The Funky Site

The remarkable Duomo ,with its pink, white and green marble façade and characteristic dome, dominates the city's skyline. The building took almost two centuries to build (and even then the façade wasn't completed until the 19th century), and is the fourth-largest cathedral in the world. The enormous dome was designed by Brunelleschi, and its interior features frescoes and stained-glass windows by some of the Renaissance-era's best: Vasari, Zuccari, Donatello, Uccello and Ghiberti. Take a deep breath and climb up to take a closer look, and you'll be rewarded by fantastic views of the city and an insight into how the dome was so cleverly constructed - without scaffolding (though there's plenty of that propping the dome up now!). The dome still defines the scale of the city, and no building in town is taller.

Guarding the Palazzo Vecchio (the town hall) is a copy of Michelangelo's oh-so-strokeable David. The palazzo has been Florence's town hall since 1322. Its characterful tower is another of Florence's symbols, and the interior of the palazzo was lavishly redecorated by Vasari.

The famed Uffizi Gallery is also here. The gallery's wonderful collection is arranged to illustrate the evolving story of Florentine art. Some of the most famous pieces are in rooms 7-18; they include Botticelli's Birth of Venus , Titian's Venus of Urbino , Michelangelo's Holy Family and Piero della Francesca's Duke & Duchess of Urbino .

The Ponte Vecchio, the famous 14th-century bridge is lined with shops selling gold and silver jewellery - a step up from the butcher shops that lined the bridge before Cosimo I decided glitter was better than gore. The bridge was the only one in the city to escape destruction during WWII. Other attractions include the Bargello Museum (containing works from Michelangelo and Donatello) and the Boboli Gardens near the Pitti Palace. The gardens afford some great views of the city.