Palazzo Vecchio

"The town hall of Florence, Palazzo Vecchio is an amazing example of Renaissance architecture." - Travel + Leisure Editors

"This imposing building has served as Florence’s town hall since Medici times. Until the 15th century, it was the tallest edifice in the city with a 95-meter-high tower (Brunelleschi’s dome on the cathedral surpassed it). It is attributed to Arnolfo di Cambio, while the interior is largely the work of Giorgio Vasari. The first floor includes the magnificent Salone del Cinquecento, while upstairs are the sumptuous Royal Apartments with Eleonora di Toledo’s elaborate chapel and the Sala dei Gigli with frescoes by Ghirlandaio."

"Once the seat of government in Florence, Palazzo Vecchio is now an art museum—though the experience is more about the building's design and history. The courtyard has a series of stuccoes and frescoes, though you'll see more people snapping pics of the replica of Michelangelo's David . On the first floor is Salone dei Cinquecento (the Hall of the Five Hundred), the largest and most artistically important room on the property, originally decorated by Michelangelo and Leonardo. The second floor once housed the private rooms of the Medici court; today, still sumptuously furnished, it's where you'll find the Donatello’s Judith . And the 311-foot Tower of Palazzo Vecchio was, like the rest of the building, designed by Arnolfo di Cambio—who also built the Duomo." - Bridget Arsenault