Six masterpieces of Florence, with the hours, tickets and tricks that keep the crowds manageable.
The Duomo's brick dome - engineered by Brunelleschi in 1436 with no visible support - is the city's crown. The official pass and reservations are on duomofirenze.it.
Tip: Book the dome climb (463 steps) at opening or near sunset; the nave queue moves fast without a ticket.
Official site →The world's great Renaissance collection - Botticelli's 'Birth of Venus' and 'Primavera', Leonardo, Raphael, Caravaggio - in the Medici's old offices. Official tickets on uffizi.it.
Tip: Book the first slot at 8:15 and go straight to the Botticelli rooms before the tour groups arrive.
Official site →Home of Michelangelo's David, in a long gallery built to hold him, plus his unfinished 'Slaves'. Official site: galleriaaccademiafirenze.it.
Tip: The David room sits at the far end - walk past the musical instruments first and see him nearly alone.
Official site →The fortress-palace of the Florentine Republic - the Hall of the Five Hundred, secret passages and a tower climb that rivals the Duomo's view. Tickets on musefirenze.it.
Tip: Ask about the 'Itinerario Segreto' tour - it passes through Vasari's hidden corridor.
Official site →The pantheon of Florence: Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli and Rossini lie buried here, under Giotto's frescoes in the holiest Franciscan church. Tickets on santacroceopera.it.
Tip: The Pazzi Chapel in the cloister is the quiet masterpiece; the leather-school workshop is worth a peek.
Official site →The Medici's hillside garden behind the Pitti Palace - fountains, grottoes and a terrace view over the city. Part of the Uffizi Galleries; see uffizi.it for tickets.
Tip: Enter from the Forte Belvedere side and walk downhill - the view opens up as you descend.
Official site →