The Duomo's dome dominates the skyline and the schedule. Piazza del Duomo swirls with tour groups, gelato cups, and bells. Two streets away, artisans cut leather, goldsmiths work in small shops, and panini counters serve quick lunches to locals.
The center is dense with museums, churches, and piazzas that turn to open-air living rooms at sunset. Early mornings reveal stone washed down and shopkeepers raising shutters; late nights give you echoing footsteps and the smell of baking bread. Slip down Via dei Servi or past Orsanmichele to find standing bars where caffe is gulped quickly.
After an hour in the cathedral or Baptistery, you can escape to little cloisters or the shadowy lanes behind the markets. It's crowded and inevitable-best absorbed in off-hours with espresso in hand and eyes up at frescoed ceilings and the marble geometry that keeps pulling you back.