Florence

Below are a few photos of our time in Florence

Florence is steeped in history, wonderful architecture and art.

The beautiful city of Florence is the birthplace of the Renaissance and the capital of Tuscany. The beautiful narrow cobbled streets are a joy to walk along with plenty of places to stop and eat while passing the day people watching.

There are three Michelangelo’s David’s situated around the city, one is in the Piazza della Signoria which was the original position of this status and there is another at the Piazzale Michelangelo but the real ‘David’ is now in the Galleria dell’Accademia.

Just around the corner from the Uffizi along the bank of the Arno is a small museum dedicated to Galileo which is a great place to visit with some interesting artefacts.

Duomo – Florences famous Cathedral

One of the most iconic places to visit in Florence is the stunning cathedral or Duomo which was named after Santa Maria del Fiore. It’s the 4th largest cathedral in the world.

It’s impressive terracotta-tiled dome roof was engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi. It’s exterior is covered in a mixture of pink, green and white marble. The interior of the cathedral is quite stark apart from the large dome ceiling fresco which was designed by Giorgio Vasari and depicts ‘The Last Judgement’.

Alongside the cathedral is the beautiful freestanding campanile or bell tower which was designed by Giotto.

Climbing the Duomo or the bell tower is not for the faint-hearted. The Duomo has 463 steps to the top of the cupola and the bell tower has 414 steps. Both are quite narrow and in some places difficult to climb.

Basilica of Santa Croce

The Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence is a great place to visit. It is the final resting place of many famous Italians including Michelangelo, Dante, Galileo, Machiavelli and Rossini. The piazza in front of Santa Croce is a great place to take a rest and watch the world go by.

The Uffizi Gallery is one of the most famous museums in the world with its many beautiful works of art including Botticelli’s – The birth of Venus. It also has works by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Raffaello to name just a few.

Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens

Pitti Palace which was once owned by the Medici family and is now the largest museum in Florence. There are works by Raphael, Titian and Rubens. The beautiful Boboli Gardens are situated on the hill behind the Pitti Palace and are a great place to take time out from the busy city.