Florence is more than just another place to visit. It is a flame that reignites your inner artist or poet. Perhaps in all of us there is a passion for beauty and genius, for deeper connections with people, for celebrations of the bounty of wonderful food brilliantly prepared, accompanied by great wine. It is in Florence, “Cradle of the Renaissance”, where these inner gifts resurface for a life well lived and beauty fully absorbed. Your vacation in Florence will occupy a place in your mind and memory long after you return home, and you will always be the best for it.
Prepare to be wowed as you fly to Florence, locate your accommodation, and head towards the river for your first glimpse of the Ponte Vecchio. Plan to spend at least five days here (longer, if possible), residing on the left bank of the Arno River, called “Oltrarno” (Oltr-Arno- “other side of the Arno”), within a short walk to the get old. Here they will become “neighbors” of the 21st century Medici, just around the corner from their opulent Pitti Palace Y Boboli Gardens. You’ll also be close to restaurants and bistros, as well as neighborhood grocery stores offering an abundance of delicious produce, delicious deli items and freshly baked bread, along with excellent and very affordable local wines.
By staying close to the river on the “other” side, you’ll be a short walk from two convenient bridges, one of which is the get old, which will quickly take you to the busier side of the river where the dome of the Duomo dominates the horizon. As you walk along “your” side of the river, or eat lunch at a window table in the golden sightyou will have before you the complete spectacle of the Ponte Vecchio, with the imposing Uffizi Gallery bordering the river on the other side, and the dome of the Duomo behind.
Start your visit to Florence with the bridges and squares
There is no better way to get to know any city than by looking for its main bridges (if it has a river), as well as its main squares or plazas. Florence has the most photogenic bridge of all, the get old (“Old Bridge”). It is likely that what inspired you to visit Firenze (Florence) in the first place was seeing one of the many impressive images of the get old.
The Ponte Vecchio was the only bridge to cross the Arno until 1218, and it will be your main route across the river during your time in Florence. And what a lovely road this will be, going back and forth, with its views and its intriguing shops.
There have been shops on the Ponte Vecchio since the 13th century. Initially it was all kinds of shops, including butchers and fishmongers that generated an unpleasant stench in the area. So, in 1593, Ferdinand I he decreed that only goldsmiths and jewelers could locate their shops on the bridge. This decision was “to improve everyone’s well-being while walking across the bridge.”
In addition to learning the bridges, you will need to master the Grid. Florence is a city of narrow, winding streets, lined with tall canyons of buildings. Therefore, every time you approach a Piazza, you will feel like you are breaking into a vastness of open space. These wide plazas have been used for hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years as gathering places for the population. It was in the squares that important news was announced and the preachers delivered their messages. And it was in the squares where the public executions were carried out.
- Plaza de la SignorÃa it will be your place to start to know the squares of Florence, located directly outside Palazzo Vecchio, palatial home of the obscenely rich Medici family. This square is lined with sculptures and fountains, including a copy of Michelangelo’s David (the real David is now preserved and on display at Academy Gallery). The Dominican priest Savonarola starred in his vehement burning of books and art in Plaza de la Signoria. And it was here that he himself was burned after his reign of terror ended.
- Republic Square It comes next, surrounded by majestic arcades, with an imposing triumphal arch as an entrance, and a Carousel. This square was the Forum during Roman times. It is now a favorite spot for alfresco dining at one of its canopied restaurants, with abundant people-watching opportunities.
- Santa Croce Square It was once a gathering place where public meetings were held and Franciscan monks preached to the crowds. This square is now home to local artists, displaying and selling their creations, and many lovely local shops. Meetings and monks have now been replaced by street entertainers.
- Piazzale Michelangelo, With its bronze replica of Michelangelo’s David, it stands on a hill in the Oltrarno and offers one of the most panoramic views of the city. As you sit on top of this hill, high above the Oltrarno neighborhood, you’ll be eye level with the iconic red roof of the Duomo across the river. Return here at the end of the day to watch one of the most impressive sunsets in Florence.
See some of the “must see” sights
Give yourself plenty of time to hit the “must see” sights of Florence. Start with these five:
The Duomo and the Baptistery: The 13th century Duomo did not have a dome until two centuries after its construction, when the construction of such an architectural marvel became possible. Step inside to soak up the heavenly vastness of your interior space and marvel at the mosaic rug that covers the tiled floor. This structure was designed to shock and amaze. Sit at an outdoor table for lunch, within sight of the intricate mosaic of white, green, and pink marble outside. You will need at least a full hour to digest this.
Take time to study the three sets of gilt bronze doors in the exquisite octagonal baptistery. The first set of doors, facing south, was designed by Pisano and took 6 years to complete. Ghiberti’s northern gates required 21 years of work, then another 27 years to complete the eastern gates, for a total of 54 years of work by the masters to create the gates that now stand before you. For the eastern doors, Ghiberti employed recently discovered principles of perspective to give depth to his compositions. Michelangelo declared these gates to be the “Gates of Paradise”.
Vecchio Palace, Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens: Imagine the lifestyle of the rich and powerful Medici family while visiting their place of business in the center of the city, old palaceand his opulent residence across the river, Pitti Palacesurrounded by the lush Boboli Gardens.
Cosimo de’ Medici commissioned to unite these two places, work and home, through a private passageway, the Vasari Corridor, placed above the streets of the city and crossing the top of the Ponte Vecchio. This passage spanned a full kilometer, from the seat of government in old palace to the house of the Medici in Pitti Palacedating the famous Buontalenti grotto in the Boboli Gardens. This private corridor allowed the family and their guests to move freely and safely from one side to the other, watching the people below while they themselves remained unnoticed. A small carriage for two carried the Medici and guests back and forth down the aisle when they preferred not to walk.
Medici Chapels: Add one more Medici monument to your “must-see” list: the Medici Chapels. Visit the sumptuous octagonal Chapel of the Princes, another splendid testimony to the greatness of the Medici. The crypt below this chapel became the mausoleum of this remarkable family. Michelangelo himself worked on the sculptures of the sarcophagi, completing the statues of the brothers and co-rulers Duke Giuliano and Duke Lorenzo. The master sculptor also created notable allegorical statues of dawn and dusk, Night and dayjust like him virgin and child.
Michelangelo’s David at the Galleria dell’Accademia: Your visit to the Gallery will focus on the glorious sculpture of David. Stand below this imposing marble masterpiece, pristine and resplendent under a circular skylight. It will take your breath away. Spend some time just to take this in. But also explore Michelangelo’s other intriguing works, including the Prisoners room leading to the statue of David. The pieces on display here are ones that Michelangelo never completed. His unfinished work creates the effect that each of these figures is forever trapped within its own block of marble.
Uffizi Galleries: Enter the Uffizi (arrange in advance for an assigned time slot!), then climb the grand staircase to the gallery, with its frescoed ceilings and maze of rooms packed with masterpieces. Follow the U-shape of the building, detouring into the side rooms to view the displays. Cosimo de’ Medici commissioned Vasari to create this grandiose building next to the Palazzo Vecchio to house the government offices. A secret entrance to the Vasari Corridor is found behind an unmarked door on the first floor.
This building, once the seat of the Florentine government, now houses a large treasure chest of art. Find first the great works of Botticelli (Halls 10-14)- allegory of spring Y Birth of Venus. Locate the portraits of Michelangelo and Raphael (Halls 35 and 66), as well as the only panel painting by Leonardo da Vinci. From the other end of the aisles, pause to look out the windows and see San Miniato, high on the hill on the other side of the Arno, just above Piazza Michelangelo. Take a closer look at the Ponte Vecchio to see the windows of the Vasari Corridor that runs along the top.
Visit the markets to interact and find treasures to take home
Florence has a vast heritage of artisans. When it comes to shopping, you’ll find a tempting array of merchandise on sale, including leather jackets, bags, shoes, belts and gloves, marble mosaics, intricate jewelry, and cutting-edge fashion. At the very least, visit the leather market near the Medici Chapels and shop for original art in Piazza Michelangelo.
Visit the outdoor market in Santo Spirito Square and the New Market, the loggia covered with a bronze sculpture of a pig in front. Watch the fun of the kids stroking the pig’s nose for luck. And feel free to haggle a bit if you decide to shop. Also stop at some of the shops along the Ponte Vecchio to admire the handmade jewelry and select a unique pendant or two to take home.
Your trip to Florence will be a deeply enriching and life-changing experience. “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of looking at things,” says Henry Miller. And Florence is a destination that consummately inspires these new ways of seeing and living.