Florence, Italy- Historic, Romantic and Timeless

Banks of the Arno, seen from the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge), Florence (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Santa Croce (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Typical houses by the river of the Arno, Florence, Italy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Garden Folly in the Boboli Gardens, Florence. Now the Pitti Palace porcelaine Museum. Photographed by Giano who releases all rights into the public domain (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Coat of Arms of Florence, Italy, traced off of File:Firenze-Stemma.png (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: View of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo: Arno River, Palazzo Vecchio, Santa Maria del Fiore, Ponte Vecchio. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By []Glenn Aitelli
If you haven't been to Florence, Italy, you are missing out on one of the most beautiful masterpieces in the world, quite literally.  Florence was home to many famous artists like Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci and contains some of the world's most beautifully designed buildings and landmarks.

The panoramic views from Boboli Gardens or Piazzale Michelangelo offer breathtaking views of the city of Florence and the mountainous surrounding landscape.  Piazzale Michelangelo is a tribute to Florence's favorite son and has a copy of the David in the center of the Piazza. You can take a picnic lunch and enjoy the serene beauty of the River Arno and the four bridges that cross it.

Tuscany is famous for its wonderful wines and cuisine. The restaurants, markets and bars of Florence will showcase all that is unique to this area in a delicious smorgasbord of flavors, aromas and complexity.

Florence is also known for Cathedrals, Basilicas and Museums, which house some of the most famous works of the Renaissance period and everything through modern day.

Michelangelo's tomb is in Santa Croce basilica, the Medici Chapel houses the Medici royal family tombs and many of the other cathedrals also hold the tombs of some of the most famous Florentine artists and royalty. The Duomo and the Giotto Bell Tower are famous landmarks of Florence that you can see from almost anywhere in town.

You can climb to the top of the Giotto Bell tower and stare straight across at the red dome of the Duomo, another famous landmark. You must visit the Piazzas, which host some fun events such as the Chocolatiers Fair or the Calcio Storico which is a wild, almost modern day gladiatorial contest between two teams combining rugby, soccer and wrestling. It is held annually at the Piazza Santa Croce between June 24-28. Also located in Piazza Santa Croce are leather shops that offer fine authentic Italian leather goods.

You can tour the Accademia, The Uffizi, and Bargello or some of the palaces that also house museums such as the Pitti Palace, which has several different galleries.

The Boboli Gardens which were originally built for royalty, have fascinating fountains and statuary, along with Grottos and an amphitheatre.  You can stroll the trails that wind along the bluffs of the River Arno and get away from the crowds.

Many people visit multiple historic landmarks in a day but you will get much more out of your trip if you take your time and do just one per day.  The Ponte Vecchio Bridge is a historic landmark that is lined with shops, and the Vasari corridor goes across the River Arno on the upper level of the bridge.  The bridge connects the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens to the town center of Florence.

You will be able to feel the greatness of its past citizens as you marvel at the detail of the original sculptures that are everywhere you go. Besides containing some of the world's most treasured works of art and architecture, Florence is truly a magical place that stands the test of time with its ambiance and beauty. http://www.Travel-To-Florence.com is owned and operated by Glenn and Jeanne Aitelli. We have traveled extensively throughout Europe but our passion is Italy. Both of us are graduates of the International Tour Management Institute in San Francisco and we are both certified Tour Directors. It is our hope that our site will not only help you plan your trip but enhance it.

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The Most Mysteriouse Place In Italy - Pitti Palace

Palazzo Pitti@Firenze (Photo credit: shok)

English: Florence, viewed from the Pitti Palace. ‪Norsk (nynorsk)‬: Firenze sett frå Palazzo Pitti. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Palais Pitti, Florence (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Palazzo Pitti in Florence, Italy File:Brogi, Giacomo (1822-1881) - n. 3039 - Firenze - Palazzo Pitti (lato di Boboli).jpg (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

front of Pitti Palace (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By []Ishfaq Ahmed

The Palazzo Pitti is also called the Pitti Palace which is a vast mainly Renaissance palace in Florence, Italy. It is located on the south side of the river Arno, which has the short distance from the Ponte Vecchio. By the Medici family this palace was buy in 1549 and after that became the chief residence of the ruling families of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. To the Italian people by the King Victor Emmanuel III this palace and its contents were donated in the year 1919. For the largest art galleries its doors were opened. Its houses have several minor collections because of the addition of the Medici family, and it is fully open to the public. It is a large 15th century palace.

The Florentine banker Luca Pitti sought to build a palace in the year 1458. This palace design attributed to Flippo Brunelleschi, but he died 12 years before the construction started his assistant Luca Fan celli was the architect. The construction continued till 1465. Due to the expansion of the Palazzo Pitti Medici commissioned Ammanati. He worked on the palace from 1558 till 1570 which is responsible for the inner courtyard. On the terrace bordering the courtyard the Artichoke Fountain was created in the year 1641 by the Giovanni Francesco Susini. The creation of the Boboli garden behind the palace was created by the Cosimo I.

Later this palace was owned by the House of Savoy, the Bourbons and even the Napoleons. The last owner of this palace was Italian King Vitoria Emmanuelle III who has given the permission and opened this palace for the public.

This palazzo has the number of museums. You can buy the tickets by the combination with the tickets of the Boboli garden. The interior of this palazzo provides the magnificent setting for the museum in the royal apartments. It has the Galleria Palatine which is the gallery and the important collection of Renaissance and Baroque paintings. Other museums are the Galleria del Costume which has collection of clothes from the House of Lorraine Era and the Medici; another is the Museo dell Carozze where the royal carriages are displayed and also contains the Galleria d' Arte Modern which is a gallery with 18th to 20th century art. Overall this is the very good place to visit in Italy. You will found yourself as in Holywood historical movies, so its worth to give a visit.

I love traveling and I want to visit each place I mention and write on my travel blog [http://shedexpedition.com]Shed Expedition. Recently I start a new project [http://hotelsontheway.com]Hotels On The Way where I aim to make a direct link between hotels and travelers. If you like this article you will also enjoy my travel blog. My aims to bring out the most loveable places from all around the world and provide the most accurate and research based information.

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Top Must See Attractions in Fabulous Florence

English: Photograph of Ponte Vecchio at night. Florence, Italy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By []Giovanni Balboni

Florence must surely be one of the most famous cities in all of Tuscany. Villas here offer you the opportunity to stay in one of the region's most renowned cities, offering classic sights wherever you look.

While it is hard to narrow down the best sights Florence has to offer, we've tried to do just that. Here's a taste of what you can look forward to when you are in Florence.

Caravaggio And His Followers In Florence

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"The dark voice of reality"... is not the title of an unedited album by the Doors, but one of the most appropriate definitions ever given to the work of Michelangelo Merisi, also called Caravaggio. Indeed, Merisi's approach to life was that of a contemporary rock star. His short life, turbulent and dissipated, characterized by violence, riots and general excess (he was also condemned to death for murder, even if he was not executed) make him a perfect example of a "cursed artist", compared to which Mick Jagger and Ozzy Osbourne come across as little more than beginners.

How to Explore Florence - A Classic Tourist Guide

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By Chris Dale


Florence: Florence is full of ancient riches and treasures, it is also the birthplace of the Renaissance.
Florence is a colourful, living museum that rejoices in the great works of Michelangelo, Giotto, Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli. Florence has the world's largest collection of Renaissance art and stunning architecture, it is often referred to as being one enormous museum or art gallery, with more art treasures per square meter than any other place on earth.
This classic destination is nestled on the banks of the river Arno, below the wooded foothills of the Appennines. The beautiful and romantic city of Florence makes a great choice for a classic short stay or an exciting weekend break of discovery.

Florence - The Gem Of The Italian Renaissance - Michelangelo

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By Orson Johnson


Florence was the city that witnessed the great revival of learning and culture in 14th to 16th centuries. The city was epicenter of the great surge in artistic, literary, and scientific explorations.
The precious Gem of the Italian Renaissance, Florence is often considered as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. The city was ruled by Medici family during Renaissance age, which brought up the great artists and intellectuals like Boccaccio, Botticelli, Dante, Donatello, Filippo Brunelleschi, Galileo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, Niccolò Machiavelli etc. flourished in the city.
It's a saying that "of the 1,000 most important European artists of the second millennium, 350 lived or worked in Florence." Modern city of Florence is highly esteemed due to the great works of its great men.
Florence is among the greatest cities of Europe famous for art, learning, and culture. It's a great cultural hub of Italy. Famous for its art and architecture, the city of Florence is a perfect pleasing place for aesthetic cognoscenti. Florence is home to the finest Museums and Galleries that exhibit the great works of great artists. The great Museums and Galleries of the cities are listed below.

Florence And The Birth Of The Modern Gelato

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By Stefano Becheroni


The good season is getting closer. Time for sun, cold drinks, light clothes and, of course, gelati! Any tourist wondering through the Florentine beauties will soon discover that the Tuscan summer can be hot, really hot. This is how he will probably start looking -pretty desperately- for something refreshing, and this is how he'll reach the closest gelateria. If he is staying in an apartment, he will buy the biggest gelato cup available and will run to chuck it straight into the freezer. You wouldn't want to run out of gelato on a hot, Florentine summer night, would you?

Top 5 Historical Sites in Florence

Image by clare_and_ben via Flickr
Author: Kristel van Winkel

1. The Duomo

The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is the cathedral church or Duomo of Florence and is absolutely worth a visit. The building process begun in 1296 and was completed in 1436. The Duomo has a Gothic style and is a design of Arnolfo di Cambio. The complex includes the Baptistery and Giotto's Campanile. The three buildings are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Duomo is one of Italy's largest churches and has the largest brick dome ever constructed. It is located at Piazza del Duomo, which is a very nice square, with terraces and shops. You could walk the stairs all the way to the top of the tower Giotto's Campile and have an amazing view over Florence.

Weddings in Italy: Top 3 Romantic Venues

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By Laura Frappa

If you are looking for a romantic wedding in Italy you may consider one of these cities: Venice, Rome or Florence.
Your romantic wedding in Italy could be planned to perfection by capable and talented Wedding Planners. A magical day to remember forever, special moments set in great photo services. Different kind of ceremonies can be organized in Italy: civil, protestant, catholic, Jewish or non-denominational weddings, and every kind of service (beauty, flowers, photography, music, transportation, activities ect) to make it unforgettable.
Here you can find a short description of the three best romantic venues:

Florence Holidays

Image via WikipediaBy Madhumay Mallik
The quieter side of Florence is found on the south bank of the Arno River. To reach it, one must cross over the Ponte Vecchio. It's short walk to the Pitti Palace.
Built for the wealthy merchant Luca Pitti and later sold to the Medici family, who ruled Florence for nearly 400 years, the Pitti houses five museums. The Galleria Palatina displays hundreds of 16th and 17th-century masterpieces once belonging to the Medicis. The Raphael collection is exceptional. A modern art gallery includes Italian paintings ranging from Neoclassic to Impressionist. Additional museums highlight historical fashions, silver, furnishings and carriages.
Behind the Pitti Palace, the elegantly landscaped Boboli Gardens spread over expanses of lawn graced with fountains and statuary. Footpaths lead to hidden grottoes.

As a grand finale visitors often catch a taxi up the hill to the Piazzale Michangelo for a glorious view overlooking the red-tile rooftops of Florence. One of the city's two copies of Michangelo's 'David' stands in the centre of the Piazzale, this one in bronze.

In the movie Field of dreams, a mysterious voice says, "If you build it, he will come." In Pisa, they bulldozed the Field of Miracles - the Campo dei Miracoli - and they are coming. By the thousands. No mystery though, just lots to see.

Pisa's thoughtful designers have conveniently bundled most of its top attractions on the campo. There's the Leaning Tower, of course, seemingly eager to careen earthward but reasonably stable for the moment.

The tower is only a miracle. Another is the dazzling cathedral, a fine-art wonderland housing Giovanni Pisano's ornate pulpit and swath of Gothic reliefs. There's also a baptistery, whose acoustics are said to hold a snug note for minutes. No rap demos, please. Next door is the Campo Santo, an elongated white walled cemetery built by the crusaders in the 12th century, now housing stone coffins and frescoes. Across the street, the Museo delle Sinopie displays masterly preliminary sketches for frescoes, which were discovered after World War II. The Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, behind the tower, sports works by Pisano and Guardi, as well as area archaeological finds.

Just below the Piazzale Michelangelo is one of Florence's most fragrant enclaves, the Giardino dell'Iris, or Iris Garden. The garden is home to some 2,500 varieties of flower that has been the symbol of Florence since 1251 and that is even displayed on the city's coat of arms.

The iris blooms for only about a month each year between May and June; in May, the annual International iris Competition elicits bulbs from all over the world to be judged by an international jury.

The Greeks were the first to cultivate the purple, violet scented flowers; they planted them on women's graves in the hope that the messenger goddess Iris, embodiment of the rainbow, would lead the women's soul to the Elysian Fields.

Visitors who arrive before May or after June can still enjoy the fragrance of the Florentine iris in a variety of commercial perfumes.

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Caravaggio And His Followers In Florence

Image via Wikipedia

"The dark voice of reality"... is not the title of an unedited album by the Doors, but one of the most appropriate definitions ever given to the work of Michelangelo Merisi, also called Caravaggio. Indeed, Merisi's approach to life was that of a contemporary rock star. His short life, turbulent and dissipated, characterized by violence, riots and general excess (he was also condemned to death for murder, even if he was not executed) make him a perfect example of a "cursed artist", compared to which Mick Jagger and Ozzy Osbourne come across as little more than beginners.




Caravaggio, though, was much more than that. One of the major representatives of the Baroque, he was probably one of the greatest painters of all time. His ability to represent reality in all its rawness, along with the characters of his works, their faces distorted by emotions, deformities, seduction and fury, make him a real "man of our times". The strong contrast between light and shade and the gloomy and nocturnal atmosphere of his works still upset and attract real art lovers as well as amateurs from all over the world.



However, not everyone, at that time, understood the greatness of Caravaggio. Florentines in the first place (painters and non) remained indifferent to his work, regardless of the fact that the Grand Duke Cosimo II de Medici, a member of the most famous Florentine family, demonstrated his appreciation for his work on more than one occasion. After all, Florence has always been a conservative city and its citizens have certainly never been willing to be taught by a "foreigner". Therefore, even if the most important families of the city did appreciate his works, the Florentine artistic community remained anchored to the "academic" painting tradition in fashion at that time.



As far as we know, Caravaggio never went to Florence. He wanted to, but did not make it on time. Regardless of this Florence is, after Rome, the city where most of his and his followers' works are found. This is why the exhibition "Caravaggio and his followers", organised to remember the 400th anniversary of his death, is an unmissable and unique event. From the 22nd of May to the 17th of October 2010 Florence will host nine of the most important masterpieces of the Milanese painter and tens of his followers' works, which will be spread among Palazzo Pitti, Uffizi and Villa Bardini.



The exhibition will include paintings such as "Bacco", "Amorino Dormiente", 'Medusa', "Sacrificio di Isacco", "Cavaliere di Malta" and the "Cavadenti", displayed at the Galleria Palatina and the Uffizi gallery, and the "Ragazzo morso dal ramarro", displayed at the Villa Bardini. These are incredible paintings that revolutionised painting in the 1600's and still impress the viewers 400 years later with their modernity and emotional impact. Along with them, the exhibition will display "Ritratto di Maffeo Barberini" and the "Ritratto di Cardinale", both of which are paintings that have only recently been attributed to Caravaggio.



These last two paintings will be the greatest surprise for the public as these works have only recently been attributed to the Milanese master and are therefore previously unseen by viewers. Along with the works by Merisi, viewers will enjoy a wide range of works by the so called "Caravaggeschi authors" (including Spadarino, Gerrit Van Honthorst, Artemisia Gentileschi) who were inspired by the same intuitions as their master. These are painters who found in Florence the passionate support of local families, such as the Medici, who adopted the style and atmosphere of Caravaggio and who sometimes met him in person, but who cannot be called real disciples because Caravaggio was always too involved in his chaotic life to find the will or the time to transfer his knowledge to others. It actually seems that Caravaggio never liked the idea of having followers and imitators. Apparently, he was not the easiest of men to get along with....



However, the real reason why Caravaggio is still so successful in 2010 is his ability to mix the sacred and profane, beauty and curse, splendor and squalor, paintbrush and sword. The reason why he is still so beloved by contemporaries lies in his ability to avoid academic or symbolically rich language and to talk to everyone through the most powerful emotions common to all mankind: rage, hate, love, light and shade. This is why we feel so close to him. The shady artist from many centuries ago and us, always in search for real, concrete and authentic emotions out of the glittering fictions of our time.
 

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We rent two apartments in the very center of Florence, (by two-minutes walk you are in the Duomo square) equipped with all the comforts : air conditionning, tv-sat and everything you need to cook your own meals. A nice cheap way to visit Florence!
Florence Holiday Apartments




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