Florence Pictorial

This is the last in our pictorial series and it’s a big one … Florence. What can you say about Florence? A lot more than in one BLOG! It is a major art center and city of Italy. It is where the Renaissance began (14 – 17 centuries). Imagine being in Florence in the dark ages and all of a sudden there is an explosion of new ideas and art as the birth of the Renaissance begins. Lorenzo de Medici was the ruler of Florence at the time and a patron of the arts. Art, science, music and religion exploded with new ideas. Artist like Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Donatello, Botticelli, and so many others created their master pieces in this period.

In florence you can see wonders of creation like the Duomo and visit endless museums to see the art of this time like the statue of David. Florence is in the Region of Tuscany, Province of Florence. It has a population of 381,000 people.

Duomo

Front of Duomo

Baptistery of Duomo

The famous gold doors of the Baptistery are here. The originals are in a museum, Opera del Duomo.

Baptistery Doors

The city of Florence from nearby hill

Michelangelo David

The original statue shown above is in the Academia Gallery.It originally was in the Palazzo della Signoria.

Ponte Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio opened 1345 and was originally set up as stalls to sell meat. The Medici’s hated the smells as the crossed the bridge from their palace (Medici Riccardi Palace) to the Uffizi where they worked. They kicked out all the butchers and replaced them with gold jewelry merchants. To this day all the shops sell gold. Notice the second level of the bridge with the windows. This was a private passage for the Medici. It started at their palace, crossed the river on the bridge and ended in the Uffizi. They were the first bankers.

Uffizi Museum

The fake David in Palazzo della Signoria

Florence market

Lines can be very long in Florence especially in the hot summers. You can get a reservation for a time to see the Uffizi and the Academia Gallery (David). Stop at a tourist stand for information on where to buy the reservation. The Duomo is crowded as well so go early or late before closing.

Florence is easily walkable and very romantic. Stop for some chocolate, a snack, some wine or of course a gelato. The walk to the hill overlooking Florence is not long for those used to walking but has many steps up. You will be rewarded with the best views of Florence.

George & Jo Anne