What if I was to tell you that there is a world-class museum where admission is free and you can eat as much gelato as you can handle while admiring Renaissance-era statues and architecture?

A museum where you won’t be shushed and you can snack while touring. (Photo courtesy of danielito on morguefile)

If that piques your interest, you need to get yourself to one of the best outdoor museums in Europe: the city of Florence.

During medieval times, Florence was a major trade center. It also is known as the birthplace of Machiavelli (of better-to-be-feared-than-loved fame), Michaelangelo, and the Renaissance movement.

Today, this town of red rooftops and gelaterias is the capital city of Tuscany, dripping with vineyards, villas, and Vespas. And yes, there are lots of pay-to-see sights on the must-do list here, like the Uffizi Gallery, or the Palazzos. But the sights that have stayed with me after leaving Florence were the ones I saw just walking around the town: the statues in the piazzas, the shops on stilts clinging to the Ponte Vecchio, and the ever-present heart of Florence, the Duomo.

The Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral, a.k.a. the Duomo, is a massive and eye-catching building of red and green that fills a city block.

Santa Maria del Fiore

Take a moment inside to observe the precise placement and lighting. I’m not one to usually notice such things, but in this church, it was the first thing that struck my attention.

Inside the Duomo

The Duomo casts a long-reaching shadow across the city, a constant reminder of how great Florence has been and how beautiful she still is.