Florence Self Guided Audio Tour

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Piazza del Mercato Centrale, 50136, Florence Italy

Florence’s fir

st major marketplace, known now as the MercatoVecchio, or “Old Market” was

demolished as part of the city’s renovations during the mid
-

nineteenth century. The structure

housing the Central Market was designed by Giuseppe Mengoni, an Italian architect best

known for

the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a massive arcade in Milan named in honor of the king of Italy.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Museo di San Marco, Piazza San Marco, Florence Italy

The religious complex was renovated during the fifteenth century through the funding of the Medici

family. The current mo

nastery stands on the site of a Benedictine monastery that dates back to the

12th century. and monastery were designed by the famous Florentine architect Michelozzo, who

was a close friend of Cosimo the Elder, the head of the Medici family. Michelozzo even

specially

constructed a cell in San Marco for Cosimo’s private retreat.


Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Galleria dell'Accademia, Via Ricasoli, 58/60, 50122, Florence Italy

This institution was founded in 1784, when the Grand Duke of Tuscany determined that all art

schools in Florence should be located in one place. Though

the Accademia displays works by several

Renaissance artists, by far the most famous piece in its collection is Michelangelo’s statue of David.


Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Piazza della Signoria, 50122, Florence Italy

It was named for the Palazzo dellaSignoria, or town hall. The Signoria was the governing body of the

Florentine Republic. The palazzo is located on your left as you enter the square from Via dei Gondi.

Florence’s town ha

ll was constructed in 1299 by Arnolfo di Cambio, the same architect who designed

the cathedral. Cambio’s façade remains intact, though the elegant marble frieze over the entrance

wasn’t added until 1528.


Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Ponte Vecchio, 50125, Florence Italy

This is the narrowest part of

the river, and there has been a bridge located here since Roman times

in the 1st century A.D.. The first bridge was destroyed by a flood in 1117. It was rebuilt but

destroyed again in 1333. In 1345, the current bridge was constructed. A tower was also bui

lt at the

southeast corner in order to defend the bridge during attacks on the city.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Basilica di Santa Croce, Piazza Santa Croce 16, Florence Italy

Current church was most likely designed by Arnolfo di Cambio in 1295 and stands on the sit

e of the

original oratory built by the first Franciscan friars to journey to Florence. The basilica has a Tau Cross

floorplan, which resembles the capital letter “T”. This symbol is one of the traditional emblems of

Saint Francis. The vast, austere interio

r of the church is characteristic of Franciscan aesthetics, with

an open timber roof and a single, wide nave leading to the altar.

Duration: 15 minutes