Florence was a major center of the Renaissance, and quite a few important art and architecture pieces remain in the city. On this trip we visited two of the highlights, the Bargello and the Uffizi Gallery.

Bargello

We started our day at the Bargello. Their main door is much smaller than many other museums, and a bit hidden –  we actually walked around the entire building before figuring it out! Once inside you start in the large courtyard with quite a few pieces of sculpture.

There are several Donatello and Michelangelo pieces, along with detailed ceilings and a cool armor room.

Uffizi Gallery

The Uffizi is the most famous of the Florentine museums and has correspondingly large crowds. The entrance here was also a little confusing, with multiple lines that were not well signed, but after a quick security check and two large flights of stairs we were in the amazing top hallway with art seemingly stretched to the horizon.

Even the floors and ceilings are decorated!

The Uffizi has an amazing and overwhelming art collection, with hundreds of sculptures and interesting paintings. Due to the popularity there are a lot of tour groups and they can get quite annoying, but with some patience you can find gaps between the groups. Plan on a good three hours to explore.