Piazzale Michelangelo

Laid out in 1869 by architect Giuseppe Poggi on a hillside south of the Arno, this square holds a bronze copy of Michelangelo's David and looks straight across the river to Florence's historic centre, with the Duomo's dome, the tower of Palazzo Vecchio and the Ponte Vecchio lined up below. It's a short uphill walk from the Oltrarno district, or a stop on city bus lines 12 or 13, and gets crowded around sunset when the terracotta rooftops turn orange.