Medici Riccardi Palace (04:33)

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The first Medici palace in Florence was built in 1444 and is now a museum. It featured works by Michelangelo and other artists the Medicis patronized. Many of the walls are covered in tapestries copied from frescoes at the Vatican.

Pitti Palace (05:03)

Also owned by the Medici family, the palace is now a museum to Renaissance architecture and art. The Palatine Gallery has more than 500 Renaissance works that were owned by the Medicis, including numerous by Raphael.

Ponte Vecchio and Uffizi Gallery (07:52)

The bridge crosses the Arno River at its narrowest point. First built during Roman times, it was replaced with stone in 1345. The bridge connects the Medici palace to the Uffzi Gallery, where a collection of their Renaissance artwork is on display.

San Marco Basilica (05:53)

The church of the Medici family was built in 1437 by Michelozzo, but its exterior was redone in a Neo-Classical style in the 1700s. The wood-carved ceiling is covered in a painting by Giovanni Antonio Pucci. Many frescoes by Fra Angelico remain and show the transition from Medieval to New Renaissance styles.

Brunelleschi's Buildings (06:08)

The Hospital of the Innocents, the first orphanage in Europe, was designed by architect Filippo Brunelleschi. He also designed the San Lorenzo Basilica, an octangular structure topped by a large dome. The church includes the tombs of members of the Medici family.

Santa Maria Novella Basilica (09:48)

One side of the church was the first to use Gothic architecture in the city. The front is covered in geometry designs made of white marble and is the first example of such a motif. The church's interior uses Gothic and Mannerist styles and includes frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio and Michelangelo.

Santa Maria Novella Basilica Complex (04:00)

The church also includes a monastery and a bell tower built by Jacopo Talenti in 1333. The Green Cloister gets its name from the green frescoes of Paolo Uccello that cover its walls. The complex includes multiple chapels with frescoes depicting religious scenes.

Other Florentine Landmarks (05:23)

Multiple structures were demolished to make public squares in the 14th and 15th centuries. Fifteen buildings were knocked down for the Strozzi Palace, the home of the Strozzi family who rivaled the Medici before the Renaissance. The Gallery of the Academy is the most famous museum in Florence for housing pieces like Michelangelo's "David."

Credits: Florence: Part II - Treasures of the Italian Renaissance (01:49)

Credits: Florence: Part II - Treasures of the Italian Renaissance