Santa Croce Museums and Galleries

Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele conceived of this multihyphenate space with the company’s in-house art curator. It took over two years to complete and now contains a garden, a museum, a store, and a restaurant helmed by Massimo Bottura (of Osteria Francescana fame)—everything created through the lens of Gucci. Anyone who appreciates design and fashion history will find the experience fascinating.

Il Bargello has seen Florence’s power players come and go since 1255. Throughout its long history, it’s been the residence of the head of police, a prison, the meeting place of the Council of the Hundred (a government entity, of which Dante Alighieri was part), and since the mid-nineteenth century, a museum. The many halls and galleries are full of sculptures, including several works by Donatello.