The city of Florence eats， sleeps and breathes art. Examples of man’s artistic genius stand on nearly every street. Dozens of museums and art shops wait to be explored. Florence， Italy， is an art lover’s paradise.
During the Renaissance (or “Rebirth” of art)， Florence was a paradise for artists themselves. In fact， the Renaissance① began here more than 500 years ago. Before this time， art focused completely on religious subjects. Renaissance art began to include more variety. Artists painted pictures of ordinary people. They painted scenes from history and characters from Greek and Roman myths.
Michelangelo was the greatest of Florence’s artists. Visitors line up for hours at the Accademia museum for a look at his impressive② David. This 14-foot-high statue has become the ideal human figure of the Renaissance. David is an example of Michelangelo’s talent for sculpting people simply， yet powerfully.
More of Michelangelo’s work can be seen in the great Palazzo Vecchio. This building housed the Florentine government from 1299—1322. Paintings and carvings of famous Italian artists fill the palace rooms. Michelangelo helped decorate the outside， too. He chiseled③ a head into the palace wall. A story says that to win a bet， Michelangelo carved the head with his hands behind his back， facing away from the wall.
Not far from the Palazzo Vecchio lies Florence’s Cathedral Square. The beautiful domed Duomo， or “House of God，” took nearly 150 years to build (1294—1436). One of the most famous engineers of the day designed it. Visitors still marvel at the dome， the crowning feature of the cathedral. To this day， no building in Florence may rise above the dome.
Nearby stands the Cathedral Works Museum. The building once housed the offices of the men who commissioned art for the cathedral. Today it contains sculptures④ that used to decorate the outside of the cathedral.
A short walk through the narrow streets of Florence brings visitors to the famous Uffizi Gallery. This building dates from 1560 and used to be an office building. (Uffici means office in Italian.) Today it boasts an outstanding⑤ art collection. Visitors should be sure to wear comfortable shoes， as exploring the gallery takes many hours. Some of the most famous works in the collection include Botticelli’s Primavera and Birth of Venus.
Even visitors tired of art won’t want to miss the Pitti Palace. Once home to Florence’s powerful Medici family， the grand palace now houses three museums.
Filled with priceless art， the numerous rooms glitter with gold decorations. For a breath of fresh air， wander among the statues and fountains⑥ of the palace gardens. They are some of the grandest gardens in Italy. Besides filling the gardens with sculptures and fountains， the Medici experimented with growing potatoes and pineapples here.
After exiting the Pitti， a right turn brings visitors to one of Florence’s famous outdoor sights， the Ponte Vecchio. This bridge over the Arno River has been lined with jewelry shops and goldsmiths since 1593. Those interested in purchasing⑦ a few modern treasures may want to shop here. The quality of the craftsmanship is very high—but so are the prices.
To get a feel of modern Florence， join the evening promenade⑧. This traditional feature of Italian life begins around 6 p.m. when everyone gets off work. People stroll down the streets of central Florence to do last-minute shopping or just chat with friends. Be sure to stroll past Perche Noi， home of the oldest and best ice cream in the city.
Florence has given the world many great art treasures. Some stand in gardens and squares. Others line the walls of beautiful palaces. Still others are the palaces themselves. For art lovers， Florence is indeed paradise.
① renaissancen. 文艺复兴（常大写）；新生，复活
② impressiveadj. 感人的，令人钦佩的；威严的，使人敬畏的
③ chiselv. 凿，雕
④ sculpturen. 雕刻品，雕塑品，雕像
⑤ outstandingadj. 显著的，重要的，杰出的
⑥ fountainn. 泉水，喷泉
⑦ purchasev. 买，购买 n. 所购之物
⑧ promenaden. 散步
佛罗伦萨特写
在佛罗伦萨这个城市里，吃的、睡的、和呼吸的都是艺术。人类艺术天赋的典范几乎矗立在每一条街上，成打的博物馆和美工艺品店等待着您去探索。意大利的佛罗伦萨是艺术爱好者的天堂。
在文艺复兴时期（或称艺术重生时期），佛罗伦萨对艺术家们本身就是个天堂，事实上在五百多年前，文艺复兴就在这儿发迹了。在这之前，艺术作品完全集中在宗教主题上，而文艺复兴时期的艺术则包含更多变化的风貌，艺术家们描绘一般人物的画像，也绘画希腊罗马神话中的历史和人物。
米开朗基罗是佛罗伦萨艺术家中的佼佼者。游客们在阿卡得米亚博物馆前大排长龙达好几个钟头之久，为了一睹他感人的大作《大卫像》的风采，这一尊14英尺高的雕像已经成为文艺复兴时期最完美的一尊人物塑像。《大卫像》是一种典范，表现出米开朗基罗雕塑人像简洁而有力的风格。
在维琪奥宫可以看到更多米开朗基罗的作品，这栋建筑在1299年至1322年曾是佛罗伦萨政府的所在地。著名意大利艺术家的画作和雕刻作品，摆满了宫中的各厅室。米开朗基罗也协助装饰其外观，他在宫墙上雕刻头像，有一个传说提到，为了跟人打赌，米开朗基罗背对着墙，两手背在后面雕刻头像。
离维琪奥宫不远的地方座落着佛罗伦萨大教堂广场。华丽圆顶的杜奥莫大教堂，或称“神的殿堂”，花了将近150年才建造完工（1294—1436年），并由当时最著名的工程师设计而成。今日的游客仍惊叹于这个圆顶，它是教堂中最引人注目像皇冠似的一景。时至今日，在佛罗伦萨没有任何一栋建筑高过这个圆顶的。
教堂文物博物馆耸立于附近，这栋建筑曾经是那些为此座教堂定制艺术品的人的办公室，今天它收藏了过去装饰教堂外观的雕像。
稍作散步一番走过佛罗伦萨狭窄的小巷，游客将来到著名的乌菲齐美术馆。这栋建筑建于1560年间，当年是作为办公之用。（乌菲齐在意大利语中是办公室的意思。）今日，它则以其出色的艺术收藏而自豪，游客们一定得穿着舒适的鞋子去参观，因为要一探这个美术馆得花好几个小时的时间。收藏的一些著名的作品中包括有波提切利的《春》和《维也纳的诞生》。
就算游客们已经对艺术品很厌烦了，他们还是不会错过彼蒂宫。它曾是佛罗伦萨的权贵，麦德西家族的住处，这个宏伟的宫殿如今包含了3个博物馆。
那闪闪耀眼置满金饰的厅室中，摆满了珍贵无价的艺术品。若想呼吸一下新鲜空气，可以在宫廷花园的雕像和喷水池间漫步一番，这是意大利境內极佳的花园，麦德西家族除了在花园里置满了雕像和喷水池之外，还实验性地在这儿种马岭薯和凤梨。
离开了彼蒂宫之后，右转便将游客带入佛罗伦萨最著名的戶外风景区维琪奥桥，此桥横跨阿诺河上，桥上自1593年便设有成排的珠宝店和金匠铺子。有兴趣购买一些现代宝物的人，或许可以在这儿采购一番。这儿的技术品质相当的高，不过价钱也是很高的。
若想感受一下现代的佛罗伦萨，可以晚上到街上去晃晃，这种传统的意大利式生活情趣，大约从晚上六点开始。当大家都下班了，人们会晃到佛罗伦萨市中心的街上去，或是赶在晚饭前快速采购一些东西，或是跟朋友聊聊天。散步时別错过了波尔奇挪伊，它是全佛罗伦萨历史最悠久也最好吃的冰淇淋的产地。
佛罗伦萨提供了世人许多绝佳的艺术宝藏，它们有些矗立在花园和广场上，有些则陈列在华丽的宫墙上，而有些宝藏就是那些宫殿本身。对艺术爱好者而言，佛罗伦萨确实是天堂。