FLORENCE

From Livorno or Roma  8 - 12   hours tour  - Tuscany Wine Tour

 The cultural and historical impact of Florence is overwhelming. Close up, however, the city is one of Italy's most atmospheric and pleasant, retaining a strong resemblance to the small late-medieval centre that contributed so much to the cultural and political development of Europe.

Where Rome is a historical hot-pot, Florence is like stepping back into a Fiat and Vespa-filled Renaissance: the shop-lined Ponte Vecchio, the trademark Duomo, the gem-filled Uffizi Gallery, the turreted Piazza della Signoria and the Medici Chapels.

Entering Florence will make you feel you are going backwards to 1500, thank to its Renaisance monuments, sculptures and paintings.

A visit to the Uffizi museum must be done: it contains the main masterpieces of the painting arts in the world.