Strolling through Florence: The Definitive Walking Guide to the Renaissance City

To walk through Florence is to step into one of the most remarkable histories of any European city. From its establishment by Julius Caesar in the first century BC, through its Golden Age at the epicentre of the Italian Renaissance, to its position as an iconic cultural destination in the twenty-first, Florence is a small city that packs a lot of punch. This is the birthplace of Dante and Boccaccio, Leonardo da Vinci and Michaelangelo, the Medicis, Botticelli, Donatello and the `Mad Monk' Savonarola. Their stories permeate every corner of Florence, but the city's contemporary scene is just as alluring, from cutting edge art and fashion to food. It is only by exploring Florence on foot that the visitor can truly experience everything the city has to offer. In this indispensable guide, Mario Erasmo has created ten bespoke walking tours - from `Florence in a Day' to `Dante's Florence' - that will appeal to every kind of traveller and unlock the secrets of this remarkable city.

Mario Erasmo is Professor of Classics at the University of Georgia, USA. He is the author of Death: Antiquity and Its Legacy (2012), Reading Death in Ancient Rome (2008) and Roman Tragedy: Theatre to Theatricality (2004).