Galleria
Degli Uffici
Thousands of tourists line up in
front of the Uffici Gallery each day
to enter this premier art heaven.
Forence's most famous gallery
encompasses 40 rooms and a
mind-boggling number of paintings
and sculptures by artists such as
Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael,
Caravaggio and Botticelli. There are
also interesting collections of
French, Dutch, German and Flemish
masters. No visit to Florence is
considered complete without stopping
by the Uffici Gallery.
Museo
Bargello
If you want to visit an
establishment that houses the most
comprehensive collection of medieval
and Renaissance sculptures in Italy,
a visit to Bargello Museum is de
riguer. Some of the notable pieces
are Donatello's David, Giambologna's
Mercury and Michelangelo's drunken
Bacchus. Next to the museum you can
also walk to the Mary Magdalene's
chapel to revel in the beauty of
Giotto's stunning frescoes.
Santa Maria
del Fiore (Duomo)
The Duomo's visible red-tiled dome
dominates Florence's skyline from
afar. Up close, the green, pink and
white marble exterior of this
world's fourth largest cathedral
will leave visitors smitten with its
extraordinary vivacity and splendor.
Florence's Duomo is undoubtedly one
of Brunelleschi's most remarkable
creations.
Piazza della
Signoria
This famous city square seems to be
crowded any time of the day with
tourists whiling away time at one of
the outdoor cafés watching the
world goes by, tramping and browsing
at the souvenir and book shops, or
snapping pictures of the fine
sculptures carved by the hands of
sculptor-masters such as Ammannati
and Cellini. It is definitely a
great place to come hang around and
meet other people or just to get the
feel of the every-bustling
Florence.
San Lorenzo
The San Lorenzo Basilica is the
powerful Medici family's parish
church and also a final resting
place of many of the family's
members. The work on the basilica
was begun by Brunelleschi in 1425,
and his design has earned this
establishment praise as one of the
city's purest Renaissance churches.
The church also houses an exquisite
collection of arts (typical of the
Medici's way to exhibit their power
and wealth) by Michelangelo,
Brunelleschi, Donatello, Verrocchio,
and Filippo Lippi.
Piazzale
Michelangelo
Created during the major
restructuring of the city walls in
the late 19th century, the Piazzale
Michelangelo is a popular terrace
where you can get the panoramic
scenery of the city of Florence as
well as the Arno valley. The main
architect of the project was Poggi
whose numerous adornments he made
for the terrace were homage to
Michelangelo's works.
Pitti Palace
The Pitti Palace was the Pitti
family's palace who were the rivals
of the Medicis. They had this grand
court designed by Brunelleschi and
had it built on the southern bank of
the Arno River. Apart from the
heavily decorated rooms, the palace
is also a treasure house where a
massive art collection by Filippo
Lippi, Raphael, Veronese, Rubens and
Tintoretto can be
found.
Santa Croce
Santa Croce is another one of
Florence's majestic contribution to
the national splendor. This is where
the bodies of many famous
Florentines are interred including
Michelangelo, Galileo, Macchiavelli
and Bardi. Many artists were
commissioned to design and embellish
this church whose imposing colored
marble facade greet visitors from
the outside and 276 tombstones pave
the floor.
Fiesole
Heading 8 km south of Florence,
you'll arrive in Fiesole between the
Arno and Mugnono rivers. This is a
short pleasant excursion where you
can exhilarate in a temporary escape
from the hubbub of the city. Fiesole
also has its own awesome duomo, an
attractive art museum and an
interesting archeological site. The
narrow winding streets in the city
also offer particularly atmospheric
walks.
|
