Piazza San Lorenzo is a lively and historically layered square in Florence, best known for the…read moreimposing Basilica of San Lorenzo, one of the city's oldest churches and a centerpiece of Medici history. The piazza functions as a crossroads between sacred architecture and everyday urban life, sitting beside the Medici Chapels, the Laurentian Library, and the bustling San Lorenzo Market. Unlike Florence's more formal squares, Piazza San Lorenzo feels informal. Tourists and locals mix as visitors move between the basilica complex and the surrounding market stalls, while street life keeps the space constantly in motion. The basilica's unfinished façade gives the square a slightly raw, workinprogress character that contrasts with the artistic riches found inside.

Beautiful square with the Basilica della Santiasima or of the Most Holy Annunciation from 1520. A…read morelarge Foundling Hospital is on one side of the the other piazza. The facade were built later to imitate Brunelleschi's loggia. The west façade, the Loggia dei Servi di Maria in the 1520s. It was built for the mendicant order, the Servi di Maria, but is now a hotel. The equestrian statue of Ferdinand I of Tuscany was made by the noted sculptor Giambologna and placed there in 1608. The fountain was added later.

If it weren't for the chocolate festival that was held here, I would have missed Piazza SS…read moreAnnunziata but I was glad to made my way to see it! Piazza SS Annuziata (The Holiest Annunciation Square) is rather out of the way from the typical tourist route, so not many tourists would make their way out here. Consequently, this is somewhat a hidden gem despite being having some jewels like the arched portico of the orphanage Ospedale degli Innocenti, which was an early Renaissance masterpiece by Brunelleschi - the master behind the Firenze Duomo's signature dome! While I would not recommend this piazza as a must-go destination, it is nonetheless an interesting and quiet location to see. If you have time in Firenze, try to take a detour to here, especially if you are interested in Renaissance architecture.