The last rays of a Florentine afternoon reflect off the windows of the Palazzo Vecchio and gild the Loggia della Signoria. As the tours depart, the beauty of this Renaissance structure is revealed as it sheds its encrustation of weary travellers. Perhaps after a long day of guiding art and history lovers around his city, a solitary figure claims the Piazzale degli Uffizi as his workplace. He turns the responsibility of entertaining the visitors over to the dapper waiters of the city’s restaurants and gelaterias, and enjoys some time to himself in this city so richly endowed by the wealth and artists of the Renaissance that it is a leading destination six centuries later. The arts take a backseat in funding, school curricula and political agendas, but how many of the world’s greatest wonders and most sought-after sites owe their lasting appeal to artisans? The Egyptian temples, great Greek theatres, the mosaics of Ravenna and the frescos of Pompeii, the Terracotta Warriors of Xi’an, the rich legacy of artists from Çatalhöyük to Lascaux, the Hermitage and Uffizi to the British Museums and the Guggenheims continues to astound and inspire generations.