Florence's political heart and outdoor sculpture gallery, dominated by Palazzo Vecchio's crenellated tower. The piazza is ringed with statues — a replica of Michelangelo's David, Cellini's bronze Perseus, Giambologna's Rape of the Sabine Women in the Loggia dei Lanzi — and has been the city's civic centre since the 13th century. The Loggia itself is free and shelters some of the finest Renaissance sculpture in the city.
Start a day here in the early morning before the crowds arrive. Caffè Rivoire on the piazza's edge is the traditional coffee stop.