在佛罗伦萨这个城市里，吃的、睡的、和呼吸的都是艺术。人类艺术天赋的典范几乎矗立在每一条街上，成打的博物馆和美工艺品店等待着您去探索。意大利的佛罗伦萨是艺术爱好者的天堂。
During the Renaissance (or "Rebirth" of art), Florence was a paradise for artists themselves. In fact, the Renaissance began here more than 500 years ago. Before this time, art focused completely on religious subjects. Renaissance art began to include more variety. Artists painted pictures of ordinary people. They painted scenes from history and characters from Greek and Roman myths.
在文艺复兴时期（或称艺术重生时期），佛罗伦萨对艺术家们本身就是个天堂，事实上在五百多年前，文艺复兴就在这儿发迹了。在这之前，艺术作品完全集中在宗教主题上，而文艺复兴时期的艺术则包含更多变化的风貌，艺术家们描绘一般人物的画像，也绘画希腊罗马神话中的历史和人物。
Michelangelo was the greatest of Florence's artists. Visitors line up for hours at the Accademia museum for a look at his impressive David. This 14-foot-high statue has become the ideal human figure of the Renaissance. David is an example of Michelangelo's talent for sculpting people simply, yet powerfully.
米开朗基罗是佛罗伦萨艺术家中的佼佼者。游客们在阿卡得米亚博物馆前大排长龙达好几个钟头之久，为了一睹他感人的大作「大卫像」的丰采，这一尊十四英尺高的雕像已经成为文艺复兴时期最完美的一尊人物塑像，「大卫像」是一种典范，表现出米开朗基罗雕塑人像简洁而有力的风格。
More of Michelangelo's work can be seen in the great Palazzo Vecchio. This building housed the Florentine government from 1299-1322. Paintings and carvings of famous Italian artists fill the palace rooms. Michelangelo helped decorate the outside, too. He chiseled a head into the palace wall. A story says that to win a bet, Michelangelo carved the head with his hands behind his back, facing away from the wall.
在维琪奥宫可以看到更多米开朗基罗的作品，这栋建筑在1299年至1322年曾是佛罗伦萨政府的所在地。著名意大利艺术家的画作和雕刻作品，摆满了宫中的各厅室。米开朗基罗也协助装饰其外观，他在宫墙上雕刻头像，有一个传说提到，为了跟人打赌，米开朗基罗背对着墙，两手背在后面雕刻头像。
Not far from the Palazzo Vecchio lies Florence's Cathedral Square. The beautiful domed Duomo, or "House of God," took nearly 150 years to build (1294-1436). One of the most famous engineers of the day designed it. Visitors still marvel at the dome, the crowning feature of the cathedral. To this day, no building in Florence may rise above the dome.
离维琪奥宫不远的地方座落着翡冷翠教堂广场。华丽圆顶的翡冷翠教堂，或称「神的殿堂」，花了将近150年才建造完工（1294-1436），并由当时最著名的工程师设计而成。今日的游客仍惊叹于这个圆顶，它是教堂中最引人注目像皇冠似的一景。时至今日，在佛罗伦萨没有任何一栋建筑高过这个圆顶的。
Nearby stands the Cathedral Works Museum. The building once housed the offices of the men who commissioned art for the cathedral. Today it contains sculptures that used to decorate the outside of the cathedral.
