Travels on the Run: Florence
From Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, topped by Filippo Brunelleschi’s magnificent dome, I pound cobbled streets through the Piazza della Signoria and its replica of David.
Along the arched colonnade of the Uffizi, a line of Renaissance-era glitterati stare down from stone perches—Michelangelo Buonarroti, Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo Galilei, Lorenzo de’ Medici among them—reminding me of this part of the world’s lavish hoard of artists, scientists, poets, and downright geniuses.
At the Arno River, a quick right and left and I’m on the Ponte Vecchio, the picturesque old bridge where the gold vendors have not yet opened their shutters.
Left along the river to Piazza Giuseppe Poggi and up I go, climbing quiet tree-shaded steps and pathways to Piazzale Michelangelo. The anticipation is mine alone, and I’m not disappointed as the lovely city of Florence spreads beneath me in all her Renaissance glory.
I pick out the slim steeples and Tuscan Gothic facades of Santa Croce (where many great Florentines are buried) and Santa Maria Novella, the Jewish Synagogue, and, lording above them all, Brunelleschi’s revolutionary red-and-white dome.
Run Stats
Mileage: three-mile loop
Best Time: Early morning, before the city crowds clog the streets
Start and End: Santa Maria dei Fiori, Piazza del Duomo
Route
- From Santa Maria del Fiore, go down Via dei Calzaiuoli to Piazza della Signoria
- Leave the square via Piazzale degli Uffizi
- At Lungarno Generale Diaz, go right to Ponte Vecchio
- Cross the bridge
- Go left on Via de’ Bardi following the river downstream (the street name changes to Lungarno Torrigiani then to Lungarno Serristori)
- At Piazza Giuseppe Poggi, follow the staircases and pathways up Monte alle Croci to Piazzale Michelangelo
Barbara A. Noe is senior editor at National Geographic Travel Books.
You May Also Like
Go Further
Animals
- Cougar travels 1,000 miles in one of longest recorded treksCougar travels 1,000 miles in one of longest recorded treks
- Rare gray whale spotted in the Atlantic—and it's only the beginningRare gray whale spotted in the Atlantic—and it's only the beginning
- Why 'funga' is just as important as flora and faunaWhy 'funga' is just as important as flora and fauna
- Termite fossils prove mating hasn't changed in 38 million yearsTermite fossils prove mating hasn't changed in 38 million years
Environment
- Why the 2024 hurricane season could be especially activeWhy the 2024 hurricane season could be especially active
- Mushroom leather? The future of fashion is closer than you think.Mushroom leather? The future of fashion is closer than you think.
- This deadly fungus is hitchhiking its way across the worldThis deadly fungus is hitchhiking its way across the world
- Why 'funga' is just as important as flora and faunaWhy 'funga' is just as important as flora and fauna
- This exploding mine holds a treasure that may change the worldThis exploding mine holds a treasure that may change the world
History & Culture
- See the story of Jonah and the whale like never beforeSee the story of Jonah and the whale like never before
- This ancient mosaic offers extraordinary insights into the pastThis ancient mosaic offers extraordinary insights into the past
- These are the real dunes that inspired Dune—and you can visit themThese are the real dunes that inspired Dune—and you can visit them
- Meet the only woman privy to the plot to kill Julius CaesarMeet the only woman privy to the plot to kill Julius Caesar
Science
- Women’s bodies are understudied—but that’s starting to changeWomen’s bodies are understudied—but that’s starting to change
- Hundreds of tiny arachnids are likely on your face right nowHundreds of tiny arachnids are likely on your face right now
- What's worse than a hangover? Hangxiety. Here's why it happens.What's worse than a hangover? Hangxiety. Here's why it happens.
Travel
- A taste of West Bengal, from curries to Kolkata street foodA taste of West Bengal, from curries to Kolkata street food
- Discover southeastern Spain's secret coastal regionDiscover southeastern Spain's secret coastal region
- All aboard Norway's slow train under the midnight sunAll aboard Norway's slow train under the midnight sun