The endless parade of art that is Florence continues outside the museums in the Piazza della Signoria. This square is like an open-air art gallery. It is as fine a civic diplay as you could ever hope to see. A reproduction of Michelangelo’s ‘David’ stands just outside the entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio. The original was set up here to celebrate Florence’s vistory over tyranny (eg the Medici). The original now stands in the Accademia, and costs €6.50 to view. Personally I’d advise you just to stick to viewing its identical simulacrum in situ for free. He is flanked by a copy of Donatello’s ‘Marzocco’, the heraldic lion.

Adjacent to this is the raised Loggia dei Lanzi, or Loggia della Signoria. This was not an ornate colonnade as I’d imagined before my trip; instead it is more like a two-story marquee of stone, like a caravan awning. It used to shelter Medici bodyguards or the city worthies on civic occassions. Today it shelters a set of very nice stuatues. Cellini’s bronze ‘Perseus’ holds aloft Medusa’s severed head. Giambologna clearly liked to experiment with the human (or non-human) form, and his works are truly three-dimensional, meant to be viewed from all directions, each aspect giving a different impression of the work. In ‘Hercules and the Centaur Nessus’ the two protagonists are caught mid-fight, muscles straining, Hercules forcing Nessus back awkwardly over his thigh. Even more spectacular is the spiralling ‘Rape of the Sabine’. An elderly bearded man cowers as a despairing young woman is hoisted aloft by her attacker. Each individual faces a different direction.

Another eye-catching in the Piazza is the large Neptune fountain, chiefly the work of Ammannati. It is a great faux pas to admit to liking the huge doughy Neptune. Florentines habitually refer to it dismissively as ‘Il Biancone’ – ‘the big white thing’. Not far from here a plaque in the piazza pavement marks the spot where stood the pyre upon which the messianic friar Fra Girolamo Savonarola was burned for heresy.

This massive, Tuscan Gothic crenellated fortress palace is among the most impressive town halls of Tuscany. Overlooking the Piazza della Signoria with its famous copy of Michelangelo's David statue as well the gallery of statues in the adjacent Loggia dei Lanzi, it is one of the most significant public places in Italy. Originally called the Palazzo della Signoria, after the Signoria of Florence, the ruling body of the Republic of Florence, it was also given several other names: Palazzo del Popolo, Palazzo dei Priori, and Palazzo Ducale, in accordance with the varying use of the palace during its long history.
Palazzo Vecchio's exclusive role as the political representative of the city gradually lost importance from 1565 for three centuries, being partly replaced by the Uffizi and the new Palace at Pitti, though it came to the fore again at the end of this last century: after the Lorraine family had been expelled from the city in 1848. It became the seat of United Italy's provisional government from 1865-71, when Florence was the capital of the kingdom of Italy, and housed the Chamber of Deputies (the Senate sat next door in the Uffizi, linked up by an overhead passageway above Via della Ninna). It was to return to its original function as the seat of the City Council in 1872.
Although the palace today contains the offices of the City Council, much of it can still be visited. The public can admire the Hall of the Five Hundred, the little Study of Francesco I and the four monumental apartments: the Quarters of the Elements, the Quarters of Eleonora of Toledo, the Residence of the Priors and the Quarters of Leo X, where the reception rooms of the mayor and the council that governs the city are situated today. The Hall of the Two Hundred is once more being used for the meetings of the City Council and therefore not always opens to the public.
The collection of musical instruments has rarely been shown to the public (soon to be transferred to the "Luigi Cherubini" Conservatory and linked up with the nearby rooms of the Academy Gallery) and the Loeser Collection, on the mezzanine floor, is rarely open to public viewing. The Siviero Collection, much of it formed by works stolen by the Nazis during the last war and since recovered, was also exhibited here fore many years

Piazza della Signoria has been the political heart of the city from the Middle Ages to the present day. For a visitor, it is a free outdoor museum.

It gets its name from the most important monument there, Palazzo della Signoria, designed by Arnolfo di Cambio in 1298-99 for the seat of the Republican government. The palace continued to maintain this politically representative function in the city during the reign of the Medici and later under Duke Cosimo I, who lived here between 1540 and 1565, commissioning his court architect, Giorgio Vasari, to double the building in size. When the Grand Duke and his family moved to the new palace of Pitti in 1565, Palazzo della Signoria began to be known as Palazzo Vecchio (the Old Palace).

There is no admission to view the art and it is open every day all year around. We wandered around the piazza a number of times to gaze at the statues and bask in the sunshine. The square has a number of eye-catching statues, most famously, at the entrance of the Palazzo Vecchio, is Michelangelo’s David. The statue is a copy of David while the original is kept at the Gallery of the Academy of Fine Arts or Galleria Accademia, but that hardly matters when you look up at one of the most iconic statues in the world.

David is not the only statue to admire. Also in the piazza are the bronze equestrian statue of Cosimo I by Giambologna (1594); the Fountain of Neptune by Bartolomeo Ammannati (1575); The Lion, referred to as "il Marzocco", with a copy of the Florentine Lily by Donatello; Judith and Holofernes, a copy of the one by Donatello; and Hercules and Cacus by Bandinelli (1533).

Just off to one corner is the Uffizi Gallery and across from the Palazzo Vecchio is the Loggia dei Lanzi. Two more great art venues.

Benvenuto Cellini's statue Perseus With the Head of Medusa is in the Loggia dei Lanzi gallery on the edge of the Piazza della Signoria. This is another splendid open-air museum that evokes centuries of greatness and power.

This is an easy to do must do. You can wander around to inspect everything in the piazza or just relax at one of the cafes or gelaterias and admire from afar.

The square was laid out in the 13th and 14th century and has been the heart of Florence's political and social life since then. Citizens were once summoned to meetings here, and on the day we visited, the Piazza was full of people relaxing amongst the many statues.

Michaelangelo's statue of David stood here until it was moved in 1873 (to protect it from the elements; of course, it is now "pay for view!"). A replica of the statue sits in the original position, but alas, it was covered in scaffolding when we visited (most of Europe in 2004 seemed to be covered in scaffolding -- was it the year of the scaffold?!).

Still, while walking from Piazza Santa Groce to Duomo, it is worth reflecting on the wealth of art in this Piazza.

If one were to conjure an idyllic European scene in their minds it would almost certainly include a pavement café or bar of some kind, most probably on a wide piazza populated by beautiful people meeting other beautiful people for an espresso. There may well be accordion music, or perhaps an itinerant violinist. The scene has a good chance of being black and white. Where am I going with this? The Piazza della Signoria…I wanted so much for this to be that spot. But it just isn’t.

Don’t get me wrong; if you come to Florence, you must see this Piazza. It is historic; Florence’s own mad monk Savonarola executed his Bonfire of the Vanities here by setting alight the trappings of Renaissance Medician wealth, the imposing 14th century Palazzo Vecchio dominates one side of the square and the Uffizi gallery runs off here too.

You will not want for a pretty café from which to watch the world go by either. Of course, some of the charm is lost when you find yourself dragging out a 5-euro mouthful of coffee over half an hour. The Blonde and I missed breakfast one morning and found ourselves spending 30 euros on an espresso, orange juice and toasted sandwich each (I figure that you have to feel ripped off at least once on holiday). As an aside, I had an espresso stood at a counter in a Piazza café the next morning and paid under a euro – remember that the caffeine fix can be taken without a chair.

Sadly, this isn’t an overly pleasant place to spend any length of time. It is packed from early morning when the crowds start arriving for the Uffizi and there’s scarcely a lull from then on.

The only reason to dwell is because the piazza is the setting of a significant chunk of the city’s statues. It is packed with classics. There’s Michelangelo’s David (a copy in the original’s place; the real one is in the Accademia) with his frighteningly large hands and squint. The Loggia dei Lanzi (an attractive porch n the rear of the Uffizi) is home to bronze Perseus proudly holding Medusa’s head aloft (Cellini clearly paid an unhealthy amount of time working on the gory bits dangling from the neck and severed body). The Rape of the Sabine Women continues the Renaissance obsession with naked muscular forms and a delight in the human form. Outside the Loggia the form continues. Duke Cosimo upon his greenish steed, Neptune and his assorted nymphs, they all make an impression.

But the setting isn’t quite right. The square has lost its authentic paving, the cafes just demand too much and the Italian obsession with graffiti creeps in too much. You’ll see some fabulous things, but I suspect you’ll find your dreamy romantic spot elsewhere.