Florence: Heart of the Renaissance

Accademia Gallery

This museum houses the consummate Renaissance statue of the buff, biblical shepherd boy ready to take on the giant. And the Accademia doesn't stop there. With a handful of other Michelangelo statues and a few other interesting sights, it makes for an uplifting visit that isn't overwhelming. David, a must-see on any visit to Florence, is always jammed with visitors. Plan carefully to minimize your time in line.

Duomo

Florence's Gothic cathedral has the third-longest nave in Christendom. The church's noisy Neo-Gothic facade (from the 1870s) is covered with pink, green, and white Tuscan marble. The cathedral's claim to artistic fame is Brunelleschi's magnificent dome. While viewing the cathedral from the outside is well worthwhile, the massive but empty-feeling interior is hardly a must-see — it doesn't justify the massive crowds that line up to get inside.

Climbing the Duomo's dome

For a grand view into the cathedral from the base of the dome, a chance to see Brunelleschi's "dome-within-a-dome" construction, and a glorious Florence view from the top, climb 463 steps up the dome. The claustrophobic one-way route takes you up narrow, steep staircases and walkways to the top — but it's well worth the climb. You must reserve your dome-climb entry when you purchase your ticket (called the "Brunelleschi Pass," and covers other Duomo-related sights). If possible, visit at sunset for a romantic experience.

If you can't get a reservation, consider ascending the Campanile (bell tower) instead: It rarely has a line, is far less claustrophobic, and has a terrific view of the dome.

I Fratellini

Here the "little brothers" have served peasants 29 different kinds of sandwiches and a fine selection of wine at great prices since 1875. Join the local crowd to order, then sit on a nearby curb to eat, placing your glass on the wall rack before you leave (20 yards in front of Orsanmichele Church on Via dei Cimatori, +39 055-239-6096).

Hotel Loggiato dei Serviti

Proudly perched at a prestigious address on the most Renaissance-y square in town, the Dei Serviti gives you Old World romance with hair dryers. Stone stairways lead you under open-beam ceilings through this 16th-century monastery's monumental public rooms. The 32 well-worn rooms are both rickety and characteristic. The hotel staff is professional yet warm.

Museum of San Marco

This 15th-century monastery houses the greatest collection anywhere of frescoes and paintings by the early Renaissance master Fra Angelico. The ground floor features the monk's paintings, along with some works by Fra Bartolomeo. Upstairs are 43 cells decorated by Fra Angelico and his assistants.

Uffizi Gallery

This great collection features works by Giotto, Leonardo, Raphael, Caravaggio, Titian, and Michelangelo, and a roomful of Botticellis. Start with Giotto's early stabs at Renaissance-style realism, then move on through the 3-D experimentation of the early 1400s to the real thing rendered by the likes of Botticelli and Leonardo. Finish off with Michelangelo and Titian. Because only 600 visitors are allowed inside the building at any one time, there's generally a very long wait (see my tips for avoiding ths fate). The good news: no Vatican-style mob scenes inside, and the museum is nowhere near as big as it is great.

See the Travel Details above for recommendations highlighted in bold, excerpted from Rick's guidebooks.

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Hi, I'm Rick Steves back with more of the best of Europe. This time we look at the city that pulled Europe out of the Middle Ages and into the modern world…Florence.

Fifteenth-century Florence was the home of the Renaissance and birthplace of our modern Western world. Within a few hundred yards of where I'm standing you can enjoy the greatest art created during that exciting age.

And we'll do just that: gaze into the eyes of Michelangelo's David, enjoy Botticelli's Birth of Venus, delve into the 3-D wonders of Ghiberti's glorious bronze gates, appreciate Fra Angelico's serene beauty, and climb the dome that kicked off the Renaissance. And beyond the art, Florence knows how to embrace life. We'll cross the Arno to where Florentine artisans live work…. and eat very well…[oh, beautiful]… But first, a little background.

After the fall of ancient Rome, Europe wallowed in centuries of relative darkness. There was little learning, commerce, or travel. Then, in about 1400, here in Florence, there was a Renaissance. This exciting rebirth of the culture of ancient Greece and Rome swept from here all across Europe.

In architecture, the Renaissance brought a return to the balanced domes, columns and arches of the ancient world. In painting, it revived realism and emotion. Artists rediscovered the wonder of nature and the human body. Portraying beautiful people in harmonious surroundings, they expressed the optimism and confidence of this new age.

The suddenly perky Western civilization made up for lost centuries with huge gains in economics, science, and art. Florence was the center of it all — and for good reason. This was where capitalism was replacing feudalism. Being the middleman of trade between west and east, the city had money and it knew what to do with it.

Wealthy merchant and banking families — like the Medici who ruled Florence for generations — showed their civic pride by commissioning splendid art. And Florence — recognizing and paying creative genius like no one else — unleashed an explosion of innovation.

The Renaissance was an age of humanism. A time of confidence: when people worked hard, business was respectable, and excellence was rewarded. The Church no longer put a ceiling on learning and the great pre-Christian thinkers — like Plato and Aristotle — were back in vogue.

In about 1400, with the advent of Renaissance, man — now alert — begins to stand on his own, moving out of the shadow of the church. This David by the early Renaissance Florentine sculptor Donatello is one of the first freestanding male nudes sculpted in Europe in a thousand years. It's art for art's sake adorning not a church but a rich man's courtyard. While the formal subject is still Biblical — David slaying the giant — Goliath's severed head is at David's feet — truth be told, it's a classical nude…a celebration of the human body. A generation before this would have been shocking — but with the Renaissance, it's art.

Florence was long an economic powerhouse. Rather than its church, it's the city hall — once the palace of the Medici family — that towers over the main square. Michelangelo's David originally stood here — this is a copy.

The original David is the centerpiece of the nearby Accademia Gallery, which feels like a temple to humanism. At its altar...one very impressive human.

The shepherd boy, David, sizes up the giant… thoughtful and self assured, he seems to be thinking, "I can take him." The statue was an apt symbol, inspiring Florentines to tackle their Goliaths….

When you look at David, you're looking at Renaissance man.

Artists now made their point using realism. They did this by merging art and science. For instance, Michelangelo actually dissected human corpses to better understand anatomy. This humanism was not anti-religion. Now, people realized that the best way to glorify God was not to bow down in church all day long, but to recognize their talents and to use them.

Artists like Michelangelo even exaggerated realism to make their point: notice David's large and overdeveloped right hand. This is symbolic of the hand of God. It was God that powered David to slay the giant...and Florentines liked to think God's favor enabled them to rise above rival neighboring city-states.

The nave-like hall leading to David is lined with Michelangelo's unfinished Prisoners — struggling to break out of the marble. Michelangelo believed these figures were divinely created within the rock. He was simply chiseling away the excess. Here we see the Renaissance love of the body as Michelangelo reveals these compelling figures. While these statues are called unfinished…perhaps Michelangelo was satisfied he'd set them free…and he moved on to other challenges.

Now that the old center of Florence is essentially traffic free, the city itself is more enjoyable than ever. Early in the morning the service trucks make their deliveries. Then the people happily take back the streets. The city is easy to navigate and its sights are close together. Everything in this episode is within a 15 minute walk. And without the noise and distraction of cars, the architecture is easier to appreciate.

The Renaissance lasted roughly two centuries. The High Renaissance or 1500s is well known for the work of Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael. But the first half of the Renaissance, the 1400s is often overlooked.

While the main structure of the Florence Cathedral is medieval, its remarkable dome and much of the art decorating its facade, Baptistery, and bell tower define this first century of the Renaissance.

The Duomo — that's Italian for "cathedral" — is huge — the largest anywhere when finished in the 15th century and still in the top 20. The church's claim to fame is its dome — the first of the Renaissance and the first great dome built in Europe in over a thousand years. The church was built in Gothic times but rather than being capped by another spire, it was left with a gaping hole waiting for technology to catch up with the city's vision. In 1420, Filippo Brunelleschi won the job and built the dome that kicked off the architectural Renaissance.

Brunelleschi's dome — which inspired those that follow from the Vatican to the US Capitol — showed how art and science could be combined to make beauty. And today, it rewards those who climb to the top with a grand Florence view.

While the Duomo's architecture and statues are impressive, the Baptistery, across from the Cathedral, is centuries older. The Baptistery is separate because in medieval times you couldn't enter the church until you were baptized. Its interior glitters with Byzantine-style mosaics created in the 13th century, long before the Renaissance. These vivid scenes, bringing countless Bible stories to life, inspired the medieval faithful.

Jesus sits at the center of it all, overlooking creation on Judgment Day. He gives the ultimate thumbs up…and thumbs down. On his right, Angel Gabriel blows his trumpet bringing good news to the saved…and on the thumbs down side…well, you don't want to go there.

Some say the Renaissance began in 1401 over the excitement caused by a city-wide competition to design and build new doors for the Baptistery. Lorenzo Ghiberti won the commsion and spent decades on this project.

These bronze panels, Ghiberti's "Gates of Paradise," were revolutionary in their realism. By utilizing the mathamatical laws of perspective, Ghiberti helped give the art world a whole new dimension — depth. He pulled out all the stops to create maximum three-dimensionality: The tiles have lines which converge to a vanishing point. This bench is fore-shortened to exentuate its depth. Elements are added to establish a foreground distinct from the middle and the back ground. The effect? As viewers we become part of the scene.

While the panels, like most of the art you see outside, are copies, the originals of the cathedral's greatest treasures are stored safely out of the elements in the adjacent cathedral museum.

After nearly 150 years of construction, Brunelleschi's dome was up and the Cathedral was nearly complete. Then they began decorating the interior with the finest art of the day.

The Cathedral's statues and reliefs showed a realism and emotion unprecedented in European art. The work of Donatello was a ground-breaking example.

This balcony for the choir, captures the exuberance of the age. Dancing and swirling in a real space, oblivious to the columns, Donatello's happy angels celebrate the freedom and motion of this new age.

Some say Donatello invented the Renaissance style that Michelangelo would perfect half a century later. He was an eccentric, innovative, work-a-holic master who lit up his statues with an inner spirituality or soul.

Donatello's Mary Magdalene — carved out of wood — is provocative...shockingly realistic. The prostitute, rescued from the streets by Jesus, folds her hands in prayer. Her once-beautiful body has been scarred by the fires of her fasting and remorse. While her physical body is neglected and her eyes are hollow, her spirit stands strong.

The museum's most famous piece — sculpted a generation later — is this Pietà by Michelangelo. The broken body of the crucified Christ is tended by three mourners — his mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Nicodemus. Michelangelo sculpted Jesus taller than life — notice the zig-zag of his body. This accentuates its weight making the theological point of the statue clear — Jesus is dead.

Nicodemus is a self-portrait of the 80 year old Michelangelo. After spending a lifetime bringing statues to life, Michelangelo reflects tenderly upon his savior — looking down thoughtfully at what could be one of his final creations.

I'm meeting my Florentine friend, Tommaso at I Fratellini — a venerable hole in the wall much loved among locals for its tasty sandwiches and wine sold by the glass.

Rick: Grazie.
Bartender: Prego.
Tommaso: Thank you. And when you are done you leave it on the rack.

Rick: Boy, it's intense in the city.
Tommaso: Yes, it is. Well if you want to leave the tourists let's cross the river and let's go to where the real Florentines live and work.
Rick: Where's that?
Tommaso: The Oltarno area.

There's much more to this town than tourism, as you'll quickly find in the characteristic back lanes of the Oltrarno district. Artisans, busy at work, offer a rare opportunity to see traditional craftsmanship in action.

You're welcome to just drop in to little shops — but remember, it's polite to greet the proprietor. Your key phrase is "Can I take a look?"

Rick: Posso guardare?
Shopkeeper: Certo. [Sure.]
Rick: Grazie.

Here in this city of art there's no shortage of treasures in need of a little TLC.

Rick: This is beautiful. How old is this painting?
Artist: This is a 17th-century painting.
Rick: From Florence?
Artist: We don't know. Maybe the area is Genova.
Rick: Genova.

Each shop addresses a need with passion and expertise. Fine instruments deserve the finest care. Grand palaces sparkle with gold leaf thanks to the delicate and exacting skills of craftspeople like this.

A satisfying way to wrap up an Oltrarno experience is to enjoy a Florentine steakhouse which any Italian meat lover knows means Chianina beef. The quality is proudly on display.

Steaks are sold by weight and generally shared; the standard serving is about a kilo for two, meaning about a pound per person.

Rick: So, both of those, for four people?
Waitress: Yeah.

The preparation is simple and well-established. Good luck if you want it well done.

Rick: Oh, look at this. Oh, beautiful. Chianina beef…So the meat is called "Chianina"?
Tommaso: That's its name, because it comes from the Chianti.
Rick: Oh, Chianti. OK. And tell me about this concept of the "good marriage," of the food, you know?
Tommaso: Well, when you have a Chianina meat, you want to have some Chianti wine. And they go together well, they marry together, we say "si sposano bene."
Rick: Si sposano bene. A good marriage. In other words, the wine is from Tuscany and the meat is from Tuscany.
Tommaso: Exactly. You don't want to have a wine from somewhere else but Tuscany.

We're staying at Hotel Loggiato dei Serviti. This spiffed-up 16th-century monastery offers a good mix of character and comfort. From the understated elegance of its lounges and breakfast room, stone stairways lead to comfortable bedrooms. Once the cells of monks, today's rooms — with air-conditioning, antique furniture, and mini-bars — wouldn't be recognized by their original inhabitants.

A block away is another monastery — with simpler cells than our hotel…but better art. The monastery of San Marco, with its peaceful cloister, is now a museum — welcoming the public to enjoy the greatest collection of frescoes and paintings by Fra Angelico.

Working in the mid-1400s, Fra Angelico — equal parts monk and painter — fused medieval spirituality with early Renaissance techniques.

In this painting, he creates a realistic scene set in what many consider the first great Renaissance landscape. Christ is mourned by both haloed saints and contemporary Florentines. The scene is holy, but rather than in heaven, it's set on a lawn in Tuscany…among real trees and people.

The monks lived above the cloister, and greeting them at the top of the stairs was Fra Angelico's sublime Annunciation. The quiet beauty and exquisite detail in these 500-year-old frescos can put even a busy tourist in a peaceful and reflective state of mind.

The halls are lined with monk's cells, each with a single meditation-enhancing fresco. Studying these religious scenes, we can see how Fra Angelico thought of painting as a form of prayer and why it's said he couldn't paint a crucifix without shedding tears.

This is the cell of Savonarola, the charismatic monk who, by giving fiery sermons denouncing the decadence of the Renaissance threw out the Medici and, for a time, turned the city into a theocracy.

Ruling the city, he ordered "bonfires of the vanities" — in which his followers would collect and burn jewelry, fleshy paintings anything — considered too modern, hedonistic, and humanistic. Even the Florentine painter Botticelli got caught up in this moralistic hysteria — tossing some of his own "decadent" paintings onto the fires of Savonarola.

Finally, when Florence decided it preferred the Renaissance to a Church-sponsored return to the Dark Ages, Savonarola himself was burned.

Today's Florence could provide plenty of decadence for a Savonarola rant, but if you want to enjoy a splash of materialism or just appreciate the fine symmetry of Italian window displays, Florence can fill the bill.

For shoppers, Florence means high quality and top fashions. Wandering through medieval streets, while being tempted by a seductive array of fine fashion and Italian design can make for a delightful afternoon.

The Ponte Vecchio, or "old bridge," has been busy with shoppers since before the Renaissance. Jewelry is a Florentine specialty. The bridge is lined with gold and silver shops — a tradition that goes back centuries.

Nearby, the Medici family ruled Florence from this grand palace, the Palazzo Vecchio. Their offices — or uffizi — were next door. Now, these offices hold the finest collection of Italian paintings anywhere — the Uffizi Gallery.

Each day here, and throughout Europe, frustrated tourists who don't study their guidebooks waste precious hours in museum lines. Meanwhile, travelers who made a reservation by phone or purchase the city museum pass — as we did — are allowed right in.

The Uffizi's collection — displayed on one comfortable floor, takes you on a sweep through Italian art history from the 12th through the 17th century.

Gilded Gothic altarpieces, like this Annunciation by the Sienese master Simone Martini, must have dazzled the faithful in the 1300s. The stars of the Florentine "Class of 1500" are all here: Leonardo da Vinci's Annunciation is exquisite. Michelangelo's Holy Family shows he can do more than carve statues. And Raphael, considered a synthesis of the power of Michelangelo and the grace of Leonardo, captures a delicate moment in his Madonna of the Gold Finch. And the collection follows art after the Renaissance with masterpieces like Parmigianino's slippery Lady with the Long Neck.

For me, the Uffizi — like Florence itself — is all about the thrilling leap from medieval to modern — as happened when Europe moved from Gothic to Renaissance. These altarpieces are Gothic — being pre-Renaissance they simply tell their story through symbolism rather than realism. The gold leaf sky isn't realistic…but it implies a rich and holy setting. The angels are stacked — like a totem pole. Flanking this cross, panels — like painted pages — tell the story of the crucifixion…but with little sense of depth. Yet artists were trying…To show Jesus' head leaning out…it actually does.

Giotto, while still Gothic, is often considered the first modern painter. Notice the progress. A more realistic setting places Mary and baby Jesus on a throne occupying a believable space. The kneeling angels in front and peek-a-boo saints behind create an illusion of depth.

If the Renaissance was a foundation of our modern world, a foundation of the Renaissance was Classical art. Sculptors, painters, and poets alike turned to ancient work for inspiration.

Two thousand year old Roman and Greek statues like these decorated gardens of the wealthy.

This ancient art was considered the epitome of beauty. Kings made copies. Napoleon stole his favorite pieces. In the 19th century, young aristocrats on the grand tour came here and swooned.

During the Renaissance — as in the ancient world — people saw the glory of God in the beauty, order, and harmony of the human body — God's greatest creation.

Classical statues clearly inspired Sandro Botticelli. For me, his Birth of Venus is the Uffizi's purest expression of Renaissance beauty. The goddess of love, born from the foam of a wave, is just waking up.

Botticelli combines the beauty of nature and the human body — the hands, wings, and robe mingle with the wind. With Venus' flyaway hair, the airy spaciousness of the distant horizon, and the flowers — caught at the peak of their beauty, tumbling in slow motion — the world itself is fresh and newborn.

Botticelli's Primavera, or "Springtime," shows the Renaissance finally in full bloom. The warm winds blow in causing Flora to sprout flowers from her lips. Meanwhile, the figure of Spring spreads petals from her dress…the Three Graces dance….a blindfolded cupid happily sprays his little arrows, and in the center stands a fertile Venus, the classical goddess of love.

Visiting Florence leaves lovers of art and good living with rich memories. And while much of the great art of the Renaissance remains here, the influence of that cultural explosion — the Florentine Renaissance — reverberates throughout the world and for that, we can be thankful.

I hope you've enjoyed our look at the artistic splendor of Florence. Let's explore more of this great city and more of Europe together again soon. Until then, I'm Rick Steves. Keep on travelin'. Ciao.

• Florence, Italy: Famous Dome and Bronze Doors
• Florence, Italy: Michelangelo's David
• Florence, Italy: Renaissance Art and Architecture
• Florence, Italy: Strolling the Oltrarno Neighborhood
• Florence, Italy: The Uffizi Gallery