The River Arno meanders through the city, with the Duomo situated on the on the north bank. The Piazza della Signoria, once the hub of Florence’s political machinations, remains a central reference point for visitors and citizens alike. Visitors can linger over a coffee in one of the square’s gilded cafés and admire the powerful hulk of Michelangelo’s David (a copy) guarding the city’s Palazzo Vecchio, Florence’s town hall since 1322. An array of sculptures, including Cellini’s Perseus brandishing the head of Medusa and Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabine Women, stand under the square’s loggia – an impressive overspill from the nearby Uffizi Gallery. Passing tourists admire the rusticated palazzi that line the square, their solid style underscored by a light Renaissance touch, whose origins can be found in the family palaces of the Strozzi and Rucellai repeated all over Florence.

The square’s landmark crenellated tower, the Torre d’Arnolfo, can be seen best from Piazzale Michelangelo – a balcony over Florence with spectacular views of terracotta roofs, the River Arno and Brunelleschi’s portly dome – all backed by the rolling hills of Chianti. It is the sight of a thousand picture postcards and Merchant Ivory film shots but it never fails to take your breath away.