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Florence Art & Culture
Florence (pop. 380,000) is the regional capital of Tuscany, the birthplace of the Renaissance, the capital of Italy for a brief period from 1865-1871. A place of artistic and cultural revival of the 15th century, Tuscany is the region that for hundreds of years nurtured an unceasing succession of great artists and thinkers such as Dante, Petrarch, Machiavelli, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo, Giotto, Brunelleschi, Masaccio, Raphael Amerigo Vespucci, Puccini, Gucci, and many more artists, inventors, designers, and geniuses. It is fair to say, the world would be immeasurably poorer and less beautiful without their works. Florence is
without a doubt one of the most fascinating cities in the world unrivaled for the quantity and quality of art and architecture.
One of the most famous art cities in Italy, it has always been a very popular destination for tourists from all over the world. Here, you will be able to taste some of the finest wines in the world, enjoy delicious food, admire countless works of art and medieval monuments, such as frescoes, sculptures, churches, palaces and also see beautiful fashion, exquisite jewelry and fine leathers created by artisans who continue the inherited skills of the past, to produce beautiful designs and to visit the historical craftsmen’s workshops, where every street has developed a different style of art over the centuries. No other place can rival Florence for her quantity of first-rate,locally produced works of art.
Florence is a walking city and staying in the city center is very convenient. The heart of the city and the religious and historical center is Piazza del Duomo, with the Cathedral, the Duomo of Santa Maria del Fiore, rich in works of art and topped by Brunelleschi’s majestic dome and the Baptistery in the front. Behind the Duomo the magnificent Museo dell'Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, exhibits a stunning collection of artwork that was originally inside the Cathedral, Baptistery and Bell Tower.
The historical hub of everyday life is Piazza della Signoria, where the Palazzo Vecchio is located. The 14th-Century Loggia della Signoria, filled with ornate and famous sculptures, the Fountain of Neptune and several statues stand in front of the Palazzo, in particular a copy of Michelangelo’s famous David. The magnificently breathtaking original, sculpted from a single block of marble, is on display in the Galleria della Accademia.
The majestic Uffizi Gallery is home to one of the most important collections of masterpieces by Giotto, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and many other great artists. A noteworthy architectural element of the Uffizi Gallery is the Vasari Corridor, an inventive elevated corridor, designed by Vasari in the mid-16th century that connects the Uffizi Gallery to the Palazzo Pitti crossing Ponte Vecchio over the River Arno. The enchanting Ponte Vecchio, populated with historic goldsmith shops with jewelry to die for, leads to the Oltrarno Quarter where you will find Piazza Santo Spirito,where the magnificent Santo Spirito Basilica houses the Cenacolo di Santo Spirito
Palazzo Pitti, the imposing and magnificent palace was home to the Medici, the Habsburg-Lorraine family and to unified Italy’s first king, Vittorio Emanuele II. Palazzo Pitt’s marvelous Boboli Gardens, in the Italian style perfectly marry natural elements to the architecture, statues, and fountains contained within
Take a stroll down the Via de' Tornabuoni, home to posh designer fashion shops. For bargains, there is the open-air market near Piazza del Mercato Centrale where clothing, jewelery, and leather goods in particular are sold at reasonable prices. Stop and rest at Florence's beautiful Piazza della SS. Annunziata, or sip an espresso in the fashionable cafes of Piazza della Repubblica, once the site of a Roman forum. Indulge in delicious Tuscan cuisine in the Oltrarno area and around the Piazza del Mercato Centrale, or visit a local trattoria to sip robust Tuscan wines. Don’t forget to leave room for some gelato!
While Florence can be visited any time of the year, the best seasons are in the spring and autumn, when there are less tourists and it is not unbearably hot as in July and August. Celebrate Christmas and New Year’s with it’s abundance of Operas and Music concerts across the city piazzas and parks. Florence, is truly a city to lose yourself in!