Travel to Florence, Italy
Get the Most Out of Your Trip to Historic Italy
Italian cities have something about them, even the rather crumbly ones. Maybe it’s the history, maybe it’s the romantic stories, or maybe it’s just the people, but for whatever reason they seem so attractive, Florence Italy seems even more appealing to me.
I don’t think I will ever get enough of traveling to Florence because each time I go there I get distracted by its atmosphere alone. I go intending to see incredibly beautiful art, sculptures, and buildings, but somehow it seems too much of a rush, and so I just experience the moment. Even some of the simplest pleasures, an espresso here, a glass of Prosecco there, or the smell of the River Arno on a spring morning, all create distinctive memories, just like pictures.
If pictures are what you’re looking for, then there are plenty of opportunities for those as well. The Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge in the city, the Duomo, and the statues in the Piazza della Signoria, all provide excellent opportunities for classic shots, and despite not having spent enough time there, they are places where I keep returning.
The Ponte Vecchio was originally lined with butcher’s shops, today, it’s dripping with gold and silver merchants; but it’s not the jewelry I come for. The bridge is the oldest in the city, the rest were destroyed during WWII. Whilst the rest of Florence is exceptionally neat and in order, the Ponte Vecchio is just a little bit…wobbly. The shutters that face the Arno are old and peeling, it’s dark, and on a cold and misty morning the fog, which hangs over the river, helps to create that atmosphere again.
A far cry from the peeling paintwork of the Ponte Vecchio, the Uffizi and the Galleria dell’Accademia are both home to some of the most significant works of Renaissance art in the world. The buildings, and the art within them, were left to the city by the powerful Medici family on the understanding that the works of art would never leave the city. The best, and in my opinion, the only way to see these galleries is to buy tickets in advance, don’t wait in line and waste valuable time. Go online before you arrive and if you love art take a couple of days so you don’t have to rush.
The Galleria dell’Accademia is where you can see the original sculpture of Michelangelo’s ‘David’, and although I love everything inside, one of my favorite places for sculpture, is the Piazza della Signoria. There, you will find incredibly detailed statues, as well as a truly beautiful copy of David, this is a place I could sit and marvel at his body all day. David’s hands are a work of art; it’s difficult to understand how veins and tendons can be carved out of stone; of course, a lot of visitors concentrate on some of his other features.
The symbol of Florence and the first freestanding dome to be constructed after the Roman Empire, the Duomo is joined in its own piazza by the Baptesry, and the Campanile designed by Giotto. From the outside, it’s a bit like an elaborate cake with lots of piping topped off with a hexagonal dome. I think the best view is from a distance, on the hills behind the Boboli gardens; from there, not only do you get a better idea of scale, but you also can’t see all that fussiness. Inside, the Duomo is an entirely different story, some visitors find it a disappointment, others find it refreshing, I think it’s…fine, it’s free to enter, so if you don’t like it you’ve not lost anything.
If you’re at the Duomo there are two opportunities to get away from the crowds; unfortunately, both involve a lot of steps. Both the cupola of the Duomo and the Campanile present the fit and healthy with the opportunity to scale over 400 stairs for views over the city. Both buildings offer the same views, but the line for the campanile is nearly always shorter.
When you travel to Florence you will quickly discover that it isn’t the kind of place you want to be driving around, in fact, only residents with permits are allowed to drive through the streets, unless you’re on a bike that is. The best way to explore the Florence, Italy attractions is clearly on foot. When Florence was built that was the way the locals did it, so most of the places you’ll want to see are all within easy walking distance, and if not there are taxi’s and public transport.
How you explore an area is a personal choice, I get my bearings with a map before I go out, and then tend to leave the map in my pocket, unless I get hopelessly lost. There are so many sights it isn’t hard to get your bearings, but for the very best experience, just wander through the narrow streets and enjoy everything from colorful window boxes, to Nonno’s underwear hanging high above your head.
Experiencing a new place is not only about seeing the sights and taking in the atmosphere; it’s also about eating and drinking. As far as restaurants and bars are concerned there are plenty to choose from, some offer ‘tourist menus’, which ideally should be avoided unless you enjoy rather bland, chewy food, others serve up authentic Italian food. The area around the Duomo has restaurants serving up both kinds of fare, try and keep to the right hand side of the piazza; looking from the front, this is where you will find some of the ‘better’ places to eat, with Caffe Coquinarius being one of the best places for traditional Tuscan fare.
Florence travel guides tend to direct visitors to certain areas and for specific reasons but even if you do go there with the purpose of visiting those famous or most popular sights, make sure that you take time to absorb other beautiful and rewarding qualities the city has to offer. It once was home to Dante, Michelangelo, and Galileo; the free thinkers and artists of the day, it was also the birthplace of opera. Visit the city because of its beauty as well as its atmosphere, its buildings and galleries, and maybe you too will think you haven’t spent enough time there.
Related Posts:
About Wendy LinvilleAs a Traveloids.com contributing author, Wendy is a life long worldwide traveler, former travel agent, and now a travel journalist.
View all posts by Wendy Linville →
Recent Comments