This Tour will follow special paths for disabled people in wheelchair inside both Accademia Gallery and the Duomo, so that you can enjoy in full the beauty of Florence. You’ll meet our professional English-speaking guide in the prearranged meeting-point, which can be changed according to guests requirements:

In this tour You will visit the Accademia Gallery (1 hour and 30 minutes) with its paintings of the Florentine school and some of the most important sculptures by Michelangelo. Then the Duomo (internal visit) which is famous for its dome overlooking the church and the Piazza della Signoria, heart of the Florentine political life since the end of the 12th century.

The Cathedral

The Duomo, surmounted by Filippo Brunelleschi’s famous red-tiled dome, is the symbol of Florence. The largest in the world at the time its was built, the dome is 45 m wide and 104 m high from the drum – where previous builders had left off, unsure of how to complete the building – to the distinctive lantern at the top of the cupola. Brunelleschi’s ingenious solution was constructing the dome of two layers enclosing a space inside, and having each layer become progressively thinner toward the top, thus reducing the weight. You can climb 463 spiralling steps to the top inside the steps between the layers. The dome was finished in 1436, but other architects fiddled with it thought the ages, and the façade was redone in neo-Gothic style hundreds of years later. As a whole, the Dome is more impressive and pink marble echoing the patterns on the Baptistery and Campanile. Inside are Paolo Uccello frescoes from the 1430s and 1440s, including his memorial to Sir John Hawkwood, an English mercenary hired by the Florentines. Restored in 1996, the frescoes inside the dome were begun by Giorgio Vasari and finished by Federico Zuccari in 1579.

Piazza della Signoria

Florence’s most famous square was built in the 13th and 14th centuries. Signoria is the name of the political system that governed the city at the time – the Medicis were the signori (lords) – and this was the political heart of Florence. A beautiful example of medieval architecture, the L-shaped Square is flanked by the Palazzio Vecchio on the east side and the famous Loggia della Signoria on the south. The Fountain of Neptune at the corner of the Palazzo Vecchio, was built by the architect Ammannati in 1575 and criticized by many, including Michelangelo; Florentines used to mock it as Big Whitey. The small disk in the ground near the fountain marks the spot where the famous Dominican monk Savonarola was executed. His efforts to purify the Florentines and rid the church of corruption gave him increased political power but also led to his excommunication from the church. He was condemned as a heretic and burned on the square in 1498. The David that you can see in the square is a copy of the original statue by Michelangelo, which was moved to the Accademia in the 19th century. The statue flanking it is Heracles by Baccio Bandinelli.

Accademia Gallery (Visit 1 hour and 30 minutes)

The gallery was founded in 1784 and is the probably best known of Florence thanks to Michelangelo's David, who has been removed after 400 years of the Piazza della Signoria and is now issued in a hall which was built specially for him. Other works by Michelangelo like some of the "slaves" series as well as his San Matteo sculpture can also be admired here. Here is also issued a wonderful collection of paintings from the 13th-16th Century.

Among the highlights of the gallery are:
From Sienna a crucifix from the 13th Century, Taddeo Gaddi’s 24 boards, scenes from the life of Christ and St. Francis and Giovanni da Milanos "Pieta".

Take water, camera & sun cream. In low season warmer clothing may be required!

THIS TOUR WILL OPERATE RAIN OR SHINE, SO BE PREPARED FOR ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS.