Molto Italia: Florence

So did it live up to our expectations? Absolutely. Florence is a photographer's paradise, with stunning architecture everywhere you turn, but what is really amazing is that it's all still standing. The city's historic bridges were all destroyed during the Second World War, except for the Ponte Vecchio, literally translated into English as the old bridge. And, looking at the bridge today, you can imagine how beautiful the waterside must have looked in the 1940's before war broke out.

Ponte Vecchio dates from 1345 and has always been home to traders. When the bridge was first built, the traders were butchers, tanners and blacksmiths, but today you'll find jewelers and goldsmiths along this narrow bridge. As well as offering some superb views along the River Arno, it's also a photo opportunity in its own right, with special viewpoints along the banks of the river.

The river itself has presented its own threats to Florence over the years, most recently in 1966, when the Arno rose to a staggering 19 feet above street level. Although much has been done to restore both the buildings and the art treasures damaged in the floods, to this day, more than 40 years later, restoration work is still carrying on behind the scenes, with some items unlikely to ever return to public display again. Since then, unsurprisingly, measures have been put in place to ensure that the city doesn't suffer such devastating floods again - and with good reason, as many of the main tourist sights lie close to the River Arno.

The Uffizi is one example of this. It's the oldest art gallery in the world, originally created in 1581 to display the Medici family treasures, and offers visitors the chance to see some of the greatest work of the Renaissance period. Even as you walk through the courtyard, the importance of this gallery is brought home through the statues lining this area, representing names familiar to most of us, such as Michaelangelo, Donatello and Dante.