Florence is the birthplace of the Renaissance and, for me, the 600 year-old Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral is the centrepiece of the city. With around 450 steps rising up through a narrow staircase to the top of the Cathedral, the ascent is surprisingly tough (and worse still with camera equipment) but the view from the top is second to none. From the roof there is a 360-degree vista of Florence and miles beyond. The only problem is trying to decide in which direction to take photographs.