7 must-sees florence at a glance

The majority of the major sites in Florence are to be found on the north side of the River Arno, and most of these are within a 15 minute stroll of the Duomo, the hub of the whole city.

PIAZZA DEL DUOMO
All roads in Florence lead to Piazza del Duomo, site of the awe-inspiring cathedral and its attendant museum, with the elegant Baptistery and Campanile completing the magnificent ensemble.

PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA
The most important civic building in the city stands on Piazza della Signoria, next door to the Uffizi, the most important art gallery in the country.

SANTA MARIA NOVELLA
Right opposite the train station, a short way west of the city centre, stands Santa Maria Novella, a superb building filled with stunning works of art.

THE BARGELLO
An unmatched collection of Renaissance sculpture, plus a fabulous array of applied art, is gathered inside the Bargello, midway between the Duomo and Signoria.

SAN LORENZO
The central market, the church of San Lorenzo (burial place of the Medici), the Accademia (home of Michelangelo's David) and the San Marco monastery-museum are the main attractions to the north of the Duomo.

SANTA CROSE
The sublime church of Santa Croce is the focus of the eastern side of the city centre, where there's a plethora of excellent restaurants and bars.

PALAZZO PITTI
Over on the south bank of the river "" the district known as Oltrarno "" the gargantuan Palazzo Pitti is the dominant feature. Seminal Renaissance paintings can be seen in nearby Santa Maria del Carmine, and this area's good for eating and drinking too.

This information has been extracted from Florence DIRECTIONS (1st edition), written by Jonathan Buckley, published by Rough Guides.