Travel by train with Italo, the Official Italian High Speed Train, from and to Florence starting from 9,9 €

You can only truly understand what it means to be a city of art when you visit Florence.
The city is a work of art to be discovered together with Italo's bullet train, which will take you directly to the cradle of the Renaissance!

Arriving in Florence by train is worth the trip: the Santa Maria Novella station is located just a few steps from the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, a masterpiece of the Florentine Renaissance – unmistakable for its white marble façade. Inside, you can admire its Museum, which is located in the cloister of the basilica. From the Basilica, the historic center is just a pleasant walk away, where you can watch the jewel of Florence unfold before your eyes. You’ll find yourself among splendid sixteenth-century buildings such as Palazzo Antinori and Palazzo Strozzi, until the cobbled streets lead you to Piazza del Duomo, in front of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and Giotto's bell tower. Just like that, you’ve arrived at the most iconic place in the city. Take a moment to admire Filippo Brunelleschi's red dome from 1436 and the white, pink, and green marble façade of the bell tower. From its top, you have an unparalleled view of the city and the surrounding hills. While in front of the Duomo, feast your eyes on the Romanesque-style Baptistery of San Giovanni.

Another nerve center of the city is the nearby Piazza della Repubblica, dominated by the Colonna dell’Abbondanza. This piazza has always been used for trade and once hosted the Old Market. Continuing your walk, follow Via dei Calzaiuoli towards Piazza della Signoria, the center of social life in Florence, where art is the focus of attention. The piazza is dominated by the fourteenth-century Palazzo Vecchio, now the seat of the Municipality, and by the Loggia dei Lanzi, an open-air art gallery that houses Renaissance sculptures by Giambologna, Benvenuto Cellini, and Agnolo Gaddi. The Fountain of Neptune and Michelangelo's copy of the David complete the picture of the most important attractions in this piazza. Continuing along Piazzale degli Uffizi, adjacent to Piazza della Signoria, you’ll reach the Uffizi Gallery, with its renowned collection of Renaissance art that has contributed to making Italy famous worldwide.

If you don't have time to explore the Gallery fully – which requires several hours to truly appreciate – just take a few steps more, and you’ll find yourself on the Lung'Arno. From here, you can catch a glimpse of another unmistakable landmark of Florence, the Ponte Vecchio, lined with shops and goldsmith workshops. Once you have crossed the bridge, you’ll have entered the so-called “Oltrarno,” where you can take a rest immersed in the green heart of the Boboli Gardens, just a few steps from another important Florentine palace, Palazzo Pitti. If you’d rather continue onward, get lost in the streets of the lively Santo Spirito district, where you’ll find numerous artisan boutiques and shops where you can indulge in some shopping.

Another great reason to visit Florence is its gastronomy. The center of Florence is filled with inns and restaurants of all kinds, where you’ll easily find a place to recharge after so much walking. If you are a carnivore, you certainly cannot miss the highlight of Florentine cuisine, the steak. How to recognize the real one? It must be tall, fresh off the grill, with an average weight of 2 kg! Vegetarians will also be delighted, as another staple of Tuscan cuisine is the ribollita, a vegetable and bread soup (strictly Florentine, meaning without salt).

The artistic and cultural wealth of Florence is so vast, it’s impossible to settle for visiting in just a single day! With Italo's high-speed train, it’s so easy to reach Florence, you’ll surely want to repeat the experience!