The Santa Maria del Carmine church serves as a shrine to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the name given to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Built in the late 13th century, what one can see today on the exteriors is just the remains of the Romanesque- Gothic structure. In the 18th century, a fire nearly destroyed the entire structure and miraculously spared the Brancacci Chapel- the Renaissance Fresco, the church is most renowned for.
The Brancacci Chapel stands as a monument of the immergence of the Italian Renaissance. The fresco that adorns the wall of the Santa Maria del Carmine is among the most influential and an important turning point in the history of Italian Art. The making of the fresco in the Brancacci Chapel began in 1425, when Masolino da Panicale was commissioned to work on three walls of the chapel. Masolino called upon his associate, the 21 year old Masaccio to assist him throughout the project. His brief visit to Hungary left Masaccio in charge of the fresco, which led to a major influence of his style on the fresco which is seen as one of the best works of his life. However, Masaccio’s demise in 1428 left the fresco abandoned for 60 years till the arrival of Filippino Lippi, who also contributed immensely to the Chapel.

Casa Guidi is the fifteenth-century patrician house in Piazza San Felice, 8, near the south end of the Pitti Palace in Florence, in which the piano nobile apartment was inhabited by Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning between 1847 and Mrs Browning's death in 1861. After their son Pen's death in 1912, the apartment was bought by several Browning enthusiasts. By that time, Casa Guidi was in poor shape, and the apartment retained hardly any furniture or paintings. The Browning Society in New York restored it, before giving it to Eton College which undertook further work so that the building could be used as a study centre. Today, it is part of The Eton College Collections, but is administered by the Landmark Trust, who also look after the house in Rome where Keats died. When not being used by Eton boys, the property is available for holiday lets booked through the Landmark Trust.

The Chiesa di San Felice or the Church of Saint Felix is in the Piazza San Felice, west of the Pitti Palace. Located on the south banks of the River Arno, the Chiesa di San Felice is arguably the oldest church after San Lorenzo. The first structure on the site traces back to the Roman times. However, a church on this site has been mentioned in documents only since the 1066. This church is said to have been built in 1400’s. However, the structure subsequently underwent a number of modifications and restorations. In 1926, the Church caught fire after which it underwent a major restoration.
The Chiesa di San Felice is constructed in accordance to the Gothic style of architecture. The façade done by Michelozzo, however, blends in a Renaissance essence in to the Church. The Church is also known for the large Crucifix adorned in the main chapel over the high altar which is the work of either Giotto or his school.
The Chiesa di San Felice also played an important role during the Second World War and German occupation. The Church not only stood as a pillar of resistance during that time but also played a vital role in protecting and giving refuge to prosecuted Jews.

Amidst the historical churches and architectural marvels surrounding Florence is the oldest science museums in Europe, The La Specola.
The Museum of Zoology and Natural History or better known as La Specola, was opened in 1775 by the Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo di Lorena. The Prince envisioned a museum which was open to public. This is why he purchased a block of building very close to the Pitti Palace and converted it into a museum. The museum was inaugurated in 1775 and was officially opened to the public and has been ever since. Up until the 19th century, La Specola was the only scientific museum in the world with open admission, opening hours, guided tours and museum curators.
Spread across 34 rooms, the La Specola boasts a vast collection of fossils, natural resources, minerals, animal specimens, exotic plants and rare books. Many exhibits in the museum date back to fourteenth and fifteenth century and the Medici family. The Medici family had a passion and tradition of collecting artefacts from all over the world which is displayed very proudly at the La Specola.
However, the prized possession of the museum was, and still remains, the collection of anatomical wax models, an art form introduced by Ludovico Cigoli. The wax models were made for teaching anatomy without having to cut open a cadaver.

Luca Pitti, a famous banker of Florence, commissioned the construction of this palace for his residence in 1458. However, when he died, the construction had not been completed yet. Financial issues forced Pitti descendants to sell this building to Eleonora Medici, the wife of Cosimo de’Medici, who moved in later that year from Palazzo Vecchio, the Medicis' then residence. A private corridor was then built between the two buildings for the privacy of the house residents.

Ammanatti was commissioned by the family in 1558 and was assigned the task of making the Boboli Gardens. The Gardens have an amphitheatre where performances were held to entertain the Medici family. The palace was the residence for the House of Lorraine, after the end of the Medici dynasty. Napoleon, too, stayed here during his reign over Italy. Victor Emmanuel III, from the House of Savoy, gifted the palace to the nation of Italy in 1919, which was then opened to the public as five art galleries and the largest museum complex in Florence.

You can see over 500 Renaissance style paintings in the Palatine Gallery, witness the lavish residence of the Medici family at the Royal Apartments, see the “The Medici Treasury” containing priceless silver items from the 15th century, along with the Costumes Gallery and the Porcelain and Carriages Museums, when you visit here. Even with over five million annual visitors and being a part of public property, the Palazzo has the feel of a private royal collection.

The Giardino di Boboli or the Boboli Garden is one of the most elegant gardens in Florence. Situated just behind the Pitti Palace, the Boboli Gardens is said to be the first few gardens that were built in the sixteenth century. The gardens were built for the wife of Cosimo I de' Medici, Eleonora di Toledo.
The Boboli Gardens have had many renowned art names of the sixteenth century working on it. Niccolo Tribolo worked on it till his death in 1550. The work was later taken over by Bartolomeo Ammanati and Bernardo Buontalenti. These artists were responsible for the emergence of the Mannerist style in art, which succeeded the Renaissance period of art in Florence. Hence, the Boboli Gardens are also looked at as one of the important places in Florence where the different styles can be appreciated.
Through the years the Boboli Gardens have undergone large scale reconstructions as a result of which the present day garden covers an area of approximately 11 acres of land. This vast garden is also looked upon as a museum where one can encounter art, sculptures and antiques right from the Roman era to the 16th and 17th centuries. Filled with grottos, nymphea, mythical sculptures and garden temples, the Boboli Gardens is sure to enchant your senses!

The chiesa di Santa Felicita (Church of St Felicity) is a church in Florence, probably the oldest in the city after San Lorenzo. In the 2nd century, Syrian Greek merchants settled in the area south of the Arno and are thought to have brought Christianity to the region. The first church on the site was probably built in the late 4th century or early 5th century and was dedicated to Saint Felicity of Rome. A new church was built in the 11th century and the current church largely dates from 1736–1739, under design by Ferdinando Ruggieri, who turned it into a one nave edifice. The monastery was suppressed under the Napoleonic occupation of 1808-1810. In the church there are also the Martyrdom of the Maccabees (1863) by Antonio Ciseri in the 3rd chapel on the right, the Meeting of St. Anne and St. Joachim, attributed to Michele Tosini, at the end of the right transept, the Assumption of the Virgin with Saints (1677), attributed to Baldassare Franceschini, at the end of the left transept.

The Forte di Belvedere or Fortezza di Santa Maria in San Giorgio del Belvedere is a fortification in Florence. It was built by Grand Duke Ferdinando I de' Medici during the period 1590–1595, with Bernardo Buontalenti as the designer, to protect the city and its rule by the Medici family. In particular, it was used to hold the Medici treasury. The design and construction of the Fort were entrusted to architect Bernardo Buontalenti, the chief architect for both Cosimo I and his son, Ferdinando. The Fort served many purposes: to protect the center of government in Florence, the Pitti Palace; to protect the south end of the city of Florence and the Oltrarno district; to demonstrate the power of the Medici family; and finally to provide a shelter for the Grand Duke if the city came under attack. The fort was connected to Palazzo Vecchio via the Vasari Corridor over Ponte Vecchio, passages in the Pitti Palace and paths through Boboli Gardens.