Located on one of the most prestigious streets in the city, lined with fashion boutiques, walk straight up to Palazzo Strozzi, a Renaissance palace that hosts different contemporary art exhibitions. Do check out their website, because very often you can find some really big names on display there (just to give you an example, I once visited an exhibition of Jeff Koons’ works, and it was one of the best collections of his works I’ve ever seen in one place).

Medici’s biggest nemesis? Of course, like many other influential families, the Medici family has had their fair share of rivalry in the city. Before the Medici came to prominence, the city was dominated by two other families - the Albizzi family and, right, the Strozzi family. Forming a so-called “anti-Medici” fraction, they even managed to exile Cosimo de’ Medici for a short period of time. But, upon his return, Cosimo took matters into his own hands, exiling the two families from Florence in his turn. In 1466, Filippo Strozzi, the then-head of the house, was allowed to come back. But her returned to Florence with a burning desire to prove that Medici did not break him - and in 1489, he started the construction of the Strozzi Palace, hoping to turn it into a splendid place that would celebrate the Strozzi family. Filippo died before the construction was finished, but when it eventually was completed, in 1538, the Strozzi Palace indeed became one of the most important buildings in the city. Today you can admire its beauty while also visiting an art exhibition, and even though the interiors haven’t made it to our days, the palace still leaves an unparalleled impression thanks to its grandeur.