Florence Journals

Michelangelo's Florence

A June 2003 trip to Florence by akakd

Courtyard-Hotel Silla Photo - Hotel Silla,

Quote: Before dropping down into Florence, we stopped at the overlook in Michelangelo Park. Mark Twain captured the moment best when he said, "In the distant plain lay Florence, pink & gray & brown, with the rusty huge dome of the cathedral dominating its centre like a captive balloon."

9 Photos

Lady Bar Pizza a Taglio

Restaurant | "Italian Pizza"

Quote:

The Lady Bar Pizza a Taglio is simply a pizza restaurant very near the Duomo. It's a cute little place, with lovely pictures of the Duomo, inside and out. Additional seating is available upstairs.

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on October 28, 2008

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Hotel Silla is a three-star property just beneath Michelangelo Park, on the banks of the Arno River. Massimo, at the front desk, was exceptionally helpful both with our luggage and in securing us a tiny spot in their nearby garage for our rental car. Hotel Silla is situated in the Medieval & Renaissance heart of Florence, on the left bank of the Arno River, within easy walking distance of all major sites. Since 1964, the Belotti family has hosted guests in this 16th-century palace. "OPTIME HIC MARABITUR" is their motto: "Here one lives very well." Our room was huge, with excellent air conditioning and cool, cool Italian tile throughout. We had both a bathtub and a separate shower, pl...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on August 31, 2003

Hotel Silla
Via Dei Renai 5
Florence, Italy
(055) 234 2888

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Ristorante Paoli

Restaurant | "Paoli"

Quote:

We had a delightful meal at the "Paoli" on Via dei Travolini in a spectacular setting of vaulted hall & medieval frescoes. Though dark & rather small, it was a welcome respite from the crowds. Waiters wore white jackets, but didn't seem to mind we were "tourist casual". Fresh flowers graced the front entrance. I ordered the Toglisrelle ei funghi (or something like that), which was a pasta dish w/ mushrooms & a delicious sauce. Very good. Credit cards are accepted.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on August 31, 2003

Ristorante Paoli
Via dei Tavolini 12R
Florence, Italy
+39 (055) 216215

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Santa Maria del Fiore & Baptistery (Il Duomo)

Attraction | "Cathedral Square"

Quote:

We started our visit to Florence in Cathedral Square to see & experience the famed Duomo, Campanile, & Baptistery. Brunelleschi's revolutionary achievement was to build the largest dome of its time w/o scaffolding. Brunelleschi said of the dome: "Great things always present great difficulties in their execution, & this particular one is especially hard to solve; however, I will say, that if the work is entrusted to me, I resolutely set myself to find a means of vaulting it." Leon Battista Alberti wrote of Brunelleschi's cupola: "climbing steeply to the skies", "wide enough to cover the whole of the Tuscan people w/ its shadow", the cupola "clasps the city of Florence in an ideal embra...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on August 31, 2003

Santa Maria del Fiore & Baptistery (Il Duomo)
Piazza Del Duomo
Florence, Italy 50122
+39 055294514

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Galleria dell'Accademia

Attraction | "Galleria dell' Accademia"

Quote:

We were fortunate to visit the Galleria dell' Accademia (Academy of Fine Arts), founded in 1563. Dominating the gallery is Michelangelo's colossal "David" at the precise moment he thought, "I can take this guy!" "David" was carved from a discarded block of marble dubbed "the giant"; thus David once more triumphed over the giant. This nude established Michelangelo, then 29, as the foremost sculptor of his time. The statue was moved here from the Palazzo Vecchio to protect it from the elements. Also at the Accademia: Michelangelo's "Quattro Prigioni" or "Four Prisoners," struggling to free themselves from stone--dramatic! (No photos allowed.)

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on August 31, 2003

Galleria dell'Accademia
Via Ricasoli 60
Florence, Italy
055 238 8609

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Basilica of San Lorenzo

Attraction

Quote:

The inner facade of San Lorenzo was designed by Michelangelo. Donatello's bronze pulpit, his last work, is here. Michelangelo's funerary figures around the walls are said to be among his greatest works. Six Grand Dukes of the Medici family are buried here. Be sure to see Bronzino's vast fresco of the human form in contorted poses. Monsignor Angiolo Livi writes in the brochure: "When you return to your countries, may you carry a memory of this jewel in the heart of Florence." We shall.

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on August 31, 2003

Basilica of San Lorenzo
Piazza San Lorenzo
Florence, Italy 50123
+39 055216634

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Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge)

Attraction | "Ponte Vecchio Bridge"

Quote:

The Ponte Vecchio Bridge, built in 1345, was the only bridge in Florence to escape destruction in WWII. The three-arched bridge was originally occupied by blacksmiths, butchers, and tanners who used the river as a convenient garbage dump. They were evicted in 1593 and replaced by jewelers and goldsmiths who were able to pay higher rents. Still today, shops line the bridge. The elevated corridor above the shops was designed in 1565 to allow the Medici to move from the Palazzo Vecchio to Palazzo Pitta without having to mix with the public. The Mannelli family refused to demolish their tower to make way for the corridor, and it stands there defiantly to this day. The corridor passes around it.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on August 31, 2003

Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge)
Over the Arno River
Florence, Italy 50125

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Uffizi Gallery

Attraction | "Uffizi"

Quote:

The Uffizi is called the oldest art gallery in the world. Built between 1560 and1580 as a suite of offices, the upper story of this horse-shaped building displayed the Medici family's art treasures. The Uffizi houses some of the greatest art of the Renaissance. Accumulated over centuries by the Medici, it was eventually bequeathed to the people of Florence by the last of the Medici, Anna Maria Lodovica. Some of the best known and loved works include Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" and "Primavera," Leonardo da Vinci's "Annunciation," Michelangelo's "Holy Family," and Titian's "Venus of Urbino." Sadly for me, the latter was on loan to the Prado in Madrid. Oh well--just an excuse to return to Floren...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on August 31, 2003

Uffizi Gallery
Piazzale Degli Uffizi, 6
Florence, Italy 50122
+39 05523885

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Museo del Bargello

Attraction | "Bargello"

Quote:

Begun in 1255, the Bargello houses some of Italy's finest sculptures. Initally the town hall, but later the home of the chief of police (the bargello), it opened as a museum in 1865. Some of the finest works include Donatello's "David"; Michelangelo's "Bacchus," "Brutus," and "Madonna & Child"; and Giambologna's "Mercury" and "Young Rooster." Get here early. The museum closes at 1pm.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on August 31, 2003

Museo del Bargello
Via del Proconsolo, 4
Florence, Italy 50122
+39 0552388606

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Basilica of Santa Croce

Attraction | "Sante Croce"

Quote:

This 1294 Gothic-style church contains the fascinating tombs and massive monuments of many famous Florentines, among them Galileo, Dante, Rossini, Michelangelo, and Machiavelli. Here, too, is Donatello's 15th-century "Annunciation." Also notable is a 1338 fresco by Gaddi of an angel appearing to sleeping shepherds. Its claim to fame is being the first true night scene in Western art.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on August 31, 2003

Basilica of Santa Croce
Piazza Santa Croce
Florence, Italy 50122
+39 055244619