24 hours in Florence: what to see

The Florence Cathedral opens the day: the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, with its dome designed by Brunelleschi, remains to this day the largest unreinforced masonry structure of its kind ever built, climbable for a view over the city's roofs.

Beside it stands the Baptistry of Saint John, with its famous bronze doors, including the Gate of Paradise created by Lorenzo Ghiberti, considered a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture.

Proceeding toward Piazza della Signoria, the city's political heart since the Middle Ages, you encounter Palazzo Vecchio and the Loggia dei Lanzi, with its freely accessible outdoor sculptures.

For lunch, venues around the Central Market offer a taste of Tuscan cuisine, from ribollita to schiacciata flatbread.

The Ponte Vecchio is Florence's only bridge to survive wartime destruction in 1944, still flanked by the goldsmith shops that have characterised it since the 16th century.

Across the Arno on the hill, Piazzale Michelangelo instead dominates the entire panorama of the city, with the Cathedral and its bell towers in the foreground.

On the opposite bank of the Arno, the Santo Spirito neighbourhood — squares and trattorias away from the city-centre crowds — is the quietest choice for dinner.

The Cathedral, the Baptistry, and Piazza della Signoria clearly articulate Florence's Renaissance heart, while the afternoon choice between the Ponte Vecchio and Piazzale Michelangelo adds its historical or panoramic side.

The Uffizi, with one of the world's most important art collections, and the Accademia Gallery with Michelangelo's David remain chapters for a second visit, since both would require the better part of a day on their own. Seeing Brunelleschi's dome dominating the skyline from Piazzale Michelangelo remains the most memorable detail of Florence.