Florence is approximately two hours drive from Cenno. You can bypass Paganico by taking a turning on your right marked Bagni di Petriolo, which then rejoins the E78. There are wonderful views back to Monte Amiata and the hill top village of Segiano.

The advantage of Florence over Rome is that the centre is smaller and more compact. You can walk easily from one magnificent square or church to another.

The Duomo, with its dome by Brunelleschi, and the Giotto Campanile is a good starting point and if you have the energy to climb to the top, is worth every step for the view. Opposite the Duomo is the Baptistery with superb Venetian mosaics covering the interior of the cupola and behind the cathedral the Museo dell Opera del Duomo which houses the gilded bronze panels by Lorenzo Ghiberti, removed from the east door of the Baptistery, and the unfinished but incredibly moving Pieta by Michaelangelo. This is a charming museum and less frenetic than the famous Uffizi or the Accademia.

The Uffizi is a treasure trove of Italian art and a must-see for any art lover but do book in advance (Tel: +39055294883) Botticelli's 'Primavera' and 'The Birth of Venus' are probably the best known paintings, but there are works by Cimabue, Giotto, Piero della Francesca, Uccello, Leonardo da Vinci and Filippo Lippi to name but a few. You should also try to book for the Academia with its famous statue of David, but if you are pressed for time there is a copy in the Piazza della Signora which is also very impressive. 

There's a pleasant cafe with an open-air terrace where one can recover if this visual feast is all too much! From Uffizi it's a short walk down to the River Arno and the famous bridge, the Ponte Vecchio. Across the river there are restaurants overlooking the water and the bridge, which is floodlit at night.

Florence has a wealth of beautiful churches that all merit a visit. The churches of Santa Maria Novella and San Lorenzo and the Medici chapels are very near the railway station. One could spend hours in these, as there is so much to see and wonder at.

A happy diversion from churches is the hidden gem of the Santa Maria Novella pharmacy and perfume shop established by the monks, unexpectedly situated in what looks like a house with a long entrance corridor on the Via della Scala. It is much more than a shop, with magnificent ornate rooms and information on all the plants used for medicine and perfumery. 

To the east of the Duomo is the church of Santa Croce with a lovely open square and a statue of Dante. It houses the tombs of Michaelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli, to name but a few and has frescoes by Giotto.

Across the Arno River is the pitti Palace with paintings by Raphael, Rubens and Titian. If you have the energy to walk up the hill to the impressive fortress you will be rewarded with magnificent views over the city and up to Fiesoli in the distance. The view is particularly spectacular at night when the Duomo is floodlit. 

If you just want to soak up the atmosphere of Florence and have no time or inclination to visit churches or museums but could cope with one masterpiece then make it the glorious annunciation by Fra Angelico in the convent of San Marco on the piazza of the same name.

Florence Rome Pisa Siena Montepulciano Pienza La Foce San Antimo Banfi Montalcino Bagno Vignoli