Oltrarno & Artisan Quarter

The oldest bridge in Florence, first built in Roman times and reconstructed in 1345 after a devastating flood. Butchers originally occupied the shops; in 1593, Grand Duke Ferdinand I evicted them (the smell offended him as he crossed via the Vasari Corridor above) and replaced them with goldsmiths and jewelers who remain today. It's the only Florence bridge the Nazis didn't destroy in August 1944 — allegedly on Hitler's direct order. The Vasari Corridor, a secret elevated passageway built in 1565, runs above the shops connecting the Uffizi to the Palazzo Pitti.

The best view of the bridge itself is from the Ponte Santa Trinita one bridge west, or from the raised terrace behind the Uffizi. At sunset the river reflects the bridge beautifully.

A massive Renaissance palace originally built in 1458 for Luca Pitti, a wealthy banker who wanted to outshine the Medici. The Medici bought it in 1549 and expanded it to its current colossal size — the rusticated stone facade stretches 205 meters. Today it houses five museums, including the Palatine Gallery (Raphael, Titian, Rubens hung salon-style in ornate rooms as the Medici displayed them), the Modern Art Gallery, and the Costume Gallery. The Boboli Gardens behind the palace cover 4.5 hectares with fountains, grottos, and sculptures — a prototype for all European royal gardens.

The combined Pitti Palace + Boboli Gardens ticket is valid for three days. The Boboli Gardens' Buontalenti Grotto has remarkable mannerist sculptures and frescoed ceilings — don't miss it.