South of the Arno, above the city

Piazzale Michelangelo is on the south bank of the Arno, 60 meters above the river, facing north-northwest over the city. The shot — Florence's historic center compressed into one frame, the Duomo, the tower of Palazzo Vecchio, and the river below — is from here. At sunrise, you face away from the sun coming from the east, which hits the Duomo's pink marble from the left side. At sunset, light comes from the west and illuminates the city head-on. Fiesole, a hilltop town 8 kilometers northeast at 295 meters, gives an elevated view looking southwest across the Arno valley. The road between the two — the Via Vecchia Fiesolana — passes through olive groves and stone farmhouses. Golden hour at 44°N runs around 40 minutes in summer. Ponte Vecchio on the Arno is best photographed from Ponte Santa Trinità, looking east.