Piazza del Duomo
Located just minutes away from La Grancontessa, in the very heart of Florence’s historic center, Santa Maria del Fiore Duomo is probably the city’s most famous symbol and one of the most visited places in the world. The cathedral is Europe’s 4th largest church and home of the Cupola del Brunelleschi with Giorgio Vassari’s frescoes of the Last Judgment on the inside, as well as Giotto’s famous bell tower. You can climb up to the top of the Duomo and admire the stunning views of the city of Florence.
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The Baptistery (Il Battistero), one of the oldest buildings in Florence, was the place where many famous Florentines, including Dante himself, were baptized. You can’t miss its remarkable doors by Andrea Pisano and especially the ones facing the Duomo by Lorenzo Ghiberti, which took 27 years to create. Inside, magnificent 13th century Venetian mosaics adorn the cupola of the Baptistery.
The Uffizi
The Uffizi, designed by Giorgio Vasari and built between 1560 and 1580, is one of the most important museums in the world. It holds the world’s greatest collection of Italian Renaissance paintings, including famous works by Michelangelo, Leonardo, Botticelli, Caravaggio and Raphael, to name but a few. The majority of the collection was accumulated over centuries of time by the Medici family and bequeathed to the people of Florence at the end of their dynasty line.
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La Grancontessa is just a short walk from the Uffizi Gallery. We advise you to allow yourself at least two hours to admire the museum’s rich collection of masterpieces. To avoid waiting in line for hours in front of the gallery, you can book your entrance tickets in advance or ask us to do it for you. We’ll be more than happy to assist!
Ponte Vecchio
Ponte Vecchio is the oldest of Florence's bridges and one of the most famous landmarks of the city. Millions have stopped to gaze at the captivating views through the ancient frame of the Ponte Vecchio or wonder through the numerous antique and jewellery shops. Originally these shops were butchers, tanners and blacksmiths that were later replaced with jewellers and goldsmiths by Ferdinando I to provide for a quieter and cleaner road.
Just a short walk from Ponte Vecchio, La Grancontessa is an excellent starting point for a tour of all major attractions. We offer comfortable lodgings at affordable prices in the very heart of Florence.
L'Accademia
The Academy of Fine Arts, founded in 1563, was created specifically to teach painting, drawing and sculpture. It was the first school of its kind in Europe. Nowadays, you can easily spot L’Accademia from a distance due to the enormously long lines of tourists outside, eager to see Michelangelo’s masterpiece David. Carved in the beginning of the 1500s from a single piece of marble, this colossal statue (5.2 m) is surely one of Michelangelo’s most famous works and established him, at the young age of 29, as the leading sculptor of his time. The nude statue was originally commissioned by the city of Florence for Piazza della Signoria. In 1873, it was replaced by a copy and moved to the Accademia for safekeeping.
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