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| Ranking Among Int'l Cities/Regions: #4 |
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• The Duomo has the largest cupola ever constructed (diameter: 143 feet)
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| • Dante, author of “The Divine Comedy,” was born in Florence but died in exile |
| • Florence was the capital of Italy from 1865 to 1870 |
| • Galileo, Machiavelli and Michelangelo are buried in the church of Santa Croce |
| • Ponte Vecchio has been devoted to only two trades (goldsmiths and jewelers) since 1593 |
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Money and Renaissance art
Located in the heart of Tuscany in western Italy, Florence is a jewel among cities. Most scholars consider it the birthplace of the Renaissance, which lasted from roughly the 14th century through the 17th. Great artists and poets, including Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli and Michelangelo Buonarroti, were born in Tuscany. The very wealthy Medici banking family supported many of these artists and the construction of a number of Florence’s great buildings. Today, history confronts you wherever you turn. Old buildings show little of the ravages of time. Great museums seem to appear around every corner, and the Arno River cuts a wandering path through town to add its picturesque qualities.
About Florence
Florence is a compact city, so plan to do most of your sightseeing on foot. Tour guides can help, but you may prefer to go at your leisurely pace — with a good guidebook — and soak in its wonders. The amount of art and beauty in this city surprise even seasoned travelers. Some must-see attractions include Il Duomo (Cattedrale de Santa Maria del Fiore) with a massive dome by Filippo Brunelleschi which dominates the city’s skyline and has influenced architects for centuries (including builders of our White House). Begun in 1296, it took nearly a century and a half until it was consecrated (1436).
Many agree that the Galleria degli Uffizi holds the world’s most important collection of Renaissance art with thousands of paintings from medieval to modern times and many antique sculptures, illuminations and tapestries. You’ll see works of Botticelli, da Vinci, Giotto, Michelangelo, Perugino and Raphael. The green and white marbled Battistero di San Giovanni (Baptistry of St John) from the 11th century is believed to be the oldest building in Florence. It is particularly famed for its three sets of magnificent bronze doors (reproductions — the originals are in the Duomo Museum).
Florence’s Galleria dell’Accademia holds important paintings and sculptures from the 13th to 16th centuries, including Michelangelo’s original “David.” The Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens, estate home of the Medici family, encompass several museums that also include paintings by a number of Italy’s masters. Santa Croce, in Piazza Santa Croce, is the largest Franciscan church in Italy. It houses the tombs of the famous, along with extraordinary stained glass windows and frescoes.
In Florence, you’ll find great restaurants scattered around town. In addition, the city has fine shopping for leather goods, jewelry, art reproductions and souvenirs. Also at least look at the gold on offer on the picturesque Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge), which when built in 1345 accommodated blacksmiths and butchers. It is best to avoid the busy tourist season in summer when the weather’s hot, the narrow streets are crowded and you’ll wait two to four hours to get into popular museums.
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• Visit the Campanile bell tower in Piazza del Duomo. It provides great views of Il Duomo and Florence from the top, but you’ll have to climb 414 steps (no lift).
• Il Duomo itself has 463 steps to its top, just waiting to be climbed as well. This magnificent structure is said to hold up to 20,000 people.
• Imagine a church consecrated in 393, i.e., the Basilica di San Lorenzo (Basilica of St Lawrence). You’ll see a building not on everyone’s itinerary because the facade was never finished although Michelangelo made a wooden model. It was the city’s cathedral for 300 years.
• Look for a house that’s not too well known: Dante’s House (Casa di Dante Alighieri), in the medieval section of the city, is a museum.
• Enjoy Florentine cuisine, which ranks high and features simple preparation of fresh, basic ingredients. Grilling (alla Fiorentina) is common, especially of steak with vegetables. Also, you can prepare a picnic lunch by shopping at Mercato Centrale.
• If you’re a jogger, head uphill from your hotel. You’ll pass interesting neighborhoods and ultimately get to the top of hills with panoramic views.
• Drive a rental car in any direction. You’re in the middle of history and unmatched pastoral scenes and vistas wherever you turn.
• Italy is cycling country. Rent a bike and ride anywhere in Tuscany. Rolling hills and great scenery await you, but you will want to avoid the hot summer months and the coldest days of winter.
• Drive to Siena, a city that once rivaled Florence for artistic and political importance. Take the steep climb up the bell tower of the Palazzo Publico on the Piazza del Campo for a panoramic view. It’s worth it. In this town, artistic works and striking architecture are everywhere.
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• Visit the Galleria degli Uffizi and plan to spend several hours. It’s difficult to comprehend the sheer number of statues, paintings and tapestries in the Uffizi, a Medici office building that was completed in 1581. Get advance reservations before you leave home, or you’ll spend several hours in line.
• If cooking is a passion, sign on for a cooking class. Florence has several culinary arts institutes that offer short summer sessions for tourists. You’ll find them on the Internet.
• Spend time at the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence’s political center since the Middle Ages. The adjacent Loggia della Signoria holds important statues including a copy of Michelangelo’s “David.” This is all open air and free.
• Cross the Ponte Vecchio to the Boboli Gardens (Giardino di Boboli), a huge park on a hillside behind the Pitti Palace. It has beautiful gardens and fountains, and a great view of Florence from the Forte Belvedere.
• Shop for leather. As the leather capital of Italy, Florence showcases gloves, belts, bags and shoes in its many artisan workshops, as well as at San Lorenzo market. Designer boutiques line up along Via Tornabuoni.
• Have a quick meal and the local wine (Chianti) at one of the traditional stand-up wine bars to add memories to your trip. Florence also offers hundreds of cafes, bars, wine bars and pubs.
• Consider a day tour to Lucca (about 10 hours total), a small beautiful city surrounded by the original defensive walls and, around its perimeter, splendid old villas built for noble families.
• Book an escorted day tour to nearby Pisa where you’ll see the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Baptistry, the Cathedral and the Monumental Cemetery. As of 2004, tourists can climb the tower. You will see small picturesque villages between Florence and Pisa.
• Drive to Castello di Verrazzano, a picturesque winery only an hour away. Its silhouette can be seen on the horizon, and the road leading up to it is lined with Italian cypress trees.
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• See the Accademia dell’Arte del Disegno (Academy of the Art of Design), the first academy of drawing in Europe. It as founded in 1561 with heavy patronage by the Medici family,
• Visit the Ponte Vecchio to admire the shops that are cantilevered over the Arno River. Price and maybe buy some of the gold jewelry sold in the small shops.
• For a change of pace, relax in Parco delle Cascine along the Arno River. It was a Medici estate and includes architectural wonders and lots of green space.
• Arrange for a guided walking tour to cover more attractions than you might cover on your own. Your hotel concierge can make recommendations for a personal guide or a tour company.
• If you visit Giardino di Boboli, stop to see the porcelain museum. It showcases fine pottery and trinkets from Florence’s ruling families, including the Medicis.
• Restaurants tend toward the pricey in Florence. Ask your hotel concierge to suggest places that feature local cooking and more modest prices.
• Find culture throughout the year. The Teatro Comunale features opera and ballet in autumn and symphonies in winter. The Teatro della Pergola has chamber music on weekends, and city piazzas, notably Piazza S. Ambrogio and Piazza SS. Annunziata, feature jazz concerts in the summer.
• Tuscany is Chianti country. Take a daylong guided tour through beautiful woods, rolling vineyards, olive groves and areas of Romanesque churches, farmhouses, striking villas, castles and, of course, wineries for tastings.
• Attend religious services in Florence. If you’re not Catholic, you have other choices. The city has a synagogue, a mosque, a Russian Orthodox church, plus Adventist, Baptist, Church of England, Episcopal, Lutheran and Methodist churches.
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For more information, consult the Florence Tourist Board at www.firenzeturismo.it, and click on the British flag for the English-language version. Or, go directly to www.firenzeturismo.it
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