TracysTravels: Italy and Assisi

TracysTravels: Italy and Assisi: " Assisi is located in the province of Perugia in the Umbria region and has many wonderful churches including the Basil..."

TracysTravels: Italy and Florence

TracysTravels: Italy and Florence: "Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and the province of Florence. It is located 278 km or 1..."

Italy and Florence

Florence is the capital city of  the Italian region of Tuscany and the province of  Florence.  It is located 278 km or 173 Miles north of Rome.  It is a city known for its wonderful art and architecture as well as shopping and is close to some wonderful sightseeing in the Tuscan hillside where wineries and cooking schools beckon.

I travelled and stayed in Florence for 3 days and in this time was able to wander the streets stopping at the Ponte Vecchio to window shop, visit the food markets, soak in the art and history and visit a wonderful winery in the Chianti region which was one of the highlights on this trip.

Florence is easily reached by train from Rome with frequent trains running  directly between Rome Termini Station and Florence Santa Maria Novella Station.  Once in Florence it is easy to get around on foot with alot of the main sightseeing to be done around the centre of town.   
Firstly a visit to the beautiful Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence is a must and this is free to enter, the bell tower nearby is a steep climb and a fee is charged to enter with a queue ahead of you before being able to enter.   The dome from the Cathedral is often seen from many rooftop apartments around Florence and is a well known sight.

Next was our visit to the Uffizi Gallery, I have been twice to this wonderful gallery and there is so much beautiful art and history to be seen, this can take a number of hours to really value and appreciate what is there so allow yourself plenty of time.  Instead of joining the queue to enter which took 2 hours on a cool and rainy day you would be best advised to pre-purchase your tickets so you can jump the queue saving you valuable sightseeing time.

The other very special gallery we visited was the Museums of Palazzo Pitti and also within walking distance of the main square.  This was a wonderful museum to visit not only covering the beautiful art created for the Medici family but also jewellery, silverware, porcelain, costumes and even coaches and of course the Boboli Gardens which were magical to wander around all part of the Medici family residence.  Our visit was in the later part of the afternoon which was uncrowded and allowed plenty of time to move around and admire the many works on display, this is a must do on your stay in Florence.

 

Down to the Ponte Vecchio which is lovely bridge spanning the Arno River dating back to Roman times.  There are many shops that line the sides of the bridge and have been there for many many years although the bridge has been re-built a number of times, once  butcher shops lined the bridge but now they are filled with jewellery, clothes, art dealers and souvenir shops.  This is a fascinating place to visit and watch the trade taking place around you with lots of hustle and bustle as people pass by crossing over the bridge.

For a great stop at a fresh food market where you can pick up fresh bread, cheese, olives, meat, wine, biscotti, fruit and vegetables is the San Lorenzo Mercato Centrale. This is located not far from the train station  between Via Nazionale and Via S Antonino and is colourful, lively and full of italian passion, just perfect for your picnic in the tuscan hillside.

Enjoy your visit to Florence........

http://www.uffizi.com/