In the Shadow of the Ponte Vecchio Quiz

Answer: Arno

The Ponte Vecchio is one of the few surviving examples of a medieval bridge whose structure includes a row of shops - the others include the Rialto Bridge in Venice and Pulteney Bridge in Bath. It spans the River Arno, the main river that flows through the city of Florence.

The Arno rises in the Apennine mountain range in central Italy and flows generally westwards through Tuscany to its mouth on the Ligurian Sea (part of the Mediterranean).

Answer: Town hall

The Palazzo Vecchio is a large structure overlooking the Piazza della Signoria in central Florence. Construction on it began around 1300 and its design reflects its dual purpose of being a grand symbol of the city's power and a defensive stronghold in case of attack.

In the 16th century it became the powerbase of the Medici family and it was also the home of the newly unified Italy's provisional government in the mid-19th century. In modern times it continues to serve as a town hall and base for the local council as well as being a museum that hosts countless treasures, which are equally eye-catching as the Palazzo's amazing rooms and decoration.

Answer: Palazzo Medici Riccardi

The Palazzo Medici Riccardi was yet another of Florence's grand buildings that was built by a member of the Medici family. It was constructed between 1444 and 1484 and contains a chapel with a famous fresco by Benozzo Gozzoli. The 'Riccardi' part of the palace's name comes from the later owner who was also responsible for the creation of the Biblioteca Riccardiana in the 17th century.

The library was made accessible to the public in 1715 and later became part of the academic society known as 'La Crusca'.

Answer: Basilica di San Lorenzo

The Basilica di San Lorenzo (or Basilica of St. Lawrence) is a very large church that at one point in its history acted as the city's cathedral. The church can claim a history dating back to the 4th century AD, although the current building largely dates to the mid-15th century and was the work of the famous architect and engineer Filippo Brunelleschi.

The Medici Chapel is located in this church because it acted as the family's parish church for many years and its buildings were later additions. One of those, the Sagrestia Nuova, was the work of Michelangelo.

Answer: The Uffizi Gallery

The Uffizi Gallery is one of the most prominent tourist attractions of Italy, let alone the city of the Florence. Its permanent collection includes masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian and Botticelli (to name just a few) and is particularly renowned for its examples of Italian Renaissance art. The Uffizi's buildings date back to the mid-16th century and were originally used as offices - hence the name ('ufficio' means 'office' in Italian).

(For the record, the Louvre is in Paris, the Prado is in Madrid and the Hermitage can be found in St. Petersburg.)

Answer: Fountain of Neptune

Florence's Fountain of Neptune is a marble sculpture of the sea god Neptune surrounded by both mythical figures and creatures such as seahorses. It was the work of the Bartolomeo Ammannati and was commissioned by Cosimo de Medici, the second Duke of Florence, in the mid-16th century. The fountain was constructed at one end of a Roman aqueduct that had brought water to the city for hundreds of years.

The Trevi Fountain is in Rome, the Magic Fountain of Montjuic is a musical fountain in Barcelona, and the Fountains of Bellagio are in Las Vegas!

Answer: A museum

The Palazzo Pitti is one of the largest museum complexes in the world and houses great works of art alongside priceless collections of silver, porcelain, theatrical costumes and carriages. The building itself can be found close to the Ponte Vecchio on the south side of the River Arno and was once a grand royal palace that belong to the Medici family.

However, its origins are somewhat older than its association with Florentine royalty as it was originally built for an extremely wealthy banker named Luca Pitti in the mid-15th century.

Answer: Sculpture

The Boboli Gardens were designed for the Medici family in the mid-16th century and are located next to the Palazzo Pitti (the family's former residence). There are a variety of small buildings dotted around such as grottos and temples and a major feature is a large pond with an oval island, known as the Isolotto. Like many other Italianate gardens, the Boboli gardens are also full of statues and other sculpture so even if you don't like plants or gardening you will probably find something to admire there.

Answer: Opera

The Teatro della Pergola is an opera house that was completed in 1661 but didn't open to the public until 1718. It is one of the oldest of its type in Italy and was one of the first theatres to be built with boxes rather than just having rows of seating. Through the centuries it has hosted operas by a wide range of famous composers and it held the premiere of Verdi's opera 'Macbeth' in 1847.

It remains in use in the 21st century, but opera lovers will need to visit it during the annual Maggio Musicale Fiorentino festival - otherwise they might end up seeing a normal play with no singing involved.

Answer: Il Duomo

The word 'duomo' in Italian simply means 'cathedral', but since Florence's cathedral is arguably one of the most famous buildings of its type in Italy, it shouldn't be surprising that it can just be called "Il Duomo" and people will generally know which specific one is meant. The cathedral dates back to the late 13th century but is probably best-known for its magnificent dome that was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi in the 15th century and held the record for the world's largest dome for hundreds of years.

In Italian, 'Domenica' means 'Sunday', 'chiesa' means 'church' and 'sacerdote' means 'priest'.