Palazzo Vecchio

Palazzo Vecchio has been the seat of Florence's government continuously since construction began in 1299, which makes it unusual among the city's grand buildings: it isn't only a museum, it's also where the mayor and city council still work today. The fortress-like exterior, with its off-centre Arnolfo Tower, was built for real defensibility during a genuinely turbulent period of Florentine politics.

What to see inside

• The Hall of the Five Hundred (Salone dei Cinquecento) — the palace's showpiece: a vast hall built in 1494 to seat the 500-member Grand Council of the Florentine Republic, later redecorated by Giorgio Vasari with enormous battle frescoes glorifying Medici military victories. The scale alone is worth the visit.
• The Studiolo of Francesco I — a small, densely decorated private study, one of the most intact Mannerist interiors in Florence.
• The Medici private apartments — a run of rooms giving a sense of how the family actually lived once the palace shifted from republican seat to ducal residence under Cosimo I.
• Arnolfo Tower — a climb of just over 200 steps (shorter than the Duomo dome) to a viewing gallery with a different angle on the skyline than Piazzale Michelangelo or the Duomo itself, since it looks down directly onto Piazza della Signoria.

Booking

Tickets are timed-entry and, in high season, worth booking a few days ahead rather than relying on walk-up availability. The tower climb is usually a separate or add-on ticket from the main museum — check the current combination when booking, since it has changed configuration in recent years.