Florence, Italy

Uffizi gallery, The Duomo, Day trip to Siena, San Lorenzo, eating gelato, Day trip to Roman ruins in Fiesole, walking over the Ponte Vecchio and strolling alongside the Arno at dusk.

Quick Tips:

Look both ways before crossing the street. Italians seem to take pleasure in running pedestrians over in their vehicles.

Best Way To Get Around:

The city is small and walking is the best way by far to apreciate the architecture. The buses are fast and efficient and are great for traveling to neighboring towns.

Upon entering the Hotel for the first time we were a little worried about the scaffolding up the facade of the building and the lobby that looked like it was in the middle of remodeling. We were checked in by a disinterested person who pointed up the stairs to the elevator. After lugging the bags up the stairs and getting lost looking for the elevator we finally made it to our room on the third floor. The windows faced the bus station and the rooms were hot and noisy. They were large and had 2 single beds. There was a shower with a simple drain in the tile and a curtain suspended by the ceiling and the water went all over.

The Hotel was one of the noisiest places we have ever visited. Construction work 2 flights above our room sounded like a jackhammer going off above. We requested another room and after some argument were given a somewhat more quiet room facing the street and the train station.

The continental breakfast was good. And the location was good and bad. It was good because we could go out the door and hop on the bus to anywhere in the city. It was bad because it was a bit seedy outside especially at night and, of course, it was noisy. I would not stay there again if I had my choice, however, I do not go to places like Florence to stay in the hotels. We slept there and then were out for the entire day. Here is a link.

When we first entered the restaurant I new we had made the right choice. We were interested in experiencing a traditional tratoria run by a family and in hopes of some good florentine cuisine without blowing our budget. I'Toscano met all of our expectations. We were seated in the front room and had come early enough to be seated right away. One thing that visitors should understand is that most Italians eat dinner late so often a restaurant will not even open until 7pm and for the first hour you will be eating with other Americans. We had a wonderful meal. The wine was good and cheap, the soup was hearty, the waiter hand cut the crusty bread at our table and the pasta was excellent which featured a bolognese sauce that was very tasty indeed. The tourist menu included 3 courses and cost aproximately $12. The atmosphere was very nice. Linen and flowers on the tables were a nice touch and the waiters were very patient with our bumbling Italian. I highly recommend this place for a nice meal after a hectic day of touring the city.

If you are going to eat gelato you might as well start at the top. This little parlor is hectic most of the time and I recommend you go in the afternoon when you are tired of visiting churches and museums and need a little break. The gelato here is excellent! The best we had in Florence (and we tried a bunch). The texture is what separates this place from some of the others. It is smooth and creamy. Try the melon or the chocolate. My only complaint was the service is a little chilly.

We visited this cute little Trattoria our first night in Florence. The decor is simple and pleasant. They open at 7pm so don't show up before that. The owner was a former waiter here and bought the business decades ago and still runs the place with a casual and friendly style. How he could be so nice after 30 years in the business is beyond me. The food is typical Florentine peasant fare. Nice hearty meals at reasonable prices. My favorite item was the wonderful Minestrone soup.

The Accademia is famous for Michelangelo's David as well as his wonderful partially completed "prisoner" carvings. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND SHOWING UP 20 MINUTES BEFORE THE MUSEUM OPENS. We did this both here and at the Uffizi. It is a wonderful experience to see David with only a handful of other earlybirds. Then go look at the rest of this wonderful museum. One hour later there will be hundreds of people crammed into the area around David and it really takes away from the experience. Also, there can be huge lines to get in if you wait.

This was one of the highlights of the trip. We walked over the Arno and up past Galileo's house to the old city gate where there is still a long stretch of impressive walls. We went on a Sunday morning and once you get outside the walls the beautiful tuscan hills unfold in front of you and the view takes your breath away. We followed the wall to the next gate and then turned up the hill to San Miniato church. This is one of the finest churches you will see in Florence. Perched on the top of a big hill, the facade beams in the sunlight. Once we made it to the top we looked back at Florence and the view was spectacular! Here are directions: start at the Pote Vecchio, go up Costa Di San Gorgio, turn left on Via Di Belvedere, turn right on Via Del Monte Croci.

The Uffizi gallery is one of the great museums of the world. The building was created by the Medici family in the 1560s as a commercial building and the top floor was designed to house their great art collection. Situated right on the Arno, the building, designed by Vasari, is a work of art in itself. The gallery is designed and laid out to give you a chronological tour of Italian art from midievel times through the late renaissance. I suggest you get there 30 minutes before they open so that you get a chance to view this marvelous collection with the least amount of people possible. The cost is 14,000 lire and will be the best money you spend while in Florence. There are several must see items in the collection. First, the Botticelli room has the best collection of the man's work in the world. His masterpiece Primavera is here as is the Birth of Venus. Up until a hundred years ago Botticelli's work was not appreciated. As a matter of fact, most people went to the Uffizi and ignored the painting to view the sculptures in the hallway (which are wonderful as well).

Other highlights include a few masterpieces by Raphael, "The Holy Family" by Michelangelo and a couple of beautiful paintings by Leonardo Di Vinci. Make sure you look up in the corridor! The frescos that adorn the ceilings are fabulous.

There is a website for the gallery that you might want to check out: Uffizi Website.

There are at least 5 churches that are musts for any visit to Florence. The best were San Lorenzo, Santa Croce, The Duomo, San Miniato and Santa Maria Novella. There is world class art in these beautiful buildings and together they make for an incredible art history tour. Here is my opinion of my favorite, San Lorenzo.

San Lorenzo facade belies the treasures hidden inside. In fact, there is no facade. Michelangelo was commissioned to design and build it, but after arguing with the Pope about materials and angering his workers, who subsequently walked out on him, the project was dropped and never restarted. Once you step inside, however, you are transported back to the renaissance in all its glory. We tagged along with a British tour group and listened to the art historian/tour guide lecture about the wonderful frescos that adorn the walls, the Donatello Pulpits which were his last works, the old Sacristy which was designed by Bruneleschi and Donatello and then we broke off to explore the wonderful courtyard on the left side of the church that leads to the Biblioteca (library) which was designed by Michelangelo. Make sure to check out the stairway that you walk up to reach the Biblioteca. Michelangelo designed this as well and it is fabulous.

The Medici Chapel and tombs were added to the back of the church and they are the highlight of the visit. We were stunned when we heard a couple from the United States who objected to paying an extra $8 to enter this remarkable place. They actually left without going in and I remarked to my wife that they traveled several thousand miles at great expense only to cheap out and miss one of the greatest achievements of western art. I would rather have missed 3 meals than missed seeing this Chapel. Made completely of marble, the Medici Chapel took several hundred years to complete. It is the most amazing structure I have ever seen. It reeks of wealth. Spend 30 minutes standing in awe of this marvel of Renaissance beauty. Then turn and go through the hallway to view an astounding collection of sculptures by Michelangelo that adorn the tombs of the Medici clan. In my opinion he is the greatest artist of western civilization and in this one room you can see what occupied him for over a decade of his life.

The Duomo of Florence dominates the city and is it's crown jewel. This amazing structure is so massive that it is difficult to get a good view of it in its entirety. As you walk around Florence you will see glimpses of the great church from narrow and darkened medieval streets. Several architects worked on the building, the most famous being Bruneleschi. But since the structure was under construction for several hundred years, it is really a collaborative effort. The interior is so huge that 10,000 people can fit inside. You must check out the amazing marble inlaid floor which is laid out in an intricate mosaic design. The other must-see attraction is the last judgment frescos by Vasari that fill the interior space of the dome. If you are in shape and it is a nice day you can climb up the stairs of the dome and get a spectacular birds eye view of Florence from the top. Make sure you go across to the Baptistery and see the wonderful brass doors which are replicas of the original and done by Ghiberti which were some of the first works to capture the ideals of the renaissance. Go early in the morning if you can and you can avoid the huge crowds that fill the square. Entrance to the Duomo is free but you have to pay a small fee to climb to the top.

Fiesole make the perfect half day retreat from the crowds and heat of Florence. Located in the hills overlooking Florence Fiesole is easily reached via the #7 bus and takes approximately one half an hour to reach the town square from downtown Florence.

The best thing we did on our trip to this ancient town was visit the Roman and Etruscan ruins located just off the square. The Romans built a theatre there as well as some baths and the remains of these works are there to drink in under the Tuscan skies. It is almost unfathomable that these things were built more than a thousand years before the Renaissance. There are substantial ruins from the Etruscans as well here on this site and they date back several hundred years before the Romans. Attached to this outdoor archeological park is a museum that houses many of the archeological findings from the area. It is fascinating to see how developed these ancient people were.