecchio: It is Medieval Bridge over the Arno River, in Florence is recognized for shops constructed along it. Initially, those shops were under the control of Butchers, however, with time being they were soon occupied by the shops, tenants, jewelers, art dealers and souvenir sellers. It has been said about the bridge, that it is the Europe’s oldest wholly stone, closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge like as Alconetar Bridge.

•    Boboli Gardens: Italian I Giardini Di Boboli makes a famous park in Florence, Italy and is home to a distinguished collection of sculptures dating back to the sixteenth century having Roman antiquities on the show. It is decorated in a mid -16th century garden style. The architecture of the garden includes longer axial developments, wide gravel avenues and a considerable built element of stone. Moreover openness of the garden with an expansive is rare to its time and precision for an era when it was constructed back in 16th century. t

Other places of tourist attraction in Florence are Palazzo Gondi, Palazzo Medici, Palazzo Pitti, Palazzo Strozzi and Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi and Museo dell’Opera del Duomo.

Florence is a very interesting city with lot to offer to world history; it actually plays a major role in defining the history of cities. The country is said to have a rich history because of its prominence in great artworks in architecture and artists. This populous city has three rivers which flow through the Arno River. The monuments, buildings and churches are the attractions which have made tourist make it a must visit destination. Filippo Brunelleschi, the mastermind behind the superb Dome is represented in the city’s architecture. This city offers great views to the tourists who visit the places to understand the intricacies of history

Florence has this old bridge known as the Ponte Vecchio which is attractive and has this many shops. This is an attraction that is widely viewed by tourists. Florence has a lot to offer including a growing economic state with tourism acting as a lucrative market in the area. Many tourists love history and they come to Florence museums to appreciate and understand the works of the past.

Italian fashion historically, actually began in Florence and it is hugely recognized for its fashion establishments in the past. Roberto Cavalli, Prada and Gucci have huge fashion offices in Florence. Florence has good delicacies and fine wine. The transport in the area is largely dominated by road. The bus transport is so organized in the area such that tickets can be purchased from newspaper stalls and bars. There is rail transport which is one can opt for.

This city has so much to offer with modernity included. There are hotels and restaurants available with excellent dishes and accommodation. The tourists who visit this place do not get enough of the place because there is so much to tell and see. The city is fascinating and has this lively nightlife and entertainment that adds to the experience. Staying in the Florence hotels will guarantee you comfort and relaxation. To get the best from a Florence vacation it is advisable to use the tour travel services for easy navigation in Florence.

There are many places tourists can explore in Florence; every attraction has a history behind it. While visiting the place tourists can learn plenty of Italian while conversing with the residents. Shopping for clothes in Florence are a definite thing for every tourist, with the numerous designers present there what else would one ask for?