Florence is possibly the city in Italy most associated with the Renaissance. This two part program explores the city's history, as well as the many great artists who orginiated there, including Giotto, Michaelangelo, Botticelli, Dante, and Machiavelli. We also visit several sites around the city that display famous masterpieces, such as the Neptune fountain in the Piazza della Signoria, which was sculpted by Bartolomeo Ammanati and Giambologna, and the marble replica of David by Michaelangelo. The famous Duomo with its impossible dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi in 1436—an architectural feat well ahead of its time—houses important works by Pisano, Donatello, and Luca della Robbia. The Palazzo Vecchio was the home of the famous Medici family, a striking 13th century palace featuring lavishly decorated chambers and ornate courtyards. Frescoes by Vasari, paintings by Michaelangelo, Buonarroti, Donatello, and Verrochio, and statues by Cellini, Giambologna, and Pio Fedi serve to accentuate the architecture and gardens. The most famous museum in Florence is the Uffizi, an enormous museum with a vast collection. Finally, the Bargello National Museum houses one of the most important collections of Renaissance art in Italy. The collection includes masterpieces by Michaelangelo, sculptures by Donatello, including David, as well as works by Gemito, Sansovino, Giambologna, and Cellini.