How to do Florence
Europe is slowly opening up to travelling again. And I keep reminiscing about past trips and places. Among them are lovely trips to Italy, my favourite country and a country I keep returning to. My heart has bled watching my beloved Italy close down during Covid -19. Seeing St. Peters square empty during easter, seeing Venice without people, and all the other beautiful places, cities, cathedrals without people is eeringly strange. But one thing is certain: Travellers will travel again! And one of my first destinations will be Italy, my favourite country in the whole world, which I never, ever tire of!
So, this is a post about Florence, one of the most breathtaking and iconic cities in the world. A city you will want to return to time, and time again. If you like history and art, walking the same streets as Dante, Boccaccio, Michelangelo and da Vinci among others is very special.
The historic city centre is quite small but there are so many sights to see. My suggestion is to first make a stroll through the city centre, just passing by the famous churches, cathedrals, buildings and bridges – just to get a feel of the city. And you are sure to pass by a lot of the sights on your must see list, just during this leisurely stroll!
Then you should start ticking of your must -see sights. First of all, you should spend some time in the Piazza Santa Maria del Fiore – The piazza where you find the famous cathedral of Florence (Better known as the Duomo) and the Battistero (Baptistry). The whole Piazza is beautiful, and if you are lucky the queue to enter the Duomo isn’t too long. My advice is to start queing first thing in the morning. Anyway, take a few moments to gaze upon the impressive dome!
And you should definitely visit the Battistero as well. It was finished in 1128 and is one of the oldest buildings in the city. It is were Dante Alighieri and several Medici were baptised. Please also take some time to enjoy and really look at the intricate work on the bronze doors of the Battistero. The east doors made by Lorenzo Ghiberti were dubbed The Gates of Paradise by Michelangelo. They are exquisite. The doors in place are a copy, and the originals are kept in the Museo del opera del Duomo, along with many other fine pieces of art. Among them the cantorias, or singing-galleries, designed for the cathedral by Luca della Robbia and Donatello. It also includes The Deposition, a heartwrenching but very beautiful pietà sculpted by Michelangelo. This is work he originally made for his own tomb.
Then you should just continue your stroll and soak up first impressions of Florence. Walk past the Piazza della Signoria and the Palazzo Vecchio, which used to be the seat of government, and which housed the original David statue by Michelangelo, but now a copy is exhibited outside. Continue on your walk by crossing the Ponte Vecchio, the Old Bridge, the most famous of Florence’s bridges. Then you find yourself in the OltrArno – the other side of the river Arno, and it should be time for dinner. You will find lots of lovely restaurants here. After dinner you could use the opportunity to go to Piazzale Michelangelo, to get a post card view of the Florence skyline. It is equally captivating in daytime, so you should try to fit this in. I would take a taxi, but you could walk or just take either bus 12 or 13 from the city center, or the red two-level sightseeing tour bus.
No visit to Florence is complete without visiting the Uffizi galleries. So, I hope you are ready for a Museum fix. The Uffizi Galleries is one of the world’s great museums, and an absolute must-see when in Florence. As the good planner I hope you are, I sincerely hope you have bought your tickets for the Uffizi gallery in advance. You can buy them online at https://www.uffizi.it/en/tickets. This is an amazing museum for an art lover. Many of the pictures have been restored, and the clarity of the colours and the craftmanship is captivating. You will see works of art by Botticelli, Giotti,
Michelangelo, da Vinci and many more. So, set aside a good couple of hours. You are sure to have seen reproductions of many of the works, maybe most famous are Sandro Botticellis’ The Birth of Venus and The Spring. The Gallery has a very nice roof top terrace with a café so make sure you stop here for some refreshments, before continuing your visit.
You should also visit some of the beautiful churches of Florence. My favourite is Santa Croce, not far from the Duomo. It was rebuilt in 1924 and is a Franciscan church. Here you will find the tombs of Michelangelo, Rossini Galilei and Machiavelli.
The church is a treasure trove of artistic masterpieces. You will find frescoes by Gaddi and Giotti and a relief by Donatello, and you should take care to spend some time looking at the various chapels. If you are lucky, as I was last time I visited, you will be able to get a free guided tour by volunteers. My guide was really knowledgeable, charming and entertaining, and made my visit much more interesting.
Other interesting churches are Santa Maria Novella and Basilica di San Lorenzo, with its Library designed by Michelangelo.
On the south side of the River Arno, just a short distance from the Ponte Vecchio, you will find the Palazzo Pitti. Parts of the Palazzo dates back to 1458, and it has been the residence of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. The palace with its contents was given to the Italian people by the King in 1919. The palace is now a museum, actually the largest museum complex in Florence! You will find works by Raphael, Titian and Rubens as well as a porcelain museum and a costume gallery.
Directly behind the Palazzo Pitti, you will find the Boboli gardens. They were opened to the public in 1766. The park has with statues of various styles and periods, both ancient and Renaissance scattered around the garden. It also has large fountains and caves, including the impressive Buontalenti grotto.
Where to stay: You should try to find a hotel in the city centre. There are hotels in all price categories, but if you can afford it, I thoroughly recommend Hotel Helvetia e Bristol. It’s an old 5 star hotel, recently redecorated and the location is perfect.
No visit to Florence is complete without eating a Bistecca alla Florentina, and one of the best is served at Regina Bistecca. A Bistecca alla Florentina is a vast T-Bone steak priced by weight. Here you choose the breed of your steak, keep in mind that the price varies according to the breed, with the Tuscan Chinina breed costing 8,2 Euros pr. 100 grams.
You should also try out Osteria dell’Enoteca. An Osteria is a more rustic restaurant, and Osteria dell’Enoteca serves a seasonal Tuscan cuisine with a twist.
During your day I hope you have enjoyed some Italian ice-cream. Some of the best are found at Grom, Venchi or Perchè no.
I find that a little preparation always makes a trip more interesting. Here are a few recommendations for you:
Movies I watched:
Inferno (2016) based on the novel by Dan Brown has several scenes filmed in Florence.
Lost in Florence (2017) , Quotefrom the New York Times: “The male-fantasy earmarks of “Lost in Florence,” a guy-perspective romance written and directed by Evan Oppenheimer, are hard to ignore, but it’s still a reasonably pleasant film. Florence looks great; the cast is appealing; and you’ll learn about a rough-and-tumble sport you may not have encountered before….. The story may not stay with you, but don’t be surprised if you come away with a strong desire to visit Florence.
A room with a view (1985) set in England and Tuscany also has beautiful scenes from Florence.
What I read before I went:
The rise and fall of the house of Medici by Christopher Hibbert. This book gives you insights into the Medici family but also to the history of Florence from the 14 th century until the 17th century. It is a well written history book, and more or less a classic.
Tim Parks: Medici money – the story of the Medici family and the rise and fall of their bank.
Ross King: Brunelleschi’s dome – the book gives you an idea of the tremendous effort and stories behind the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore.
Glenn Haybittle: The way back to Florence – a love story set in Florence during WW2.
