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G alleria degli Uffizi Italy's richest and most celebrated art gallery is housed in what was originally built as the Medici Whitehall—the governing dynasty's administrative centre. With prominent names as Michelangelo, Rafaello, Giotto and Leonardo da Vinci, this famous museum surely prides the city of Florence and art lovers alike. The museum is not only a delight to the eye for the collections it houses as the beauty of the symmetrical museum design, the imperial halls and the grandeur of spaces are true elements of architectural contentment. For those who really like to indulge in the finest of art, the private tour of the Vasari Corridor and its self- portrait collection (welcomes visitors again in 2018) feels like stepping back in time to the frontrunners of the modern-day selfie and is an exquisite insight in former times through the eyes and brushes of plenty a painter. uffizi.it Giotto’s Bell Tower Of course you haven’t visited Florence if you missed Michelangelo’s David. With its five metres plus of marble, David is a prominent art subject and can be seen in Galleria dell’Accademia. Just as impressive a stature is Italy’s most beautiful campanile based in the centre of town. As part of the four principal monuments on the Piazza del Duomo, the majestic square bell turret towers over all other monuments with its almost 85 metres in height. This Gothic piece of architecture is just as sound as it is exquisite in style—clad in the finest white, red and green marble, decorated with hexagons, mosaics and bas- reliefs. The tower was build over centuries, by a few different builders and artists, thus it is interesting to see the flow of architectural eras through the build up of the tower, leaving signature architectural and decorative elements from each artist who worked on the tower. From afar the towers majestic height impresses, yet it is the sight from the top of the projecting terrace, which takes over 400 steps to reach—no lift—which is truly jaw-droppingly phenomenal. Having a view over Florence’s terracotta roofs, impressive Renaissance buildings and the finest of architecture below surely amazes. ilgrandemuseodelduomo.it Officina Profumo Santa Maria Novella The Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, as it is officially called, is one of the oldest pharmacies in the world. Founded in 1221 by Dominican monks in an unassuming building not far from the Santa Maria Novella, it occupies a suite of hushed rooms, fresco-covered groin-vaulted ceilings, with marble floors and dark wood cabinets and is filled with extraordinary smells. It is not at all out of the ordinary to close one’s eyes and take a mind journey to long gone times, back to the root of perfume and no chance to deviate. Under the watchful eye of Eugenio Alphandery, raw ingredients—most of them locally grown in the hills surrounding Florence— are being prepared into fine perfumes, whole series of Eau de Colognes, essences and triple extracts. For those interested, the perfumery functions as a museum as well. smnovella.com F L O R E N C E : W H E R E T O E X P L O R E 8 9 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I