Palatine and Modern Art Gallery at the Pitti Palace in Florence

Make your own way to the Pitti Palace, home of the powerful Medici family during the Renaissance. Whisk your way past any entrance lines with your skip-the-line ticket, and head straight inside to explore at leisure. The palace’s west wing is home to the Palatine Gallery, which displays more than 500 works of European art. Much of the artwork dates back to the 17th century, and is showcased in the plush private rooms of the ducal apartments. Wander rooms decorated with gold-framed works by the likes of Bronzino, Caravaggio, Rubens, Titian, Van Dyke, and Velazquez. Don’t miss Raphael’s Madonna and Child and the two impressive Botticelli portraits. After admiring the Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces, head upstairs to visit the Gallery of Modern Art. The rooms here were lived in by royalty until as recently as 1920, and a sizeable collection of 18th- and 20th-century art is on display.