Fort Belvedere, Florence

Built in the late 16th century for the Medici grand dukes, this star-shaped fortress crowns a hill above the Boboli Gardens and the Oltrarno district. Designed both to defend the city and to overawe its citizens, it centres on an elegant villa that served as a treasury and occasional retreat. Its broad ramparts now offer some of the widest panoramas of Florence, taking in the cathedral dome, the river and the surrounding hills in a single sweep. The interior spaces host temporary exhibitions during the warmer months.