Florence, Italy

After Rome, we took the train to Florence; a beautiful city; full of amazing architecture, historical sites and various art collections residing in various museums. Yes, Florence is only 270 kilometers north from Rome on the Italian E35 Autostrada, but the train service between the two cities is frequent & fast and our game plan called for us to rent a car only while in Florence.
To insure that you see as much as possible in the time that you have available, it would be a good idea to have a detailed account of what Florence is all about. There are online sites where you can get advance tickets for entry into various museums, which will allow you to bypass the line of people waiting in line to buy tickets.

All of our exploration of Florence was done by walking, our condo rental was just across the Arno River where we could walk into the city easily. The Ponte Vecchio is pedestrian only and parking in Florence is not easy, so walking was a much better choice. Your plans may require driving, but I would not encourage you to consider it. Structure your stay in Florence to where you have "driving elsewhere" days as well as "walking through Florence" days and you won't regret it

This is the view of several bridges that cross the Arno River from as we crossed the Ponte alla Carraia. The first bridge is the Ponte Santa Trinita and the second is the Ponte Vecchio. The City of Florence is on the left, and the condo we were renting is up the hill to the right.

The bridge was originally built in the 13th century and was later reconstructed in the 16th century, with the current design by Bartolomeo Ammannati. It features three arches, each adorned with elegant sculptures, and is known for its graceful curves and symmetry. It is located just a short distance from the famous Ponte Vecchio and is known for its breathtaking views of the city, particularly at sunset. The bridge has a rich history, having survived numerous floods and wars, and is considered one of the most important examples of Renaissance architecture in Florence.

We picked up our rental car here, as Florence was going to be our "home base" for a series of day trips in & around this area. We were fortunate to have a condo rental that provided for vehicle parking, it is not the "norm" and it is seriously difficult to find a parking spot in Florence.

This is a medieval stone closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge over the Arno River, noted for still having shops built along it, as was once common. It was first constructed in 966AD, but has been destroyed during some of the incredible River Arno floods dating back as far as 1345AD.

It was the only bridge in Florence not destroyed by German troops in WW2. It is also famous for being the place where the great scientist and philosopher Galileo Galilei tested his telescope.

The Uffizi Gallery is a prominent art museum located adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence. One of the most important Italian museums and the most visited, it is also one of the largest and best known in the world and holds a collection of priceless works, particularly from the period of the Italian Renaissance.

The Vasari Corridor is a kilometer long passageway that connects the Uffizi Gallery to the Pitti Palace. Today, the corridor still connects the two buildings but it is set up as a small museum separate from the famous Uffizi Gallery.

NOTE: Do not wait until you arrive in Florence to obtain tickets to enter the Uffizi Museum, get your tickets online (prior to your trip) or you will be standing in line for a while. The Museum limits the number of people inside and so the entrance line grows quickly. Do a Google search for "Uffizi Tickets", here is one place.

The Uffizi Gallery is a prominent art museum located adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence in the region of Tuscany, Italy. One of the most important Italian museums and the most visited, it is also one of the largest and best known in the world and holds a collection of priceless works, particularly from the period of the Italian Renaissance.

Warning: Do not expect to walk up to this museum and get in, this is a very popular museum and it is always busy with a lengthy waiting line to purchase tickets. We got our tickets online before we arrived in Florence and were then able to just walk up (at our assigned time) and enter without standing in line. The official ticket website is located here.

East of Piazza della Signoria and not far from the banks of the Arno, Piazza Santa Croce is one of the largest squares in Florence. It is located near the National Central Library, and takes its name from the Basilica of Santa Croce that overlooks the square.

The plaza is surrounded by beautiful buildings and features a large marble statue of Dante Alighieri, the famous poet and author of the "Divine Comedy." Piazza Santa Croce is also home to the famous Palazzo dell'Antella, which houses the National Library of Florence.

In addition to its cultural and historical significance, the Piazza Santa Croce is a popular gathering place for locals and tourists alike. It is a hub for street performers, artists, and musicians, and it hosts a number of events and festivals throughout the year, including the famous Calcio Storico, a traditional Italian football game.

Formally known as the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore in English "Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower"), it is the cathedral of Florence, Italy (Italian: Duomo di Firenze).

It was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style to a design of Arnolfo di Cambio and was structurally completed by 1436, with the dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi.

The dome that covers the Florence cathedral is known as the Filippo Brunelleschi’s dome and when it was designed, it was the largest dome in the world. Click here to read more about this huge dome and the problems they went through to construct it. Remember that the Dome construction began in 1420 and they obviously did not have anything but intellect, pens and paper to design and build it. The dome stands at 375 feet tall and has a diameter of 143 feet, making it the largest brick dome in the world.

Visitors can climb the 463 steps to the top of the dome for panoramic views of Florence, or explore the interior of the cathedral, adorned with intricate frescoes, stained glass windows, and marble sculptures. The dome has inspired countless artists and architects throughout history and remains a symbol of the Renaissance's intellectual and artistic achievements.

Statue of Cosimo I de’ Medici who became head of the Florentine Republic in 1537 at the the tender age of seventeen and conquered his way to being named the Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1569.

The statue is known for its intricate details, including the ornate armor of Cosimo I and the dynamic movement of the horse. It was created as a symbol of the Medici family's power and influence in Florence during the Renaissance era. Today, it remains an important landmark in the city, attracting visitors from all over the world.

This is a view of Florence from the condo we rented. As you can see, the condo is in a hilly area south of the River Arno. This is looking north, and the mountains in the distance are the Appennine Mountains and the Campigna National Park. We drove through those mountains when we drove to Maranello (see our Ferrari Factory Maranello Page)).

And this is how we got around Italy in the days prior to cellular-based mapping Applications! It is probably difficult to remember for some of you, but paper maps were very important back then.

Another view of Florence as Celeste and I hiked up the hill from our condo rental to a local restaurant. The condo was across the street from The Boboli Gardens, and the street ("Viale della Meridiana") we were walking on rises up from the Porta Romana and ends near the Forti di Belvedere.

As we walked up the hill, we passed by the Fontana dell'Oceano in the Boboli Gardens and then the Pitti Palace on the left side of the street. We didn't realize until later, that we could have walked through the Boboli Gardens, as their main path would have brought us to almost the same destination.

This map was so useful & so necessary, as the Florence streets would often have roundabouts, and were super narrow! We drove through roundabouts that would have six and sometimes eight roads that entered the circle. Talk about difficulties in figuring out right-of-way ! We finally came up with the strategy of "we have good rental car insurance, so we are just going to push our way into the round-a-bout". If we waited and assumed that someone would let us in, we would wind up waiting a long, long time.

Florence is "pedestrian friendly" because the historic city center is closed to traffic except for residents, taxis and buses. Great news for walkers and cyclists, not so great for drivers.

This was the condo we rented in Florence, within walking distance of the Arno River and a mile from Fort Belvedere. Since it was on the south side of the river, we did not get all the tourist traffic from the city, there were only "locals" up here. Immediately below the condo on the Via Romana, was an excellent Espresso Shop that we frequented each morning.

We had our own deck area in the rear of the condo, where the washing machine was located. Parking could be a challenge, but it was easy to pickup on the ebb and flow of people looking for parking spaces. Since no one came here except for people that lived here, it wasn't a major challenge to find a parking spot.

The concept of staying in a central place and day-tripping from there, worked so well for us, that we have continued to follow this method on subsequent trips to Europe.

• Just Traveling Thru European Travel Tips
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• Florence History on the 'Britannica' site
• Things to see & do in Florence on the 'Crazy Tourist' site
• Google Search Results list for "Restaurants in Florence"
• Google Search Results list for "Accommodations in Florence"

• Things to do and see in Florence on the 'Culture Trip' site
• Things to do in Florence on the "Get Your Guide" Site
• Amazon Search Results list for "Florence Italy"
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