Tuscany: Florence

The third and last day of the trip to Tuscany was dedicated to the very heart of the province: Florence. The city often described as the cradle of culture, the heart of Renaissance art, is to me a dreamland with a mind of its own, and the main reason I chose this certain travel program. Home to great artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Giotto di Bondone, Sandro Botticelli etc., walking trhrough the centre of Florence itself already is a museum-like experience, for every element of the city tells its own fascinating story. Our tour began on Piazzale Michelangelo, where the view of Florence is breathtaking, and where we took a first look at Michelangelo's most famous and slightly controversial masterpiece: David. 

Afterwards, the bus took us across the river Arno to the centre, and we walked from the basilica Santa Croce, to the Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore, with its devastatingly beautiful and intricate facade of various-colored marble, built by yet another mastermind: Arnolfo di Cambio Filippo Brunelleschi. Afterwards, we continued to Piazza della Signoria with Palazzo Vecchio and yet another David among replicas of other famous statues, past the Uffizi museum, over Ponte Vecchio to Palazzo Pitti. 

Unfortunately, our time in the city I craved to see for 3 years was unfairly limited in comparison to the previously discovered sites (Lucca, Pisa), thus we were left to our own devices to make the best of what we had in the capital of renaissance art. Keeping that in mind, the best option for genuine souvenirs that would inspire us to return was the best bookshop I had so far had the good pleasure of visiting. Afterwards, as my tradition goes (and as I described in the first post on Tuscany), I had forest fruit flavored ice cream right beside the Duomo. I believe it is pointless to say how much that cost me, for the location made it priceless.

 Have you been to Florence yet? What is your opinion on it?

x, Valens