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Duomo di Firenze - Pictured is the Florence Cathedral in winter. Arguably the most iconic structure of the city's skyline, the building is dominated by Filippo Brunelleschi's dome. Brunelleschi is considered to be a founding father of Renaissance architecture.

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Duomo di Firenze - When inside the cathedral, peer up at the dome and admire Giorgio Vasari's fresco (detail pictured), begun in 1568 and completed by Federico Zuccari in 1579.

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Firenze - Florence, in Italy's Tuscany region, is the birthplace of the Renaissance.

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Basilica di Santa Croce - The Basilica of the Holy Cross is the city's principal Franciscan Church, and the largest Franciscan Church in the world.

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Basilica di Santa Croce - The basilica's impressive interior is especially noted for its 16 chapels, many of them decorated with frescoes by Giotto.

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San Miniato al Monte - St. Minias on the Mountain is perched on one of the highest points in the city. Built in 1018, this is one of the most scenic churches in Italy.

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San Miniato al Monte - An interior highlight is the exquisite freestanding Cappella del Crocefisso (Chapel of the Crucifix), designed by Michelozzo in 1448.

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Basilica di San Lorenzo - One of the largest churches in the city and one of the oldest, having been consecrated in 393, Basilica of St. Lawrence was the parish church of the Medici family.

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Basilica di San Lorenzo - The basilica's  interior decoration and sculpture is by Donatello, while the Laurentian Library is by Michelangelo. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Cappelle Medicee - The Medici Chapels are two structures at the Basilica of St. Lawrence, dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY-NC 2.0)

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Cappelle Medicee - Pictured is the strikingly ornate chapel of the Princes ceiling.

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Porta del Paradiso - The main gate of the Florence Baptistery is known as the Gates of Paradise, created by Florentine goldsmith and sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti between 1425 and 1452.

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Porta del Paradiso - The rectangular bronze reliefs depict scenes from the Old Testament.

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Gallerie degli Uffizi - One of Italy's—and the world's—most important museums, the Uffizi Gallery contains works by Leonardo da Vinci, Titian, Rembrandt, and Raphael, among other celebrated artists.

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Gallerie degli Uffizi - You can spend several hours wandering the Uffizi Gallery admiring its priceless collection of artworks, particularly from the period of the Italian Renaissance.

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Basilica di Santo Spirito - Dating back to 1481, the Basilica of the Holy Spirit is a superb example of Renaissance architecture.

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Basilica di Santo Spirito - The basilica features no less than 38 side chapels, the most significant being the Bini-Capponi Chapel.

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Museo Nazionale del Bargello - The National Museum of Bargello is located in Palazzo del Bargello (pictured on the right), the oldest public building in Florence.

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Museo Nazionale del Bargello - Bargello houses a remarkable collection of Renaissance sculpture and works of art.

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Basilica di Santa Maria Novella - Consecrated in 1420, the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella is Florence's landmark Dominican church.

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Basilica di Santa Maria Novella - The basilica's stained-glass windows date from the 14th and 15th centuries, the light from which bathe the interior with a rainbow wash.

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Battistero di San Giovanni - The octagonal Florence Baptistery, also known as the Baptistery of Saint John, is one of the oldest buildings in the city. Parts of it date back as far as 1059.

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Battistero di San Giovanni - Pictured is the extraordinary mosaic-covered interior of the baptistery's octagonal dome.

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Palazzo Medici Riccardi - Michelangelo's "kneeling windows" distinguish the exterior of the Medici Riccardi Palace.

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Palazzo Medici Riccardi - One of the many artistic wonders found within the palace is the Magi Chapel. Here you can admire Benozzo Gozzoli's 'Journey of the Magi' (pictured).

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Palazzo Vecchio - The Old Palace looms over the Piazza della Signoria. Its Torre di Arnolfo, or Arnolfo’s tower, is one of the most imposing medieval towers remaining in Florence. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Palazzo Vecchio - The richly decorated interior of the Old Palace features frescoes of Austrian cities by Vasari.

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Piazza della Signoria - The famous marble and bronze Fountain of Neptune designed by Baccio Bandinelli is an architectural focus.

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Piazza della Repubblica - Florence's city square is recognized for its Column of Abundance and triumphal arch.

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Giardino di Boboli - When the crowds become a little overbearing, head for the Boboli Gardens, a lovely park set behind the Pitti Palace.

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Palazzo Pitti - Purchased by the Medici family in 1549, this is now the largest museum complex in Florence.

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Palazzo Pitti - Pictured is the lavish, gilded interior of the Pitti Palace. The Jupiter Room with its lunette frescoes and stucco work by Pietro da Cortona is quite dazzling.

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Ponte Vecchio - The city's medieval stone bridge —the Old Bridge—is one of Florence's most popular tourist draws.

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Galleria dell'Accademia -

A Florence "must-see," Michelangelo's 'David' dates back to between 1501 and 1504, and is considered a masterpiece of Renaissance sculptor.

See also: Insider Tips: Unique ways to discover Venice.

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