Florence

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Michelangelo's Florence

A June 2003 trip to Florence by akakd

Courtyard-Hotel SillaMore Photos

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."

  • 10 reviews
  • 9 photos

Lady Bar Pizza a TaglioBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Italian Pizza"

Painting of Duomo at Lady Bar
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 by akakd on October 28, 2008

Hotel SillaBest of IgoUgo

Hotel

Courtyard-Hotel Silla
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, plus a bidet, of course. The hotel does have elevators. A wonderful breakfast is served outside on the terrace, where drinks are also offered in the evenings. Staff members were friendly and helpful, especially Massimo. The neighborhood was authentic and a pleasure to experience. We definitely recommend Hotel Silla. (E-Mail: hotelsilla@tin.it)

  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by akakd on August 31, 2003

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

Ristorante PaoliBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Paoli"

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 by akakd on August 31, 2003

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

Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square)Best of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Cathedral Square"

Duomo
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 embrace." You can almost feel that embrace when you enter--"a house of prayer for all peoples" (Isaiah 56:7). The welcome brochure states, "Our Cathedral is your 'house', even if you are neither Florentine nor a believer. Join us in loving & respecting it. Visit, study, or contemplate in peace. We invite you to join us in prayer, thanking God for His gifts, not least among which are beauty & human creativity. You, too, are 'gifts' & we welcome you w/ true joy, as brothers & sisters in the 'house' of our common Father." How can you not feel welcome w/ those words. For views of the city & interior dome, climb the Duomo's dome, but for unparalleled views of the Duomo itself, climb the 414 steps of the green, pink, & white Campanile. After exiting, visit the Baptistery to see Ghiberti's Bronze Doors. Michelangelo said of the doors, "They are so fine they could grace the entrance to paradise." Inside the Baptistery is a 13th century mosaic illustrating "The Last Judgment."
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by akakd on August 31, 2003

Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square)
Piazza Duomo Florence, Italy
055 230 28 85

Galleria dell'AccademiaBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Galleria dell' Accademia"

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 by akakd on August 31, 2003

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

Basilica of San LorenzoBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

Vronzino's 1659 Fresco
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 by akakd on August 31, 2003

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

Ponte Vecchio Bridge (Old Bridge)Best of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Ponte Vecchio Bridge"

Ponte Vecchio
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 by akakd on August 31, 2003

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

Galleria degli UffiziBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Uffizi"

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 Florence someday. NOTE: Alas, I DID return in June of 2008--five years later. Took me awhile, but seeing the "Venus of Urbino" was worth the return trip. I booked my ticket to the Uffizi over the Internet to guarantee entrance.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by akakd on August 31, 2003

Galleria degli Uffizi
Piazzale degli Uffizi, 6 Florence, Italy 50122
+39 05523885

Museo del BargelloBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Bargello"

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 by akakd on August 31, 2003

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

Santa CroceBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Sante Croce"

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 by akakd on August 31, 2003

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

About the Writer

akakd
akakd
Arizona, United States

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