Trip Florence Italy

   We took trip to Florence by bus and it was a short ride from Pisa. We were so ready to hit the walking tour of the city because heard so much history about Florence. Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany. The city lies on the River Arno and is known for its history and its importance in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance, especially for its art and architecture. A centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of the time.

   Florence has had a long and eventful history, being a Roman city, the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance (or the "Florentine Renaissance"). A turbulent political history included periods of rule by the powerful Medici family, religious and republican revolution. From 1865 to 1870 the city was also the capital of the Kingdom of Italy. Florence is often known as the "Jewel of the Renaissance".

   Florence Italy (Firenza Italia) is famous for its world-class art galleries and museums and beautiful setting along the Arno River. Visitors can hike up to Piazzale Michelangelo and enjoy a fabulous view of Florence's skyline and its beautiful bridges but we decided to ride with our tour bus. When you visit Florence, be sure to see the Italian paintings at the Uffizi Gallery and sculptures at the Bargello. You also won't want to miss Michelangelo's famous statue of "David" at the Accademia Gallery.

Florence Cathedral.
   At the heart of historic Florence, the Duomo (which means “dome” in Italian) is the city’s main cathedral and dates from the late 13th century. The cathedral’s full name is Santa Maria del Fiori. The Dome was originally constructed without its crowning dome, which left a giant circular hole in the roof, because the designers didn’t yet know how to create such a dome without inner supports. They were sufficiently optimistic that it would eventually happen, however, so they went ahead with the plans and just lived with a big hole in the roof until the dome was finally added in the early 15th century. The dome was eventually designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, and climbing to the top of the dome to look over the city of Florence is now one of the highlights of a visit to the Duomo.

Florence Baptistery or Battistero di San Giovanni.
   Baptistery of St. John is a religious building in Florence, Italy, which has the status of a minor basilica. The octagonal Baptistery stands in both the Piazza del Duomo and the Piazza di San Giovanni, across from the Duomo cathedral and the Giotto bell tower (Campanile di Giotto). It is one of the oldest buildings in the city, built between 1059 and 1128. The architecture is in Florentine Romanesque style.

Piazza della Signoria.
   Piazza della Signoria is an L-shaped square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy. It was named after the Palazzo della Signoria, also called Palazzo Vecchio.
   It is the focal point of the origin and of the history of the Florentine Republic and still maintains its reputation as the political hub of the city. It is the meeting place of Florentines as well as the numerous tourists, located near Ponte Vecchio and Piazza del Duomo and gateway to Uffizi Gallery.

Piazza del Duomo.
   Piazza del Duomo (large city square) is located in the heart of the historic center of Florence; is one of the most visited place in the Europe and the world; here we can find the Florence Cathedral with the Cupola del Brunelleschi, the Giotto's Campanile, the Florence Baptistery, the Loggia del Bigallo, the Opera del Duomo Museum, and the Arcivescovile and Canonici's palace. The west zone of this square is called San Giovanni square.

Piazza di San Giovanni.
   Piazza di San Giovanni is the plaza located directly in front of the Duomo in Florence Italy. Visitors to Florence flock to this square to enjoy the facade of Florence's famous cathedral. The Baptistry, with its famous doors, is also located on Piazza di San Giovanni.

Basilica of Santa Croce.
   The principal Franciscan church in Florence, Italy, and a minor basilica of the Roman Catholic Church. It is situated on the Piazza di Santa Croce, about 800 meters south east of the Duomo. The site was in marshland outside the city walls. It is the burial place of some of the most illustrious Italians, such as Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Foscolo, Gentile, Rossini, and Marconi, thus it is known also as the Temple of the Italian Glories (Tempio dell'Itale Glorie).

Giotto's Campanile.
   Giotto’s Campanile is a free-standing campanile that is part of the complex of buildings that make up Florence Cathedral on the Piazza del Duomo. This slender structure stands on a square plan with a side of 14.45 meters (47.41ft). It attains a height of 84.7 meters (277.9ft) sustained by four polygonal buttresses at the corners. These four vertical lines are crossed by four horizontal lines, dividing the tower in five levels. Giotto’s Campanile was constructed between 1334 and 1359. Giotto died before completing the campanile and was succeeded by Andrea Pisano in 1343. The latter followed Giotto’s design but the construction was halted in 1348 when the Black Death was at its height. All works of art in the campanile are copies of the originals which are on display in the Museum Opera del Duomo.

Vasari Corridor.
   The Vasari Corridor is a gallery which connects the Palazzo Vecchio with the Pitti Palace passing by the Uffizi and over the Ponte Vecchio. Was built for the Grand Duke Cosimo I de' Medici.

Uffizi Gallery.
   The Uffizi Gallery (Galleria degli Uffizi) is Florence's premiere art gallery. It contains an amazing collection of paintings by the Italian artists Raphael, Caravaggio, Rubens, Titian, Giotto, Leonardo and Michelangelo. These paintings date from the 13th to the 17th century. The Uffizi also houses works of art from Holland, Spain and Germany and includes gothic, early renaissance, high renaissance and mannerism styles.

Palazzo Vecchio.
   The Palazzo Vecchio is the town hall of Florence, Italy. This massive fortress-palace is among the most impressive town halls of Tuscany. Overlooking the Piazza della Signoria with its copy of Michelangelo's David statue as well the gallery of statues in the adjacent Loggia dei Lanzi, it is one of the most significant public places in Italy.

Bargello.
   The Bargello, also known as the Bargello Palace or Palazzo del Popolo (Palace of the People) is a former barracks and prison, now an art museum, in Florence, Italy.
   The museum houses masterpieces by Michelangelo, such as his Bacchus, Pitti Tondo (or Madonna and Child), Brutus and David-Apollo.

Pitti Palace.
   The Palazzo Pitti in English sometimes called the Pitti Palace, is a vast mainly Renaissance palace in Florence. The palace was bought by the Medici family in 1549 and became the chief residence of the ruling families of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. In the late 18th century, the palazzo was used as a power base by Napoleon, and later served for a brief period as the principal royal palace of the newly united Italy. Today, it houses several minor collections in addition to those of the Medici family, and is fully open to the public.

Arno River.
   The Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the most important river of central Italy after the Tiber. The city of Florence is divided by the Arno River. Tourist attractions exist on both the north and the south sides of the river. Visitors to Florence Italy can enjoy relaxing walks along the Arno. It is also a wonderful location from which to take photographs.

Torre San Nicolò.
   The door of St. Nicolas (Porta San Nicolò) forms one of the ancient entry points to Florence, when the city was protected from attacks by an imposing outer wall. As little remains of the city's historic walls today, these doors, standing alone, are referred to as towers (Torre). Torre San Nicolò's name comes from the zone of Florence by the same name, where the tower is positioned.
    A distinguishing feature of the San Nicolò tower is that it is the only one not to have been lowered in height during the 1500s. Because of this it's the only door in Florence that can give you a real sense of what it must have been like to arrive at the gates of the city, as a visitor in medieval times. We saw this tower from across the river.

Badia Fiorentina .
The Badìa Fiorentina is an abbey and church of the Fraternity of Jerusalem situated on the Via del Proconsolo in the centre of Florence, Italy. The abbey was founded as a Benedictine institution in 978 by Willa, Margravine of Tuscany, in commemoration of her late husband Uberto, and was one of the chief buildings of medieval Florence. A hospital was founded in the abbey in 1071. The church bell marked the main divisions of the Florentine day. Between 1284 and 1310 the Romanesque church was rebuilt in Gothic style, but in 1307 part of the church was demolished to punish the monks for non-payment of taxes. The church underwent a Baroque transformation between 1627 and 1631. The prominent campanile, completed between 1310 and 1330, is Romanesque at its base and Gothic in its upper stages.

Ponte Vecchio Bridge.
   The Ponte Vecchio is the oldest and most famous bridge in Florence Italy. Locals and tourists love to visit this beautiful bridge that spans the Arno River and to browse the jewelry shops that are located on the bridge. Ponte Vecchio crosses the Arno from the Uffizzi Gallery on the north bank (Signoria District) to the Oltrarno District on the south bank (right side below). This is where the Pitti Palace is located.

Ponte Vecchio Bridge.
   Mostly the businesses on the bridge are all sorts of jewelry; lovely stones, gold, silver in all shapes, forms and sizes and we have to admit it was way beyond our budget, but you don’t have to buy anything. The choice is endless and I wouldn't know where to start from... good luck!

Piazzale Michelangelo.
   The Piazzale Michelangelo is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Florence Italy. Perched high on a hillside overlooking the city, visitors can enjoy a breathtaking view of Florence's skyline. The view offered from the Piazzale Michelangelo of Florence below is spectacular. We got up here without sweat (tour bus drop us off) but it is a long walk uphill from city below.

The Piazzale Michelangelo is a big public square that sits atop a hill above the Oltrarno neighborhood. Built in 1869, this piazza is dedicated to Michelangelo and features replicas of some of his famous sculptures – including a large bronze David standing in the center of the square. The rest of the square itself functions as a car parking space.

David (Michelangelo).
    David is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture created between 1501 and 1504, by the Italian artist Michelangelo. It is a 5.17 meter (17 foot) marble statue of a standing male nude. The statue represents the Biblical hero David. The statue was moved to the Accademia Gallery in Florence in 1873. A copy of the statue standing in the original location of David, in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.

Florence is known as the "cradle of the Renaissance" for its monuments, churches and buildings. The best-known site and crowning architectural jewel of Florence is the domed cathedral of the city, Santa Maria del Fiore, known as The Duomo. The nearby Campanile and the Baptistery buildings are also highlights. We are overwhelm with the magnificent city and speechless and nothing can describe our feeling. We’d like to stay longer and explore the city but we ran out of time.