Free self-guided walking tour through Florence’s golden age 1400 – 1500
Introduction Florence City Walk
Welcome to this guided city walk, an inspiring trip through Florence based on the book The City of Genius
What can you expect from this walk? Well, you’ll discover 16 amazing sites, a mix of world-famous monuments and lesser-known gems from Florence’s golden 15th century. The fun facts and stories about these places will give you a glimpse into daily life in Renaissance Florence and help you understand how the city was able to produce so many legendary artists and scholars, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Machiavelli, Brunelleschi, and many more.
The walk is about eight kilometers long. If you set out early in the morning, walk briskly, and focus only on the walk, you’ll finish it in two hours. But I assume that’s not your goal. So, take your time and make it a day trip with a few stops for a quick espresso, a slow ribollita, or, if you’re feeling adventurous, a lampredotto sandwich with a hearty Chianti wine.
This city walk is inspired by the book The City of Genius (De geniale stad) by Koen De Vos.
So, let’s get started and make your way to Piazza San Giovanni, the square in front of Florence’s Duomo.
Route Florence City Walk
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Overview sights
- Gates of Paradise
- Dome of Florence Cathedral
- Ospedale degli innocenti – Foundling hospital
- Donatello, David (in Bargello)
- Palazzo Vecchio (or Palazzo della Signoria)
- Illustrious Florentines
- Santa Croce
- The dyers’ district
- Corridoio Vasariano
- Palazzo Davanzati
- Medici-Riccardi Palace – Cappella dei Magi
- San Lorenzo
- Santa Maria Novella
- Ognissanti
- Ponte Amerigo Vespucci
- Brancacci Chapel (Santa Maria del Carmine)
1. Gates of Paradise
Piazza di San Giovanni
Start at Piazza di San Giovanni, between the main entrance of the cathedral and the baptistery.
This is our first stop, The Gates of Paradise at Piazza di San Giovanni.
First, take a walk around the baptistery. You’ll notice it has three main doors. The “Porta del Paradiso,” or “Gate of Paradise,” is on the east side—those gleaming golden doors opposite the entrance to Florence’s cathedral.
The baptistery is one of the oldest buildings in Florence. Probably dating back to the fourth or fifth century AD, it was completely rebuilt to its current state in the 11th and early 12th centuries. At that time, decorating the doors wasn’t a priority for the Florentines. In fact, they waited to do so until 1330, when they commissioned Andrea Pisano to decorate the south portal with scenes from the life of John the Baptist.
They probably intended to work on the other doors right after, but due to events like the devastating impact of the plague in 1348, the project was delayed by 65 years until 1401— marking the start of Florence’s golden 15th century.
By then, Andrea Pisano had already passed away, so a new artist had to be chosen. To decide who it would be, the wool merchant guild organized a competition. Competitions weren’t the usual way to assign projects at that time, but the approach caught on, and the Florentines would use it regularly in the years to come. And for good reason, as we’ll see, because it was a great way to discover new talent.
Organizing an art competition was already pretty remarkable, but the timing made it even more so, because at that moment, in 1401, Florence was on the brink of collapse. Gian Galeazzo Visconti, the Duke of Milan, was about to invade the city, the Florentine economy had ground to a halt because of the threat of war, and the year before, the plague had killed 10,000 Florentines. Not the most appropriate time for big, expensive events, you’d think, but the Florentines couldn’t care less.
To manage the art competition, a broad jury was put together, including Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici, the founder of the rising Medici bank. This jury came up with a detailed briefing, shortlisted the candidates, and then gave the selected artists the task of creating a bronze relief, based on the well-known biblical story of the Sacrifice of Isaac.
When the candidates submitted their designs a year later, it quickly became clear that two designs stood out. Surprisingly, not those of the well-known, established artists, but those of two newcomers: Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi. Brunelleschi was just 24 years old, and Ghiberti was even younger, only 23, and not yet officially registered as a goldsmith.
It was obvious to the jury that Ghiberti and Brunelleschi produced the best trial designs, but deciding which one should win the prized commission was a lot tougher. The debate dragged on for months, and pretty much every Florentine had an opinion on it. In the end, the jury made up its mind, and as often happens, came up with a compromise. Ghiberti was declared the winner, possibly because his method used less bronze and was cheaper, but both artists were given the chance to work on the project together.
To everyone’s surprise, Brunelleschi turned down the offer. Imagine that—a young, promising artist being handed a project he could have worked on for the rest of his life, likely earning him eternal fame and fortune. But Brunelleschi was, to put it mildly, a bit quirky. He didn’t like working with others, especially not on someone else’s design. So, he passed on the opportunity, which meant Ghiberti got to take on the project by himself. Well, not entirely by himself—he had a large team of assistants and apprentices to help him.
Decorating the two portals became Ghiberti’s life’s work. He spent almost fifty years on it, first on the north portal and then on the east one. But Brunelleschi didn’t walk away empty-handed either—the competition made him instantly famous in Florence and beyond.
And without this art competition? How would their careers have turned out? Of course, we can’t make any predictions. Both men were ambitious and incredibly talented; even without the competition, they would have built successful careers as artists, engineers, or architects. But whether their careers would have been as grand and full of glory is doubtful. Because this competition gave both newbies a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to land a prestigious commission and make a name for themselves almost overnight.
And the name ‘Porta del Paradiso’? Michelangelo thought the eastern gates were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen–beautiful enough to adorn the gates of paradise, he would have said.
But there is another, much more prosaic explanation. The Gates of Paradise gave out onto a cemetery that lay squeezed between the baptistery and the cathedral. The name of that cemetery was ‘Il Paradiso’ (Paradise), hence the name ‘Gates of Paradise’.
Ghiberti depicted himself on the Gates of Paradise. On the edge of the left gate, you can see all kinds of small, beautifully styled heads. Ghiberti’s head is on the right edge of the left gate, the fourth from above, the man with the shiny bald skull.
2. Dome of Florence Cathedral
Piazza del Duomo
Now turn around and behold one of the wonders of Western architecture, the dome of the Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore, still the largest brick dome in the world today.
This is our second stop: the dome of Florence’s cathedral.
Take a good look at the dome and notice its rounded, pointed shape, the red brick panels alternating with the white marble ribs. Now, wipe that dome from your imagination and try to picture the cathedral without the dome.
Why? Well, that’s exactly what the Florentines saw in the early 15th century when they looked at their cathedral and probably turned away in shame, as the mocking from neighboring cities about the hole in their roof grew sharper and more biting over the years.
Up until that point, the construction had been going well. The first stone was laid in 1296, and a little over a hundred years later, at the start of the 15th century, the cathedral was almost finished. Only one hurdle remained: constructing a dome over the choir. But that hurdle seemed insurmountable because no one knew how to construct a dome 45 meters wide and almost 100 meters high—no one had ever done it before.
The solution? Organize a competition, just as the Florentines had done for the portals of their baptistery. The Duomo’s building committee hoped it would spark the genius of Florentine architects and artists, and produce some new and valuable ideas.
In 1418, the brief for the competition was made public, and coincidence or not, Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi faced each other again. By then, however, Brunelleschi had undergone a remarkable transformation. From a sculptor, he had turned himself into an architect, a field in which he still had much to learn. As part of his education, he set off on a trip with his close friend Donatello, visiting places like Rome to study ancient buildings, and likely Venice, Byzantium, the Middle East, and possibly even Persia. In Rome, he studied the dome of the Pantheon. Although it wasn’t allowed, he climbed it, removed a few roof tiles, and discovered that it wasn’t made of a single layer, but two. He burned the secret into his memory and applied it to the dome of Florence’s cathedral years later, along with other architectural techniques he might have learned in the East.
This time, Brunelleschi won the competition, not Ghiberti, although it’s worth mentioning that both artists were again asked to work on it together. On this occasion, Brunelleschi didn’t refuse, because it was his design and approach that had won. He started work in 1420, and after overcoming countless obstacles and seemingly unsolvable problems, the cathedral was officially inaugurated in 1436.
All that was left at that point were the terracotta roof tiles and the lantern at the top of the dome. The lantern was completed in 1452, but without Brunelleschi, as he died in 1446 and was buried under the dome he had built with his own hands. The inscription on his grave reads: CORPUS MAGNI INGENII VIRI PHILIPPI BRUNELLESCHI FIORENTINI. This means: “Here lies the body of the great ingenious Florentine Filippo Brunelleschi.” A fitting tribute to one of the key figures of Renaissance art and Western architecture.
Go explore for yourself. Thanks to the double wall, you can climb the dome from the inside, all the way to the top. Study the dome, admire that unparalleled blend of monumentality and grace, and pay homage to the architect by visiting his tomb in the crypt.
By the way, on the side of the cathedral, to the right of the main entrance, you’ll see a statue of a seated Brunelleschi, looking up at his dome. The man next to him is Arnolfo di Cambio, the architect and first architect of the cathedral.
3. Ospedale degli innocenti – Foundling Hospital
Piazza della Santissima Annunziata
Go to the back of the cathedral and take Via dei Servi (north-east of the cathedral). Walk down the street until you reach Piazza della Santissima Annunziata. The Ospedale degli Innocenti is on the right.
View route in Google Maps (follows a slightly different road).
This is our third stop: the Ospedale degli Innocenti, or Foundling Hospital of the Innocents.
This is one of the first orphanages in Europe. At certain times, up to a thousand children lived here, and parts of the building are still in use today as an orphanage. Its name, ‘degli innocenti’ or ‘of the innocents’, refers to the slaughter of male infants in Bethlehem as ordered by King Herod at the time of Jesus’ birth.
This orphanage is regarded as the first Renaissance building. The architect was Brunelleschi and his client the Arte della Seta, the guild of silk merchants. Work began in 1419 and was completed in 1426. This means that while Brunelleschi was working on the cathedral’s dome, he also supervised other major projects like this orphanage.
What makes this building so revolutionary? Well, in the early 15th century, Gothic architecture was the dominant style in Europe, best known for the cathedrals in places like Reims, Chartres, and Saint-Denis. One key feature of Gothic architecture is verticality—Gothic buildings are usually directed upwards, towards the heavens. Another hallmark is the exuberant decoration. Both verticality and decoration serve the same purpose: to immerse churchgoers into another world, a kind of earthly reflection of heaven.
During his years of study in Rome and the East, Brunelleschi developed a different view of architecture, one rooted in the ancient Roman style but blended with other influences such as Medieval architectural principles, Romanesque design, and new techniques and forms he had encountered in the East.
This orphanage is a beautiful example of his new vision. The layout of the building followed the prevailing medieval model, and the idea of surrounding the structure with arcades was also common in the Middle Ages. What made it revolutionary, however, was the mathematical, rational, and purely geometric approach to designing those arcades.
For example, the columns up to where the arches meet are the same height as the width of the arches and the distance between the column and the wall behind it. This way, Brunelleschi created a perfect cube, topped not with a Gothic-style ribbed vault, but with a dome-shaped vault made from a perfect half-hemisphere—an idea he may have picked up in Venice or Byzantium.
What was Brunelleschi aiming to achieve? Not to create a supernatural, heavenly space as Gothic architecture did, but a space that put humans at the center and that embodied clarity, harmony, simplicity, and rationality. In essence, his architecture was a celebration of humanity’s ability to shape its environment through reason and science, values that were central to the 15th-century Florentine humanists and the merchants for whom he worked.
In between the arches, you see ten blue tondos (round paintings or reliefs) with images of orphans and foundlings. Those were made by Andrea della Robbia, an artist who had turned this blue glazed earthenware into his trademark. You’ll find them everywhere in Florence and other Italian cities and they are almost always made by the studio of Della Robbia. His studio not only worked on prestigious projects for wealthy patricians; it also produced this popular glazed earthenware in large quantities for the common people, a practice that often yielded more money than the expensive but less frequent tailor-made assignments for churches, rich patricians, or a city.
4. Donatello, David (in Bargello)
Via del Proconsolo, 4
Take the small street to the right of the Ospedale degli Innocenti, Via dei Fibbiai. Take the first street on the left, Via degli Alfani, and then the fourth street on the right, Borgo Pinti. Continue straight ahead, through Borgo Pinti and Volta di San Piero, under a covered alley and across Piazza di San Pier Maggiore diagonally to the right into Via Matteo Palmieri. Then turn right into Via Ghibellina. At the end of the street, turn left: the Bargello is at the corner of Via Ghibellina and Via del Proconsolo.
This is our fourth stop: Donatello’s David
Seen from the outside, the Bargello looks a bit sinister. The grey-brown stones, the small windows covered with bars, the battlements at the top, the proud naked bell tower and the absence of any kind of decoration: this is not a place to enter without suspicion. But as it is often the case in Florence, appearances are deceptive, because, as soon as you enter the courtyard, you are charmed by its elegant harmony and by the most important collection of Renaissance sculptures on earth.
The exterior was not made uninviting without a reason. After all, the Bargello, built in 1255, was originally the headquarters of the podestà, the highest magistrate in the city. The law stipulated that this had to be a foreigner and that he could stay on for no more than a year. That way, the city hoped to appoint an uncontaminated magistrate, someone who knew nothing about the internal power relations and the family feuds, and therefore could judge objectively. Later, the Bargello was used as a prison. The name of the building refers to the title of the highest magistrate or policeman who occupied it and who was called bargello from the end of the 16th century onwards.
Since 1865, the building served as a museum of mainly Renaissance sculpture. You will find an extensive collection of sculptures by Michelangelo, Donatello, Ghiberti, Giambologna, Verrocchio, and others. The bronze panels made by Ghiberti and Brunelleschi for the art competition for the baptistery are also on display here, giving you the opportunity tot check whether the jury made the right decision by declaring Ghiberti the winner.
One of the most remarkable sculptures in the Bargello collection is Donatello’s sculpture of David, for various reasons a revolutionary artwork. The statue, for example, is made of bronze, a material usually reserved for monuments to kings, princes, condottieri, and official urban authorities. Furthermore, it was the first freestanding nude since antiquity. But it was also new in terms of content and concept. Donatello did not portray the hero David, the defender of republican freedom and revered throughout Florence, as a tough and cunning warrior who defeated the giant Goliath with one well-aimed throw. No, he portrayed him as a sensual hermaphrodite, an ambiguous mixture of boyish and feminine characteristics. We don’t know how people responded to Donatello’s image, and it is known that the Florentines were familiar with ambiguous symbolism, but I find it hard to imagine that this sculpture did not face a great deal of resistance.
It’s not sure who did commission the sculpture. Probably it was Cosimo de’ Medici, the leader of the Medici clan. What we do know, however, is that Cosimo eventually installed the statue in his home, not hidden in a back garden, but in the cortile of the Palazzo Medici, just behind the main entrance. Everyone who entered the Medici Palace, all dignitaries, local and foreign merchants, priests, bishops, princes, and heads of government, had to pass by and were confronted with this sculpture. In addition to his open support for this particular statue, there are other signs that Cosimo repeatedly supported innovative, complex, and provocative art. A feature, by the way, that seemed to permeate the entire city and in which it differed from its counterpart from the north, the rather protectionist Venice.
So, if you have the time, don’t be put off by the building’s rough exterior and the dark past, and visit the Bargello.
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5. Palazzo Vecchio (or Palazzo della Signoria)
Piazza della Signoria
Continue along Via del Proconsolo in a southerly direction (turn right when facing the Bargello) over Piazza di San Firenze and turn right into Via dei Gondi. Continue along until you reach Piazza della Signoria.
This is the fifth stop, Palazzo Vecchio.
From a wealthy city such as Florence, regarded as the centre of the arts for centuries, you’d expect its government building to be as refined as the artists it produced. But frankly, at first sight, it is not. It looks like a crossover between a fortress and a town hall. A building that wants to be an impregnable castle but, for all sorts of practical reasons, has only retained its visible features – robust stone, battlements, shields, tower – and has pushed aside its essential features like size, the thickness of the walls, a moat, and a drawbridge.
One thing you’ll immediately notice is its resemblance to the Bargello. The same basic structure, the same ochre tones, and the same robust appearance. Also, the architects are related. According to the 16th-century art historian Vasari, Jacopo di Lapo designed the Bargello, and his son Arnolfo di Cambio the Palazzo Vecchio. The latter was also the first architect of the cathedral.
At a second glance, you do notice the difference between the two buildings. The windows of the Palazzo Vecchio are slightly larger than those of the Bargello, the brickwork is more varied, the battlement wider, there are coats of arms underneath the battlement and the tower consists of two parts of which the top seems to sprout from the bottom.
Not to mention, in my opinion, the most fantastic feature of this building: the position of the tower. At first, I thought: there’s something wrong. The builders put it there by mistake, while the architect probably wanted to position it in the centre or on the side. But now I think it’s magnificent. The asymmetrical character of the facade and the tower makes this palazzo one of the most striking and iconic city town halls in the world. And it emphasizes once again the idiosyncratic character of the inhabitants – a trait that was especially manifest in Florence’s political system.
Fifteenth-century Florence was a republic headed by the gonfaloniere di giustizia (the standard-bearer of law), assisted by eight priori. All nine had to be members of a guild and together they represented the four Florentine districts. A complex system, but not particularly noteworthy. What was remarkable, though, was the time frame within which the priori and the gonfaloniere could rule and how they were chosen. The government changed every two months and the gonfaloniere and the priori were elected by lottery.
Why did the Florentines adopt such a system? They did so because they had a deep-rooted aversion to dictatorships. As they desperately wanted to avoid one person or one family taking power, they chose to keep the term of government extremely short and to elect the leaders by chance.
You might think that such an unstable political system is doomed to failure and must lead to chaos. Strangely enough, the opposite is true. Florence was an extraordinarily prosperous republic that lasted, without any major interruption, from the beginning of the 11th century to 1530. Four centuries, that is, one of the longest-running democracies in our Western history.
Moreover, their political system fuelled hopes of social prestige among its citizens. After all, anyone who was a member of a guild could cherish the hope of being elected prior or even gonfaloniere at some point in his life, and thus winning the respect of his fellow citizens. In this sense, their political system was the 15th-century version of the American dream. An illusion maybe, as most Florentines never gained real political power, but one that mobilised a lot of people and promoted social mobility.
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6. Illustrious Florentines
Uffizi Square
Stand with your back to the Palazzo Vecchio and turn left into Piazzale degli Uffizi.
This is the sixth stop: Illustrious Florentines.
You’re standing in the courtyard of the Uffizi Gallery, a place where the Florentines celebrate their own genius.
Take a walk around the sculptures and marvel at the sheer number of world-famous talents Florence has produced: the renowned Medici bankers Lorenzo il Magnifico and Cosimo Il Vecchio; artists like Giotto, Donatello, Michelangelo, Leon Battista Alberti, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Benvenuto Cellini; writers Dante Alighieri, Francesco Petrarca, and Giovanni Boccaccio; the explorer Amerigo Vespucci and scholars such as Galileo Galilei, Francesco Guicciardini, and Niccolò Machiavelli. All of them have shaped Western culture, and their legacies continue to be celebrated today.
The sculptures date back to the 19th century. Three centuries earlier, in the 16th century, Duke Cosimo I had already planned to decorate the niches with heroes from Tuscan history, but for some reason, it never happened.
In the 19th century, during a time of strong nationalist sentiment, the moment was right. Every town and village was erecting monuments to its local heroes, and a simple Florentine craftsman, Vincenzo Batelli, felt that his city could not be left behind—especially since he believed Florence had produced more and far greater illustrious figures than any other city in Italy.
Creating sculptures, however, is expensive, and Batelli, a humble printer, didn’t have the money. So, he looked for creative and not-so-creative ways to raise funds. He started with a form of crowdfunding, which didn’t do very well, and then tried a lottery. That second method was a big success and allowed Vincenzo to put a team of sculptors to work.
This is the result of Vincenzo’s project: 28 Tuscan heroes, including scientists, writers, artists, as well as rulers and military leaders. The lineup is impressive, but it’s even more so when you realize that several 15th-century heroes are still missing—famous artists like Filippo Brunelleschi, Lorenzo Ghiberti, Fra Angelico, Filippo Lippi, Filippino Lippi, Masaccio, Verrocchio, and many others. Maybe it’s time to add a few more sculptures.
7. Santa Croce
Piazza di Santa Croce, 16
Turn right and walk back to Piazza della Signoria. Just before the square and Palazzo Vecchio, turn right into Via della Ninna. At the end of the street, at the crossroads, turn left into Via dei Leoni and a little further right into the Borgo dei Greci. Continue along this narrow street until you reach Piazza di Santa Croce.
This is the seventh stop: Santa Croce.
Piazza Santa Croce is the second most important square in Florence, after Piazza della Signoria. It has long been a meeting place and venue for open-air events, where preachers like Bernardino of Siena captivated crowds for hours with a mix of heartwarming spiritual messages about human equality, gossip about local life, politically charged statements, and plenty of juicy anecdotes.
The square also hosted knightly tournaments, jousts, horse races, and games of calcio storico (or calcio Fiorentino), an old Florentine version of football. On the right side of the square, on the ground floor of the building decorated with murals (Palazzo dell’Antella), you’ll find a circular marble plaque. This plaque commemorates February 10, 1565, but primarily serves as the midpoint of the playingfield. Across the square, you’ll find a similar, slightly darker version of the plaque.
The Santa Croce Church, located on the east side of the square, is the second-largest church in Florence. Construction began in 1294, led by Arnolfo di Cambio, the same architect who designed the Duomo and the Palazzo Vecchio in the same period, shaping Florence’s skyline like no other architect in Florence’s history. By 1442, the church was almost complete, except for the façade, which wasn’t finished until the 19th century, likely based on an older design.
Santa Croce is the church of the Franciscans, monks who valued humility, simplicity, and an ascetic lifestyle. However, when it came to building Santa Croce, they were just as ambitious, competitive, and proud as other Florentines of the time. They insisted their church had to be larger and more impressive than that of their rivals across town, the Dominican church of Santa Maria Novella.
That same paradoxical attitude can be seen in the church’s interior. The Franciscan monks had to beg for their livelihood, yet their church is perhaps the most richly decorated in all of Florence. Step inside and feast your eyes. Admire the masterpieces by artists like Giotto and Donatello, take a look at the Pazzi Chapel designed by Brunelleschi or Michelozzo, and seek out the tombs of famous Florentines such as Michelangelo, Machiavelli, the humanist scholar Leonardo Bruni, the scientist Galileo Galilei, the writer Dante Alighieri, the sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti, and the opera composer Gioacchino Rossini.
In the Bardi Chapel, on the left side of the transept, you’ll see a wooden crucifix by Donatello. His close friend Brunelleschi famously said it looked like “a peasant on the cross.” According to the story in Vasari’s Vite, a collection of biographies of Italian artists, Donatello was annoyed by this unexpected criticism and responded, “If you think you can do better, take some wood and make one yourself.” Brunelleschi accepted the challenge and got to work. Curious to see how Brunelleschi’s version turned out? We’ll soon visit Santa Maria Novella, where you can judge for yourself who did a better job.
8. The dyers’ district
Corso dei Tintori, 21
When you leave Santa Croce, immediately turn left onto Via Antonio Magliabecchi. Continue straight until you reach Corso dei Tintori. Turn right there. At the intersection with Via dei Benci, turn left and immediately right into Via dei Vagellai. Pass Piazza Mentana and continue along Via dei Saponai until you reach Piazza dei Giudici.
This is the eighth stop: the dyers’ district
In these streets, you won’t find any brilliant architectural Renaissance gems, but pay attention to the street names: tintori (dyers), vagellai (boilers or kettles), saponai (soapers). These are all terms that refer to the textile industry, which was the foundation of Florence’s economy in the 15th century. About a quarter to a third of Florentines worked in this industry. Even for the Medici, known as bankers, textiles formed the base of their trading empire.
This might seem obvious in a time when the textile industry was booming in Europe, but for a city like Florence, it wasn’t. The sheep in and around Florence didn’t produce enough wool, and the wool they did produce wasn’t of the desired quality. So, the Florentines had to import wool, primarily from Great Britain and Portugal. The wool entered Italy through the ports of Pisa, Livorno, or Venice, and was then transported on donkeys over the graceful but sturdy hills to Florence. And once the products were finished, they had to transport them by donkey carts and then by ships to the rest of Europe.
Florence’s location was hardly advantageous for the textile industry, and yet Florentine textiles were in demand all over Europe. Why? Because they were of superior quality and sold at a fair price. The guilds knew that a high price could weaken their market position, so they ensured that workers’ wages were kept under control and that any form of workers’ union was strictly forbidden. But the guilds’ greatest contribution was their stringent quality control, with a final check, just before the textiles were shipped, carried out by the Ufficiali delle macchie (the Stain Brigade). Textiles with defects were destroyed on the spot.
Florentine textiles were especially prized for their rich, deep colors. Even finished fabrics from Flanders and France were sent to Florence to be dyed. The raw materials for this were imported by the Florentines from the Mediterranean, the Near and Far East, and Africa. This required a complex logistical operation, as each dye came from a different city or region, sometimes thousands of kilometers away from Florence. One of the most prominent Florentine families, the Rucellai, even got their name from oricello (orseille), a red-purple dye made from lichen and imported from Majorca.
9. Corridoio Vasariano
Lungarno Anna Maria Luisa De’ Medici, 8
Walk as far as the Arno, turn right, and follow the Lungarno Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici (along the Arno).
This is the ninth stop: Corridoio Vasariano
On the Lungarno Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici, along the banks of the Arno and just past the arcades leading to the Uffizi Gallery, you suddenly see a passageway appear from the wall above you, as if it’s stuck onto the building. This construction, the Corrido Vasariano, runs along the Arno, turns left at the Ponte Vecchio, and continues across the Arno to Palazzo Pitti.
The one-kilometre-long corridor was built by the 16th-century artist-architect Giorgio Vasari at the request of Cosimo I, the Duke of Tuscany since 1537. Cosimo’s goal? To connect his residence, Palazzo Pitti, with his office, Palazzo degli Uffizi. Indeed, the monument that now houses one of the most important art collections in the world was originally an office building (uffizi means offices). By building this corridor, the duke and his relatives further isolated themselves from the public, as they could now reach their offices without ever setting foot on the streets. This stands in sharp contrast to the first half of the 15th century, when the rich and poor lived side by side, meeting spontaneously on the streets and maintaining close ties with one another.
Walk under the arcades that support the Corridoio Vasariano. This is a suitable moment to reflect on its architect, Giorgio Vasari. This former pupil of Michelangelo was himself a deserving, successful, and wealthy artist–architect, but in the end, he is best known for his book: Vite de’ più eccellenti architetti, pittori, et scultori italiani, da Cimabue insino a’ tempi nostri (Lives of the most excellent Italian architects, painters and sculptors, from Cimabue to our time). This work, considered the first art history book, was instrumental in spreading the idea of Florence as the cradle of the Renaissance. It contains biographies of about 250 artists and is filled with essays on the technical aspects and evolution of art in the 14th and 15th centuries.
Vasari divided the evolution of art in Renaissance Italy into three phases: Phase one (second half of the 13th century to the early 15th century) saw art revived through the innovations of Giotto and Cimabue. Phase two (15th century) introduced artists like Brunelleschi, Masaccio, Ghiberti, and Donatello, further refining art and developing new techniques such as linear perspective. Phase three (late 15th century and 16th century) brought perfection in painting, through figures like Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and, in Vasari’s eyes, the pinnacle of art, his former teacher Michelangelo.
One of the most striking features of the book is that a disproportionate number of the Italian artists are Florentines, especially those he considers the most important. Vasari may not have done so deliberately, but his origins and Florentine perspective led to a strong focus on Florentine artists, and ensured that today, in the absence of an equally valid work, we follow his judgment and pay less attention to artists from other cities. It’s an impressive example of propaganda, delivered in a superior and appealing form for both the general public and art experts.
Vasari wasn’t the only impressive Florentine historian, though. Florence was full of chroniclers, the most important of whom were Leonardo Bruni, Machiavelli, and Guicciardini. The fact that they made Florence the subject of their historical works has contributed to our continued fascination with this city and its achievements.
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10. Palazzo Davanzati
Via Porta Rossa, 13 (Piazza dei Davanzati)
Walk along the Arno, on Lungarno degli Archibusi, to Ponte Vecchio and turn right into Via Por Santa Maria. This street turns left into Via Calimala. At the junction with Via Porta Rossa, on the Mercato del Porcelino, turn left. Continue along this street until you reach Palazzo Davanzati on the left (in Piazza dei Davanzati).
This is the tenth stop: Palazzo Davanzati.
We are heading to the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, the house the Medici built in 1444. But let’s first make a short detour to the Palazzo Davanzati to get an idea of the type of house they inhabited before. This palazzo dates back to the 1330s and still has a robust, primitive and medieval look. But when you enter the house, you’ll notice that the Florentine interior designers of that period had more attention for living comfort and aesthetics than the architects of typical medieval castles of that time.
Palazzo Davanzati served as the home and headquarters of a family clan and housed several families. In the centre of the palazzo was a courtyard. It attracted outside light and via a staircase on the outside of the courtyard brought the residents to the rooms on the first, second, and third floors. Palazzo Davanzati did not have a rooftop garden like several 15th-century patrician houses, but it did have a loggia on the top floor, added in the 15th century. This enabled the residents to escape the summer heat from time to time. Each room had a fireplace and the walls were richly decorated with lovely scenes full of birds and trees. Note the sturdy wooden shutters. They do not serve as decoration but to shield the glassless window openings from the outside world. Until the 15th century, glass was still rare and reserved for the super-rich.
On the ground floor, you’ll notice three solid doors. They lead to the workshop where the family members and their workmen processed wool, made furniture, or sold fabrics. At the back of the workplace, still on the ground floor, were the rooms of the servants, apprentices, and workers. At first glance, this workshop looks rather oppressive, like a basement where you work all day in the dark. But that was not how this space was used back then. The wooden doors were not the end of the workshop but served as the link with the outside world. After all, life in Florence happened outside. Every morning the workers threw open the doors and installed the workbenches in front of the house, so they could work outside and stay in contact with their fellow citizens all day long.
11. Palazzo Medici-Riccardi – Chapel of the Magi
Via Camillo Cavour, 3
Cross Piazza dei Davanzati and go straight ahead into Via dei Sassetti. Walk along Via de’ Vecchietti until you reach Via de’ Cerretani. Turn right. After 150 metres you’ll see the Baptistery appear on your right. Walk around it on your left and then turn left into Via de’ Martelli. Follow this street all the way to the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi on Via Camillo Cavour.
This is the eleventh stop: Palazzo Medici-Riccardi with Cappella dei Magi.
This is the residence of the notorious Medici clan, who became the unofficial leaders of Florence in 1434. Initially, the Medici hired Filippo Brunelleschi to design the building, but Cosimo de’ Medici, the head of the family, found his design too grand, and too ostentatious. He feared that the Florentine people, still attached to their democratic institutions and wary of any display of power, would take offense. Therefore, he approached his trusted confidant, Michelozzo, for a more modest and discreet design. The construction, which began in 1444, was completed around 1460, four years before Cosimo’s death. The Medici patriarch only had a few years to enjoy his new, sumptuous surroundings.
Palazzo Medici-Riccardi is a fine example of early Renaissance architecture. The building is a three-storey block with a central open courtyard, much like Palazzo Davanzati. Note the horizontal decorative band that separates the three floors and observe how the distance between the floors decreases, with the masonry becoming progressively smoother—rough at the bottom, finer above, and smooth plasterwork at the top. The building is crowned by a strong overhanging cornice, a feature seen in many contemporary Italian palazzi.
Surrounding the palazzo, at seat height, is a stone bench. This was not added later as a resting place for tourists but was part of the original design and had a specific purpose. In the second half of the 15th century, several wealthy families, such as the Rucellai, Strozzi, and Pitti, built huge and sumptuous palazzi. They did so to live more comfortably and to display their wealth, but the trend of building larger and more spectacular homes had the downside of isolating them from the less affluent population. This is why the Medici chose to install a bench outside their home. Cosimo de’ Medici often sat there to chat with passersby and maintain contact with the public.
Palazzo Medici-Riccardi is a beautiful building, one that set the standard for later civic architecture. But the true gem of this structure lies inside: the Cappella dei Magi. The walls of this small private chapel were painted between 1459 and 1460 by Benozzo Gozzoli. The magnificent and imaginative fresco, which covers all the walls of the chapel, is a tribute to the Council of Ferrara-Florence in 1439. The fresco tells the story of the Three Wise Men on their way to Bethlehem. One of the three is the emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire. The second Wise Man is the Patriarch of Constantinople, the religious leader of the East. The third Wise Man is the eleven-year-old Lorenzo de’ Medici, the future uncrowned leader of the Medici clan, who was not yet born at the time of the council in 1439. In the fresco, you can also see many other members of the Medici family, including Cosimo de’ Medici himself, who was the head of the family at the time of the council.
Merchants and political leaders who visited the Medici were, of course, given a tour of the chapel. You can easily imagine what happened: suddenly, they were faced with an impressive, colorful, life-sized depiction of the Medici family, accompanied by the most important people on earth. The purpose of this seemingly innocent tour? To subtly remind people of the level at which the Medici operated and how far their influence extended. For the Medici, their chapel was a propaganda tool to reinforce their power, a status symbol that reflected Cosimo’s social standing in society.
12. San Lorenzo
Piazza di San Lorenzo
At the end of Via Cavour, turn right onto Via de’ Gori. After a few steps, you’ll see the Basilica of San Lorenzo appear in front of you.
This is the twelfth stop: San Lorenzo
Basilica di San Lorenzo is the centre of the ‘Medici quarter’, a neighborhood dominated by the wealthy banking family and populated by their supporters. Construction of the church began in 1419, and in 1421, Brunelleschi was appointed as the architect. Financial issues, however, hindered progress, which led the Medici to intervene financially, and in doing so, becoming the church’s owners. You can clearly see this from the prominent presence of their emblem in and around the church (typically six, sometimes five, seven, or eight balls on a gold background). Look at the pedestal of the statue on the corner of the square in front of the main entrance. The figure portrayed is Giovanni delle Bande Nere, a Medici condottiere and the father of the first Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo I de’ Medici (1519-1574).
As you can see, the facade was never completed. At a certain moment, the task was entrusted to Michelangelo, but due to all sorts of problems, including strikes by the ship captains responsible for transporting the marble to Florence, the facade was never finished.
San Lorenzo houses many cultural and historical treasures, enough to explore for an entire day. Enter the church and admire the bright and harmoniously arranged interior designed by Brunelleschi, the Passion Pulpit by Donatello, and Filippo Lippi’s colorful and elegant Annunciation. The Sagrestia Vecchia (Old Sacristy), also designed by Brunelleschi, is a fine example of Renaissance architecture. The building is divided into two horizontal sections: the lower one features mainly rectangular forms, while the upper section is dominated by circles. All elements and proportions are precisely measured to create a harmonious unity. The reliefs depicting the life of John the Baptist, the city’s patron saint, are made by Donatello.
Michelangelo also contributed to this complex, notably with the design of the Sagrestia Nuova (New Sacristy) in the Cappelle Medicee (Medici Chapels). Initially, he was supposed to handle both the frescoes and sculptures, making it one of the first integrated works of art. However, due to circumstances, he could not complete his ambitious ideas, and other artists continued his work. Nevertheless, you can still see some of the master’s sculptures, such as the funerary monument to Lorenzo de’ Medici.
Since November 2023, you can also visit Michelangelo’s Stanza Segreta (Secret Room). This is a narrow, underground room with life-sized wall drawings by Michelangelo, among others. The space was discovered by accident in 1975 and is finally open to the public.
The Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana also sprang from Michelangelo’s multidisciplinary genius and is often considered his most significant architectural achievement. The most spectacular part is the vestibule or entrance hall, with a three-part staircase leading to the harmoniously designed reading room.
The new library was built to house the Medici’s vast collection of books, a hobby of Cosimo the Elder that grew into one of the largest book collections in Europe at the time.
Finally, you can admire the mausoleum for the Medici dukes, the lavishly decorated Cappella dei Principi (Chapel of the Princes). Vasari designed it in the 16th century, but construction only began in the 17th century and was completed in the 19th century.
13. Santa Maria Novella
Piazza di Santa Maria Novella, 18
Take the street behind San Lorenzo, Via del Canto dei Nelli, and go left towards the Arno, passing Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini and through Via del Giglio until you reach Via dei Banchi. Turn right and continue walking up to Piazza di Santa Maria Novella.
This is the thirteenth stop: Santa Maria Novella.
Santa Maria Novella is the monastery complex and church of the Dominican monks. The church marks the western boundary of old Florence, while Santa Croce, the church of the Franciscan monks, defines the eastern side of the city.
The distance between the two churches? Less than a kilometer and a half. This means you could walk from one end of the city to the other in about 15 to 20 minutes. Plus, the walk is easy, with no hills to climb, and the city center has sufficiently wide streets and piazzas, making it easy for people, goods, and thus ideas to flow freely. This, too – the city’s layout – helped foster the dynamic, creative atmosphere that thrived in 15th-century Florence.
But now, back to Santa Maria Novella. The construction of the church began in 1246 and kicked off a series of architectural projects that transformed Florence, like the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio, Santa Croce, and the Bargello.
The first thing that stands out is, of course, the magnificent church façade, which many consider one of the most beautiful in the world. Work on it started in 1350, but due to financial issues, they only managed to finish the lower section.
For a hundred years, the unfinished façade was an eyesore for local residents and devout churchgoers, until wealthy businessman Giovanni Rucellai stepped in. He provided the necessary funds and appointed the architect, writer, and uomo universale Leon Battista Alberti to give the church the grand façade it deserved.
Several features of the façade refere to Rucellai, like the inscription under the cornice that starts with IOHANES ORICELLARIUS, followed by Latin abbreviations, translating to “Giovanni Rucellai, son of Paolo, the blessed year 1470.”
Just below the cornice in the center, you see a pattern of billowing sails – this references the Rucellai family crest, which shows a lion atop the waves. The crest itself is placed on both ends of the cornice.
Inside the church, there’s plenty to admire, like the Cappella di Filippo Strozzi with frescoes by Filippino Lippi; the Cappella Maggiore with frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio; and the Chiostro Verde (Green Cloister) with frescoes by Paolo Uccello. You’ll also find Brunelleschi’s wooden crucifix in the Cappella Gondi—his answer to the one Donatello made for Santa Croce.
One of the highlights is Masaccio’s Trinità (Holy Trinity), a fresco painted between 1425 and 1428. It’s a key work in Western art history and is considered the first Renaissance artwork. What made it groundbreaking? Masaccio was the first artist to use the mathematical laws of perspective in painting, a technique he likely picked up from his friend, architect Filippo Brunelleschi.
You probably know this trick: you place a point on what is supposed to be the horizon of your drawing, called the vanishing point, and then let all the imaginary parallel lines of houses, streets, and fences converge at that point. This way, you create convincing depth on a flat surface.
This technique had a huge impact—not just on how art was made but also on what was being depicted. With this newfound ability to portray depth, artists began experimenting with spectacular landscapes, intricate buildings, and grand spatial scenes.
You can see that in this fresco. Masaccio fully embraced the new possibilities, using a chapel with columns and a roof as the backdrop and depicting his figures as solid, angular forms, almost like sculptures. Both the setting and the figures enhance the sense of depth and volume he was aiming for. It’s possible that the patron chose this chapel setting because painting a chapel was far cheaper than buying a concession for a real chapel in the church and fully decorating it.
14. Ognissanti
Borgo Ognissanti, 42
Leave Santa Maria Novella behind you, cross Piazza Santa Maria Novella and take the street to the left of the arcades, Piazza degli Ottaviani. This turns into Via dei Fossi. Follow the street to the end, then turn right into the Borgo Ognissanti. Two hundred metres further on your right is the Chiesa di San Salvatore in Ognissanti.
This is the fourteenth stop: Ognissanti.
You’re now in the Ognissanti district, named after the Ognissanti Church (All Saints’ Church), founded in the 1250s but completely rebuilt in the 17th century in Baroque style.
In this area, mainly inhabited by wool workers, lived the wealthy Vespucci family and their somewhat humbler neighbors, the Filipepi family. Both families produced famous figures. The Vespucci family gave us the explorer Amerigo Vespucci, while the Filipepi family was home to the Renaissance painter Alessandro di Mariano Filipepi, better known as Botticelli. The nickname “Botticelli” means “little barrel” and is thought to refer to his older, slightly corpulent brother Giovanni di Mariano. The Vespucci family maintained close ties with the Filipepis and often commissioned Botticelli, such as for the fresco Saint Augustine (1480), located on the right side, in the middle of the church. You can spot the Vespucci coat of arms at the top of the painting, identifying them as the patrons.
Photo Botticelli, Saint Augustine by Sailko, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sandro_botticelli,_sant%27agostino_nello_studio,_1480_circa,_dall%27ex-coro_dei_frati_umiliati,_01.jpg, license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en.
Right across from Botticelli’s fresco, you’ll find another one by Domenico Ghirlandaio, Saint Jerome (1480). Both frescoes depict saints in their study, and both were inspired by Jan van Eyck’s Saint Jerome in His Study, which was said to be owned by Lorenzo de’ Medici. Notice the differences between the two versions: Saint Jerome gazes calmly at the viewer, while Saint Augustine appears to be caught up in divine inspiration.
Ghirlandaio painted several frescoes in this church, including Madonna of Mercy in the Vespucci Chapel. In it, Mary is shown protecting various members of the Vespucci family under her mantle. Some say that the young boy to her right is Amerigo Vespucci, and the young woman with the red cloak is Simonetta Vespucci.
There’s a rumor that Simonetta was the model for Botticelli’s famous Birth of Venus. It’s possible she inspired him, but since she died in 1476 and Botticelli painted The Birth of Venus in the mid-1480s, she couldn’t have actually posed for the painting.
Botticelli is also buried in this church, in one of the chapels on the right side. According to legend, he declared on his deathbed that he wished to be buried at the feet of Simonetta, fueling speculation that their relationship may have been more than professional. The exact location of Simonetta’s tomb, however, remains unknown. Be sure to check out the church’s refectory, which houses a beautiful and subtle fresco by Ghirlandaio, The Last Supper. In this work, you can see how Florentine artists experimented with perspective techniques to create the illusion of depth. Ghirlandaio cleverly used the architecture of the refectory itself in the fresco, making it seem as though Jesus and the apostles are dining right in the room where you’re standing, drawing the viewer into the scene.
One of Ghirlandaio’s admirers was Leonardo da Vinci, who undoubtedly drew inspiration from this Last Supper for his own version of the Last Supper in Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan.
As you leave the church, look to your right, and you’ll see Palazzo Lenzi, one of the most beautiful Renaissance palaces in Florence. It was built in 1470 and is often called the palazzo degli enigmi (palace of enigmas) because historians have long puzzled over the identity of its architect. Was it Brunelleschi, as Vasari claimed? Michelozzo? Or perhaps an unknown Florentine architect, still waiting to be discovered?
15. Ponte Amerigo Vespucci
Ponte Amerigo Vespucci
Cross the Piazza Ognissanti as far as the Arno and turn right into Lungarno Amerigo Vespucci. Follow the Arno up to Ponte Amerigo Vespucci and cross the bridge.
This is the fifteenth stop: Ponte Amerigo Vespucci.
I admit the Ponte Amerigo Vespucci isn’t the most charming bridge over the Arno, but it’s a nice spot to take a break and enjoy the city skyline. From here, you can clearly see the tower of Palazzo Vecchio, and if you look closely, you might catch a glimpse of the dome.
Florence isn’t exactly known as a city of sailors, which makes sense since it’s not by the sea and didn’t have a big naval fleet like Genoa or Venice. Nonetheless, the Florentines played a significant role in the explorations of the 15th and 16th centuries. One of its residents, Toscanelli, inspired Columbus to sail across the Atlantic Ocean to reach India, which led to the discovery of America. Giovanni da Verrazzano was the first Westerner to explore New York Bay. And a third Florentine, the explorer Amerigo Vespucci, will likely live on longer than any other Florentine genius, since two continents—South and North America—are named after him.
Amerigo’s ancestors, the Vespucci family, were poor immigrants from Peretola, a small village near Florence. The first Vespucci who arrived in Florence earned their living as wine merchants, a profession that wasn’t highly respected at the time. But Amerigo’s ancestor, Simone Vespucci, took a different route, working his way up as a silk manufacturer. His descendants followed in his footsteps and made the smart move of aligning themselves with the powerful Medici family. As a result, from 1443 onward, the Vespucci family frequently held seats in the Signoria, and in 1447, one of them even became gonfaloniere, a position that placed the Vespucci family at the top of the social ladder.
But fortunes change, and by the time Amerigo was born, his father had slipped back to a more modest position as a notary. Even so, the family’s historic ties to the Medici remained intact, giving Amerigo the opportunity to work as a foreign agent for them. On one of his business trips to Seville, he came into contact with sailors and decided to switch careers and become an explorer.
The first time Amerigo landed in what we now call America, he thought he’d reached Asia. But on later voyages, he became convinced that it was a mundus novus, a new world. He wrote about his experiences and thoughts in letters that were widely published thanks to the newly developed printing press. As a result, a German cartographer, Martin Waldseemüller, named the newly discovered continent after him: Amerigo Vespucci, a descendant of poor Florentine immigrants.
16. Brancacci Chapel (Santa Maria del Carmine)
Piazza del Carmine, 14
Continue your way over Ponte Amerigo Vespucci, then walk through Via Sant’Onofri until you reach Borgo San Frediano. Turn left there and walk 250 meters, turn right and cross Piazza del Carmine until you reach Santa Maria del Carmine.
This is the sixteenth and last stop: Brancacci chapel
In this part of the city, Oltrarno (across the Arno), you’ll find fewer tourists and a much calmer atmosphere compared to the busy city center. It’s the perfect place to spend a laid-back day exploring, taking the time to visit the Brancacci Chapel in the Carmelite Church of Santa Maria del Carmine—a colorful and profound gem tucked away in the side chapel of one of Italy’s most unassuming church façades. But don’t be fooled by the simple and unfinished exterior —inside, you’ll discover what’s often called the “Sistine Chapel of the Early Renaissance.”
Three Florentine artists worked on these frescoes: Masaccio, Masolino, and Filippino Lippi. Masaccio and Masolino started the project but left the frescoes unfinished around 1427-1428, after which Filippino Lippi completed the work in 1484-1485.
The art historical significance of these frescoes lies mainly in the innovations Masaccio introduced, highlighted by the contrast between his approach and that of his eighteen-year-older mentor, Masolino. For example, compare Masaccio’s Expulsion from Paradise with the fresco opposite, Masolino’s The Temptation of Adam and Eve.
Masolino, a follower of the International Gothic style that was popular at the time, painted elegant, serene figures that seem to have stepped out of a harmonious, courtly fantasy world. Masaccio’s universe, on the other hand, was filled with human drama and spatial depth. He used light and shadow to give his figures a sense of weight and realism, a stark contrast to Masolino’s flat, linear style. Masaccio also used linear perspective and natural light to heighten the illusion of space. He even gradually lightened the colors in the background to create more depth.
Facial expressions, lighting, perspective, and color tones—Masaccio experimented with many techniques to give his scenes a greater sense of realism and to create the illusion of perspective.
One of the best examples of his approach is the most famous scene in the fresco cycle, The Tribute Money, which shows Jesus discussing the fairness of taxes with his apostles and bystanders. Despite the halos above their heads, Jesus and the apostles aren’t floating, otherworldly figures—they’re grounded, real people, fishermen and merchants moving in a landscape that looks unmistakably Tuscan. What makes the realism even stronger is that this scene was painted around 1427, when the Florentines had just introduced a controversial new tax law called the catasto. It’s as if Masaccio wanted to link this biblical scene to what was happening in Florence at the time.
Masaccio may not be a household name, but his influence on Western painting is enormous. All the great renaissance artists after him—Fra Angelico, Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael—studied his frescoes and were deeply influenced by this precocious genius, who tragically died at just 27 under mysterious circumstances.
Masaccio even included himself in one of the frescoes. Below The Tribute Money is The Raising of the Son of Theophilus and Saint Peter Enthroned, a work that both Masaccio and Lippi contributed to. On the far right, in front of an open doorway, are four men. The one looking directly at the viewer is Masaccio. Behind him is Brunelleschi, to his left stands Leon Battista Alberti, and the smaller man to Masaccio’s right, barely visible, is Masolino. Including contemporaries—and even the artist himself—was another one of Masaccio’s innovations soon adopted by other painters.
And now? Let’s go for an aperitivo in Piazza Santo Spirito, far from the tourist crowds. When leaving Santa Maria del Carmine, turn right into Via Santa Monaca. At the end of the street, turn right into Via Santa’Agostino. A little further on your left you’ll find a large square with the Basilica di Santo Spirito on the other side. Enjoy.
About De geniale stad (The City of Genius)
The 15th century was a golden age for Florence, an exceptionally creative era that gave rise to geniuses like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Botticelli, Brunelleschi, Donatello, Fra Angelico, Lorenzo de’ Medici, Amerigo Vespucci, and many more. These artists and thinkers kickstarted the Renaissance, introduced groundbreaking innovations in art, and created masterpieces that continue to be admired worldwide, leaving a lasting impact on Western culture.
In The City of Genius, Koen De Vos explores how Florence, a town of just sixty thousand people, managed to produce so many brilliant minds in only a hundred years. Where did this explosion of talent come from, and how can it be explained?
Through nine genius-fostering conditions and stories about the creation of these masterpieces, Koen De Vos paints a vivid picture of the creative dynamics in 15th-century Florence. You’ll discover what made the city so special and how its artists and thinkers forever shaped the course of (art) history.
More information about the book can be found here:
English: https://www.koendevos.com/book-florence-the-city-of-genius.
Dutch: https://www.koendevos.com/florence-de-geniale-stad/
About Koen De Vos
Koen De Vos studied Romanesque philology in Ghent and Rome with a focus on Italian language and literature, Italian culture in Bologna and Italian Renaissance art at Oxford. He is the author of De geniale stad: Waarom Florence zoveel geniën voortbracht in haar houden 15de eeuw (The City of Genius: Why Florence produced so many geniuses in its golden 15th century), published in 2019 by AMBO ANTHOS.