Piazza della Signoria is an open-air museum that, at every step, gives glimpses and views of particular beauty, evidence of a thriving past and architectural treasures of enormous value. What, then, we found on the whole Florence, famous worldwide since ancient times, and probably the most important cultural center of Italy, the cradle of art and Italian language, chest of an artistic heritage of inestimable value and hometown of celebrities worldwide as Giotto, the great painter, and Dante Alighieri, father of Italian language.

The unusual shape "L" of Piazza della Signoria is the result of centuries of changes, which have always favoured the most important monument in the square itself, the Palazzo Vecchio. Built at the end of 13th century as the seat of the Priori of Arts in the 15th century became the seat of Signoria and from 1540 to 1565 housed the powerful Medici family-lords of the city-until their final move at Palazzo Pitti, a new palace beyond Arno river.

On the square facing the original Loggia della Signoria, born as a place for public meetings of the Municipality, and the 16th century transformed by Cosimo I de' Medici in outdoor gallery with Roman and Renaissance statues. In the center of the square is the so-called "Biancone", a majestic fountain with satyrs, marine gods, characterized by marble statue of the god Neptune, nicknamed by the Florentines "Biancone" for his clumsiness.

On the side towards the Arno, Piazza della Signoria is bounded from the Uffizi, one of the most famous and visited museums in the world. A masterpiece of Vasari, the palace was designed as the seat of administrative records of the state. In 1581 Prince Francesco I ordered that the collections, housed in the Gallery of the building, must be visible to any persons who were required. Was born the concept of modern museum as a place of public enjoyment of works of art and the Uffizi Gallery became, therefore, the oldest museum in Europe. Today is the largest collection of Italian painting in the world, including masterpieces by Giotto, Paolo Uccello, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, which are flanked by hundreds paintings, tables, paintings of the major international artists.

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Palazzo Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, Florence