I would hate for you to waste your time in line. Remember that there are two sorts of travelers, those who stand in line and those who don't. Don't even think about coming to see the David in the academia without booking your ticket or tour well ahead of time. [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ Many people refer to Florence as the capital of European culture and it's with good reason. Through scientific and artistic achievement, it really became the birthplace of the modern Western world. Today, it's jam-packed with amazing sights, incredible, delicious food, and beautiful experiences like this. I'm Angel Costiano for the Tour Guy, and today I'm going to give you the formula of how to have an epic time right here in Florence. [♪ OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING [♪ Florence is the capital of the region of Tuscany, north of Rome, and south of Milan, and Venice.

Getting to Florence is straightforward because there are easy transportation connections. A medical vaspucci international airport is a 30-minute drive from the city center. It primarily serves European destinations, making it unlikely for direct flights from the USA. Shuttle buses, taxis, and trams running every six minutes are available for transportation to the city center. Most people get to Florence by train at Fidenza San Camarillo, Novella Station. It's easily accessible from Rome or Milan as it lies on the main high-speed train line and serves as a regional transportation hub. The high-speed line connects Torino or Milan to Naples stopping in Florence. It takes approximately 96 minutes from Rome and two hours from Milan. Use the Tanyatalia or Italo apps to check schedules and buy tickets.

Florence is Italy's greatest village with a compact city center and many pedestrian-only streets. Public buses are rarely needed unless you're going to Piazzalamic Angelo for the views. Taxis are readily available at the train station and marked ranks can be found throughout the city. Florence is jam-packed with attraction and world-famous sites within a 20-minute radius. Our longest walk today will be about 10 to 15 minutes. Here's a quick orientation. The Domo, Florence's cathedral, is at the historic core. The train station is to the west. North of the Domo is the Academia, home to Michelangelo's David. In the opposite direction, lies the Palazzo Vecchio and the Ufizi Gallery. East of the Domo is the neighborhood of Michelangelo in Dante, Santa Crosche. We'll eventually cross the Pontevecchio Historic Bridge that spans the Arno River going to the Ultrano District.

We created the perfect route and plan to get you from Aida Z. Check out the blog for great information on maximizing your time and increasing your fun. Before we start our day, hook me up with a like and subscribe so we can keep bringing you great content. I'm starting the day in Florence by having a chill breakfast in a historic cafe in Piazza della Repubblica before climbing the dome of the Florence Cathedral. Then, I'm headed to see Michelangelo's David in the Academia before lunch in Mercato Ciuntale. From Mercato Ciuntale, we'll learn about the birthplace of the Renaissance on our way to the Ufizi Gallery. I'll show you where to get coffee and gelato in my favorite quarantine neighborhood and don't forget to stay until the end because there's a fantastic food tour I'm going on and we'll end with cocktails.

I'm taking you to one of the historic cafes right here in Piazza della Repubblica, Cafe Pashkowski. They've been serving coffee since 1903 and even have live music since 1911 right here on the terrace. So you can come for coffee, come for lunch or maybe even in the Peretivo. So let's check it out. So you can choose to sit down and have waiter service at a table, but I'm gonna have my coffee Albanco, which means at the bar. So I'm gonna go ahead and pay for my coffee first, then take my receipt up to the counter and they'll serve me my coffee. Chino. It's Davidino. Chino. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. These guys are the best. That's one of the reasons why I love coming in here. Everyone is so friendly. And check out this cappuccino. There's no fancy latte arts. There's no drawings, cats.

They don't need to know your name. You order one drink. They don't ask you what kind of milk you're gonna have. It just comes the way it comes and they've been doing this for quite a long time and I absolutely trust them. About five minutes from Piazza della Repudica is Piazza del Domo. Florence's most iconic sites are located right here. The massive and breathtaking Domo or Florence Cathedral, officially known as Santa Maria del Fiore, is in this square and the epicenter of the city. Alongside it is the 270-foot tall famous bell tower by the medieval master, Jato. The baptistry is also in the Piazza and should not be missed. The east doors of the baptistry are so special that Michelangelo famously called them the gates of Paradise. We're gonna early start this morning and having one of the most epic experiences you can have here in Florence.

We're climbing up to the top of the Domo which is the greatest dome since antiquity. Let's do this. To learn more about the groundbreaking Renaissance Dome of the Florence Cathedral, I've asked my friend and local guide, Chiara, to join me. How long have you been a licensed tour guide? Since 2009, so now it's been quite some time. Congratulations. Thank you. You're welcome. After a quick security check and views of the Gothic interior, it's time to start to climb the 463 stairs through the dome to the top of the cupola. The dome took 16 years to build, showcasing Philippa Brunelleschi's genius. Inside, Chiara highlights the innovative techniques including the Herringbone brick pattern and interlacing supporting arches, completed in 1436. Brunelleschi shocked the world with the biggest dome on the planet.

This is the real part of the climb. Super steep. Let's do this. So tell me, what are we looking at now? So here you have the Church of Saint Lorenzo, which was the parish, let's say, to the Medici family. The central market, the one with the green roof, the AC right there. And the other one, the green roof. So here we have the church of Saint Lorenzo, which is the church of Saint Lorenzo, which is the parish, let's say, to the Medici family. The central market, the one with the green roof, the AC right there. The Medici palace is a little big, brownish building. Right there, you know, with the yellow top parts, you know, that is right at the top. You see in the distance, the Church of Saint Lorenzo, right before the train station. You have the tracts, right? You have the dome, which is right steep under our feet, obviously, you have the roof to the cathedral.

You have the terraces. And then, of course, on the left hand side, you have this very tall tower, which is our bell tower. It's Jotos bell tower. All right, so our 15 minutes are up on the roof. And you can see everyone's trying to rush me out, so you'll on the flip side. Six minutes away from the Domo is the Academia Gallery, which houses the always impressive Michelangelo's David. So you have our tickets? Yeah, yeah. It's a nice thing about having a tour. That's the tickets I can care of. Yeah, no, that's great. So this is the first room that you see once you sort of enter the Academia. Yeah, this is the first impact that you have. And you see it's actually recently been renovated, so I think this nice color actually makes the paint things pop, even though really there is no need for that.

The hallway leading up to the David is lined with unfinished works by Michelangelo, known as prisoners. Their contorted bodies appear to be fraying themselves from the marble. If you look closely, you can see grooves from Michelangelo's various chisels and imagine him working away. The gigantic 17-foot tall David is one of the most famous works of art in the world, and with good reason. Local Florentine Michelangelo took an unwanted piece of marble and used a biblical story about the triumph of good over evil to carve a piece that still inspires us 500 years later. We see David standing like a Greek god with his slingshot over his shoulder, rocking his hand at the moment he's ready to face an unbeatable enemy. His gaze and body exudes the confidence of youth, free of any fear with only his god-given ability.

In 1504 Michelangelo shocked the world when he unveiled his very first publicly commissioned piece. It was meant to go on the Domo, but it was so obvious that this piece was special and really symbolized the Republic of Florence. It symbolized humanity and all its greatness. And here now it's in the academia. It used to stand in the Piazza del Asanaria until the 19th century. You can now visit it now and trust me. It is so impressive. It does not disappoint. It's everything you want it to be. It's just incredible. Close by the academia is Mercato Centrale where you can find lots of different food options for lunch. If you're visiting the Medici Palace or the Academia or even Sunlit as a church, come to the Mercato Centrale for a very casual bite to eat but also to experience what a true Italian market is like.

You can do a little bit of shopping, get some casual eats. I'm going to go have a sandwich at Metabone, which dates back from the 19th century. It's time for the best Portquetta sandwich you could possibly hope to have. Trust me. Pani no di Portquetta. Sat down for lunch. I ordered a Portquetta sandwich, a Portquetta panini, and look at this porcay goodness. All it is is bread and beautiful roast pork. This is what I love about this place. It's so casual, it's inexpensive as well. The panino was six euros. So you can have an inexpensive casual lunch in such a fun environment. The whole thing is an experience. Another good option for lunch. If you're here on the weekend is Osteria Diciniale Bianco. Their papardele with wild ragu hits the spot. If you want to eat closer to the Ufizi, check out the traditional Tuscan Osteria, Vini and Vekisapori.

On Via Vennetti, you don't want to miss La Prasciuteria. So we are on Via Vennetti and this street runs perpendicular to the Palazzo Vecchio. And it's one of those classic quarantine streets. Lots of eating choices. Of course, the most famous sandwich shop in all of Florence is here, which has huge long lines. We've come just a couple of meters away to La Prasciuteria. It's one of my favorite places to eat because there's never a line. And the food is quite excellent. You can have a sandwich or you can order what's called a taliere. And I'm going to do that right inside. So let's do this. With the truffle, that's the home run. If you love food as much as we do, stay until the end, because I'm headed on a food tour, which includes the King of all steak, the Fiorentina. Florence is the birthplace of the Renaissance.

This 10-minute stroll we're taking to the Uffizi is a free art history story that covers some of the highlights we can enjoy on the way to the gallery. So surrounding Mercato Centrata, you have lots of small little markets and their full of stalls selling different crafts and different souvenirs. And Florence has been the center of leather making four centuries. In the same way, glass is made in Venice, leather is made here in Florence. So you've got to check out this market and have a look about it. The story of the Renaissance is linked to the famous Medici family who ruled Florence for centuries, as patrons of great masters like Donatello, Botticelli and Michelangelo. They're nearby Palazzo and chapel in Sun Lorenzo Church contain many great works of art. The few that sparked the Renaissance began in 1401, when a citywide competition was held for the honor of building the doors to the baptistry.

The two finalists, Lorenzo Giberti and Philippo Brunelleschi, would go down in history. Through his groundbreaking combination of science and art, Giberti won the competition and went on to create the gates of paradise. In 1418, another competition was held. This time for a commission to build the dome of the Florence Cathedral and this time Brunelleschi won. His dome of the Florence Cathedral has an external diameter of 54.8 meters and is 114.5 meters high and is the largest brick and mortar dome in the world. Three minutes from Piazza del Duomo is Orsani Kelet Church. It's worth a stop because on the exterior, you have some of the most important sculptures of the Renaissance. The Nani de Banco Quattro Santi is an important work and masterpiece, an example of the transition from the Gothic to Renaissance art with natural and realistic poses.

Also, don't miss the heroic sculpture of St. George by Donatello. The classic features and natural emotion was groundbreaking for its time. This is one of the beautiful squares in Florence that you will no doubt see when you're touring this city. It's called Piazza della Senoria and it's not too far away from the Duomo. It's a civic heart of the city because the old city council used to meet in the building right behind me. It's called the Palazzo Vecchio. Today, it's the town hall and it has this iconic 300-foot tower and this is where the original David by Michelangelo stood. Until the 19th century, it stood outside of the city hall as a symbol of the city and civic pride. And that, my friends, is Imitra Sante, right? Next to the Palazzo Vecchio is La Logia, which has several Roman and Renaissance sculptures.

The two noticeable ones are in the front, the raped asabines by Jean-Belonia and the powerful Perseus by Chilimie. The Uffizi Gallery is a world-renowned museum in Florence that houses a vast collection, including medieval art and masterpieces by Cato Vaggio and even Marcia Gaul. But the gallery is known for having a vast collection of Renaissance art. It's jam-packed with more all-stars than the New York Yankees, Botticelli, D'Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and Lippie are all here. The museum is manageable and shouldn't take you more than two hours to visit. Having a guide like Yada with me was clutch in finding all the masterpieces I wanted to see and hearing stories that make these paintings come alive. The artist is in here, so you see that monk right over there. And the woman that he loved.

This woman over here. Of course we see her everywhere, right? Exactly. The Uffizi is included in our Florence in a day tour, along with the David. Skip the line tickets and guides like Yada are included. Check out the website for more information. It's time for a little pick-me-up after all that great art on a street lined with great places to eat and drink, called Via Day Neti. So what I love about Dita at Tijanales is that it's all about the coffee. It's a casual place inside. I mean, you're not going to find bow ties or bests or anything like that. And they have a modern take on the way they do things compared to traditional coffee houses here in the city. So there's latte art. You can choose your different sizes. So if you're used to that sort of stuff, maybe this is the place for you.

If you want to escape the heat and the crowds, get yourself a gelato and get onto the side streets. We list lots of different places for gelato on the blog. So be sure to check those out. I'm here at gelatari at Day Neti, which is one of my personal favorites. So the way to tell a good gelato shop from one that's not so authentic is the fact that this one here, you don't see the gelato piled up mountains high with a bunch of syrup and sugary stuff right on top. It's all about the content and the flavor and the ingredients. And I ordered nacho la, which is hazelnut and ricotta con pistacchio. Which is ricotta flavors with pistacchio. So if there's one other church that you're going to see besides Ogoomo, I think it definitely should be Santa Crocia. This is piata Santa Crocia. And this is the largest Franciscan church in the world.

Construction started in 1294. It's a stone throw from the neighborhood that Michelangelo grew up in. And we're going to go inside because it really is a temple to Italian greatness. And let me show you what. So tickets are eight euros. You can get them at the ticket office here and go right on in. So inside, not only are you going to see frescoes by Jato, but you're also going to see the tomb of Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Galileo, and memorials to Italian grace. The interior of the church is spacious and airy, with a nave that is 375 feet long, which is a length of an American football field, or the wingspan of a Boeing 737 plane. While many people are buried in Santa Crocia, it's hard not to notice the tombs and memorials to some of the greatest Italians of all time. Galileo spent his last years in Florence, Nicolomaciavelli, who changed the face of world politics, is also buried here.

And of course, there's one of the greatest Florentines of all time, Michelangelo. Although he died in Rome, Michelangelo was buried in his childhood church. So some people might refer to this as Dante's tomb, but that is not in fact correct. This is a memorial to Dante. Dante actually died in Ravenna, and this is a memorial to the Italian poet, who absolutely changed the world through Italian language. As you exit, you'll walk through the peaceful, cloistered courtyard of the Franciscan brothers, and see a chapel that was begun by Brunelleschi. So if you want to get to know the food here in Florence, or simply want to learn what to order in a restaurant, you definitely consider hopping on one of our food tours. I love eating, so I'm going on a food tour now. I'm eating our guide Tia Dora, and she's going to show me around the city, and we're just going to make our way eating some different classic Florentine foods.

Chao-chao! Chao-chao! Yeah, how are you? I'm good. Thanks so much for meeting me. Of course! Where are we? We are at Budellino. Budellino in Pascon dialect, so Budellino in Pascon dialect means stomach. Cheers! I love a good vermentino. Yes, and it's very fruity, very light, it's perfect to start off an epic hour. Tell me about this Budellino, is it, it's not 100% San Juveza, is it? It's a blend of San Juveza and other grapes, but it's mostly San Juveza grapes, that's why we call it a San Juveza wine. We're having some prosciutto. Toscano. Toscano, okay, so it's Toscano, it's not quite prosciutto, right? It's not prosciutto, it's the Parma, it's a... It's the Tuscan. It's the Tuscan, not prosciutto. These are the clostini with some tomato, pomodoni, and some olive paste. Because no, it's chicken liver pate and parmesan.

Chicken liver pate, it's my lucky day. I also do that, you start off, well this is a tomato point, papal pomodoro. We offer it warm, still. It is warm. But you can have it both ways. During the summer we usually have it a bit more tail, since it's very hot. It's like a spa cell almost. Yes, so much. This is good, all right, here we go. Chicken liver pate on Tuscan unsalted bread. Mmm, that one, oh. Yes. The folks of Echio, what you see behind me, is one of the iconic symbols here in Florence. And something that you definitely have to see when you're in the city. During medieval times it was full of farmers. And as soon as the Medici started to rule the city, they kicked out all the farmers and installed a bunch of goldsmiths. To this day, the bridge is full of different jewelry shops. So it's going to be very crowded when you visit this bridge.

And you see this little secret walkway right along the top of the bridge. That was built by the Medici because they couldn't be bothered to walk with normal people. They had to have a secret walkway between the Uffiti Gallery and the Pitting Palace. Pro tip, if you want to pick up something for your mom or your own Florence, do it here at Ponta Vecchio. We have some fried ravioli. Fried ravioli, two different kinds. Two different kinds. One is with spinach and ricotta cheese. And the other one is potato, spinach and ricotta cheese. So your appla are some more appetito. Is the Pope Catholic? So one of the reasons why I love coming up here to the hotel Guadani to their logea is because of the vibe. I just feel like a Roman patrician when I'm up here. There's beautiful columns. You have views of Santa Spietto.

And of course, they make these classic cocktails. So I'm having a variation of a Nagroney and I'm going to give it a go. That's where you've been. Come on. This is traveling. All right, so we made it to the last stop. We're going to go out with the bang. What can we expect here? Well, we're having the ribosleaves. So the Florence Tinti, both say that we've waited so much. Yeah, the Fiorentina. The Fiorentina, the Fiorentina and then Tuscan dessert. And we're eating at a traditional tattoria, right? We're eating at a traditional tattoria that's owned for... So it's been open since 1958. Thank you. I'm excited. I'm very excited. Is this house wine? Yes, it is. All right, I love me some house wine. That's a good little trick to save money, huh? Well, I can't wait to taste it. So cheers to Jupiter.

Here's the Jupiter, yes. All right, so in true Florentine fashion, I have to pick up this bone here and just have at it and not away. So this is Angel Castellanos for the tour guy finishing up the food tour. That's the best part. No, that's the best part. They're closer to the bone, the sweeter the meats, right? Cheers. Cheers. That's a wrap. Before we end our day, it's worth noting that Florentine's home to one of the top cocktail bars in the world, Locale. With an elegant and sophisticated atmosphere, Locale Bar is the shikest bar in Florence and easily belongs in any major city in the world. The bar has a creative menu of cocktails inspired by Renaissance art and is a great place to enjoy a mixology after a long day of sightseeing. Just look at this incredible drink. Mmm, that's where you've been.

Florence is jam-packed with incredible sights and if you plan well, you can take advantage of your time and see them all. Today, we climbed the Dormom, went to the academia to see Michelangelo's David, and even went to the Uffizi Gallery. Amitio Castellanos for the tour guy, don't forget to comment, like and subscribe and ring that bell to find our next video. Happy Travels!