Florence, Italy

The city is located at the region of Tuscany, Italy with great history, which runs to several centuries back. During the past eras, the city was reformedin time to time as a result of different revolutions. Even if, the city was undergone with different religious and other revolutions, the city is a well richest and populated city in Italy during last decades, as well as in the past. Florence was declared as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1982. The city is introduced as thebirth place of Renaissance.

Florence is one of the beautiful and important city in Italy as well as in the world due to the history, culture, art, masterpieces, architecture and the leisure. If I define this city as heat of the art, then I would be corrected, since the city is enriched with the masterpiece of Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Dante Alighieri, Niccolò Machiavelli, Petrarch, Giovanni Boccaccio and Francesco Guicciardini. Each year, city attractslot of tourist around the worldspecially, during the festival seasons (December, January, February) and summer seasons (June - October)concerning, the above importance. Equally the fireworks and the new year countdown festivals are also attractedlotof tourist in each end of December.

Tourists can visit many more museums, art galleries, important churches and experiences famous restaurants, nightclubs while enjoying the beautiful sceneries of the city from the top of the bell tower by Giotto and the garden of Michelangelo. Besides that, the river Arno, which is one of the vitalriver in Italy afterTiber, adds an additional beauty to the city. Along with that the street artists and street singers are common in the city. Theirsingingsand the music entertain the whole city whipping out the silence and loneliness.

I would like to point out the interesting places and other important information that I have experienced during the four days of stay in Florence. Travellers can reach Florence easily by train from everywhere. Travellers can find many hotels, hostels, B&B and other type of accommodations in the city centre for a reasonable price. But, according to my experience the hotel prices are quite high during the festival season and summer season. So, my advice is to reserve your accommodation early as possible after doing a price comparison. If you book an accommodation in the city centre, then you can easily reach there from the train station since train station has located close to city centre.

Most of the tourist destinations has located at the city centre and due to that fact, no need spends additional money for transport to go from one place to another. Each tourist destination has located from walking distance. But if you wish, you can use a city tour bus to go around the city. But I prefer walking in the city rather than using city tour bus, since it is much more convenient and you would not miss any single point of the city.

Furthermore, in most of the tourist destination, you can see high security checking at the entrance due to the past Mafia attack at the Uffizi. So, just bring few items and your important documents with passport and ID card with you while you aretravellingin the city.

The city is enriched with good restaurants which offer typical Tuscany and Italian cuisines and dishes. According to your preference and your budget, you can find places for dinning. You can find very cheap places to eat as well as under moderate prices and high prices. Besides that, lot pizzerias, kebab shops can be seen in the city.

I have pointed out the major tourist destinations of the city as follows with the details.

Duomo - Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore

The Cathedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore is named as the main church of Florence, Italy which take part among one of the largest churches in Italy as well as in the world. The church is located at Piazza del Duomo, including the Bell tower by Giotto (Campanile of Giotto), small museum, famous brick dome and the Baptistery. The construction of the church was initiated in 1296 with guidance of Arnolfo di Cambio, who designed the Palazzo Vecchio and Santa Croce, then completed in 1436 with the assistance of Filippo Brunelleschi in Gothic style with the dome, which is the largest dome constructed with bricks for sixteen years from 1420. The whole place is consisted with three parts, which are the church, campanile of Giotto, which was continued according to the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and the museum. This site is declared as the UNESCO world heritage.

The outside layer of the church was decorated with green polychrome marbles, small marble borders and white carvings, whichemphasisthe Gothic style. The church takes unique nature due to the architecture, paintings and marble decorations. Even if, the exterior designs were initiated in fourteen centuries, it was completed in 1887 according to the design of Emilio De Fabris.

Even if, you shouldn’t buy the tickets to enter to the church you must buy tickets to visit the bell tower, museum and climb up the dome to enjoy the scenery of the city. Even though, the ticket price is around 15 euro, it is worth to spend this money since you can visit all three places for this amount. But I would like to recommend buying the tickets online and make a reservation since you can save the time that you have to spend in the long queue. Without the reservations, you have to spend at least two hours in the queue during the peak season which is the festival seasons and summer season.

You can see tour organizers everywhere in this city specially, near all the museums and art galleries as well as the churches who changes approximately 40 euro per one tour per person. Besides that, there are some other third parties who sell the entrance tickets for higher prices around 20 or 25 euro per ticket. My advice is to wait in the queue or make the reservations and arrange your visit as you like without spending unnecessary amount for third parties.

Uffizi gallery

This is an immense and most visited art gallery/ museum which is enriched with Michelangelo different sculpts, Da Vinci’s paintings. Uffizi gallery is located near Piazza della Signoraand it was opened for public in 1765 even though, it was a museum from the sixteen centuries.

The building of Uffizi was used as an accommodation centrefor the magistrate officers of Florence during the fifteen centuries. Due to the fact the name, “Uffizi”, which mean Office, was given to this building. but later, the building was upgraded and renovated in time to time and converted as museum including the collection of Roman sculptures, art works of the Medici collections, jewels and paintings. Furthermore, the interior designs and the decorations of the Uffizi is breath-taking. The frescoes on the ceiling, gold border decorations give an elegant look to this place. The exhibition rooms and corridor were well organized, which facilitate to discover every inch of this place.

Besides that, in the modern era the complex was expanded in order to provide more facilities and exhibition area for the visitors. Uffizi was damaged due to heavy flood in 2007 and attacked by Sicilian mafiaand caused much damage to some of the paintings, building, frescoes and the sculpts. But later, they were reconstructed them in the original state.

Nowadays also they maintain high security system at the entrance of the Uffizi as well as in the other art galleries, museums and the churches in Florence due to past attacks. Security officers check both travellers and their bags highly, before reaching to the ticket entrance. So, my advice it to keep heavy and unnecessary belongings at your hotel, since it would be more convenient for your visit. If you have huge bags and umbrellas, then you should keep them at the baggage counter before entering to the gallery.

Even if, the entrance tickets cost 12. 50 euro it is worth to visit this gallery due to the extraordinary masterpieces. Even though the ticket prices were mentioned as 8 euros online, we had to pay 12. 50 at the counter so, if the ticket prices are bit different do not get panic. But my advice is to reserve your ticket online in advance in order to avoid the long queue, which waste more than two hours or unnecessary costs for tour guides. If you are going to reserve online, do it at least before few weeks of the journey, since you might not be able to reserve on the exact date. When you do the online reservation, they add additional 4 euro beside the ticket price. But it is better to reserve online paying 4 euro rather than waiting in the long queue.

Ticket prices would vary according to different packages. Reduced tickets are available For European Union citizens, who are in age between 18 and 25 years, Teachers of Public Institutions of European Union. Free tickets can be adopted by the visitors, who are less than 18 years old, Children under 12 years old if they have accompanied by their parents or an adult. By showing the ID card, free tickets and the reduced tickets can be purchased at the counter. For further details, you can check the official web site. More importantly for the opening hours and working days, should be checked through online before your visit, since most of the time, closing dates of this gallery would applicable for most of the other galleries and museums of the city. Besides that, you can have a tour guide recorder by paying an additional 6 euros at the audio counter. Audio devices provide more information about masterpieces and the museum.

Furthermore, I advise to go little bit earlier, since it takes at least two hours for a good tour in the gallery. The exhibition area is widely spread in two stories with small exhibition rooms.

There few gift shops inside this place, which offers souvenirs, tour guide book, historic books, rosaries, paintings and post cards. I must say, that the prices are bit high with comparison to the shops located in the outside. If you wish to buy the souvenirs for a small price, then you can find them in other shops outside this place. Furthermore, I must say that you can find lot of Indian, Bangladesh and Pakistan gift huts and shops everywhere in the city.

Galleria dell'accademia

Galleria dell'accademia is another important art gallery where exhibit Michelangelo’s sculpts of David. Besides that, other sculpts of Michelangelo, paintings of another artist in between the period of 1300-1600 are exhibited. The other four unfinished prisoners sculpt of Michelangelo and the statue of Saint Matthewhave exhibited in the front corridor, which is located facing the sculpt of David.

Exclusive of them, the ancient music instruments, cotton and cloths, which belongs to fourteen to sixteen centuries and different countries such as Spain, Italy and Persia are exhibited with the historical trade records and other things such as seals. In this area, taking photographs is highly prohibited.

Even though, it is bit smaller with comparison to Uffizi, the number of visitors does not limit during whole year alone. As the Uffizi gallery, travellers should buy tickets which cost 12. 50 euro per person. To avoid the long queue the best thing is to make an online reservation in advance. Furthermore, they offer audio guidance, security checking, baggage counter, computers to check the sound of the exhibited music instruments and souvenir shops. Along with them, third part tickets sellers and the tour guides can be seen this area.

Ponte Vecchio

This is an old bridge constructed in Roman era and located in between Ponte Santa Trinita and Ponte alle Grazie crossing the river Aron. Particular bridge takes a unique importance due to the history of the bridge and the gold jewellery shops located on the bridge. These jewellery shops add a magnificent view and an elegant to this bridge. Besides that, the couples lock their love by using padlocks and throw the key to river in order to have an internal love between two lovers. The padlocks of the lovers from everywhere of the world, makes this place more romantic. But, there is a separate place to keep the padlocks other than the fence of the bridge, which is prohibited to use for padlocks. Along with that, bronze bust of Cellini was placed with a small fountain on the bridge to make an honour to Benvenuto Cellini, who was a talented Florentine sculptor.

Even thought, the other bridges over the river Aron were destroyed by the retreating German troops, Ponte Vecchio was survived due the great history belonged to itself. But the bridge was damaged time to time due to the floods and reconstructed in its original state.

Piazzale Michelangelo - Garden of Michelangelo

Piazzale Michelangelo was constructed in 1869 on a small hill according to the design of architect Giuseppe Poggi. The uphill square is dedicated to Michelangelo, who was a great Renaissance sculptor. A huge terrace, which is located on the top of the hill, facilities to capture the view of the heart of Florence. This one of the best place to enjoy the city views of the city of Florence. some of the copies of sculpts of Michelangelo is instituted in this garden which can be seen by the riverside of Aron and the valley.

From the ground of the garden you can enjoy the city view and spend a lovely time with your friends and family. Most of the time you can enjoy street singer who enchant and entertain the moment. In the evening sunset is breathtakingly and romantic.

To reach to this place, travellersshould walk at least five or six kilometresfrom the riverside. Besides that, you can reach half of the way by a vehicle. Furthermore, the entrance is free of charge and it is public place where you can go at any time. You can findlotof souvenir shops of foreign people (Indians Bangladesh and Pakistan) on the top of the hill.

Palazzo Vecchio

Town hall of the Florence city was named as Palazzo Vecchio, which is located at Piazza della Signora close to Uffizi and the Loggia dei Lanzi, which is the small statue gallery with the copy of Michelangelo’s David sculpt. This place has an old history, which runs several centuries back. During the past centuries, it has given several names as PalazzodeiPriori, Palazzo del Popolo, and Palazzo Ducale from time to time.

Palazzo Vecchio was enhanced in time to time by the different rulers and the governors in the past centuries. Palazzo Vecchio is enriched with medieval fortress, roman architecture and Renaissance paintings. The pioneer of the designing the Palazzo Vecchio had taken Place by Arnolfo di Cambio.

Concerning the fortress in the square, the construction activities were initiated in 1299 over the ruins of the Uberti Ghibelline towers and the testimony of the final victory of the Guelph faction. The palace/fortress is well famous among the tourists. The interior of the palace is well designed with paintings, beautiful frescoes, panelled ceiling and gold decorations. Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti constructed of two vital murals for wall decorations of the room with the Battle of Anghiari and the Battle of Cascina. The construction was done on the top layer of the old theatre of the Roman colony of Florentia, which is dating back to 1st century A. D. Still the ruins can be seen at the underground and the area can be visited for a separate ticket, which cost around 4 Euro or for the ticket, which could visit the museum of Palazzo Vecchio and the Archelogical site. The place is more organized and information are available to acknowledge about the background. The palace is consisted with private section of the palace, Hall of Priors, Hall of Maps, featuring the elegant Apartments of the Elements, a chapel frescoed by Bronzino, private study of the Duchess Bianca Cappello, the Apartments of Eleonora of Toledo along with small chambers.

Besides that, the medieval tower in this place allows you to capture the breath-taking city views from the top. So, it is worth to visit this place.

But, I must say, that one or two days are not adequate to discover the whole city and the all the tourist destinations. You might need at least three of four days to enjoy the city and visit all the tourist destinations. So, I would like to recommend arranging your trip before reach to city of Florence.