Florence

About Florence I would begin the trip from the station or from Piazza Duomo (the cathedral).
So just out of the Central Station (your back to the station) you will have in front of you on the right side
a street whose name is Via Cerretani, go along that street and you will arrive directly to the Piazza
Duomo (the cathedral), it is absolutely gorgeous together with the baptistery (just in front of the church)
and the bell tower made by Giotto. You can also go over the tower and enjoy the beautiful skyline.
From there you can decide which side of the center you want to visit first. I am starting with the “south
area” – for me the most interesting. Nevertheless I will describe the other part at letter B, below so you
can decide.
South area
To go to south part you have to take the Duomo on your left side and you will find in front of you Via
Calzaiuoli (it means shoe manufacturer) because during the medieval period each of the streets of that
area was administrated by one different arts and crafts association. It is also one of the shopping areas,
all around there. I recommend even just for half of an hour to walk in the narrow street of this area just
to realize how the life was during the medieval time, this is the most ancient part of the city.
Then take that street (Via Calzaiuoli), at the half way you will see on your right side a square with a huge
building on the other side and that is Piazza della Repubblica, but we will go there later.
Walk along the whole street and you will arrive to the Piazza della Signoria, seat of the local government
since the Renaissance. You will find it amazing, there is also the most famous copy of Davide made by
Michelangelo (the original is inside a Museum called Accademia). It is full of famous statues and
sculptures. And if you cross the square you will find beside the Palazzo della Signoria and the Uffizi
Museum.
Before that, you have an alternative which I name (A) so that you can see the point and it will be
described later on so go on reading and that decide.
The Uffizi Gallery is one of the world's top art museums - it houses some of the most important works of
the Renaissance, including works by Leonardo da Vinci, Giotto, Botticelli and Michelangelo. Lots of
sculptures too.

Even though it will take, maybe the entire day to visit it, I would suggest to you at least to visit the third
floor which is dedicated to painting and houses the major works of Renaissance (among the others The
birth of Venus, the Spring of Botticelli and the so called Tondo Doni of Leonardo) it is unbelievable.
There are some paintings in which you could even touch the cloths of the women. From here you can
have also the first view of the south part of the city, from above to the Old Bridge, the only one not
destroyed during the Second World War, thanks to an express order of Hitler who really loved Florence
and its culture.
On this third floor you can have a rest at the bar on the beautiful terrace above the so called “Loggia
Lanzi” and again enjoy the skyline and the hills that surround Florence (you can also have lunch there).
From there, you can walk towards the Old Bridge. Just before crossing it on your right side you will find
an ancient building which take in the Science Museum. It is a very wonderful museum full of all the
inventions made by Leonardo da Vinci and the location is wonderful to take some pictures of the Old
Bridge and other parts of Florence from a very strategic point.
Then cross the Old Bridge (it is full of jewelers’ shops since the Renaissance) and go forward until you
will find yourself in a quite huge square with a very big Palace called Palazzo Pitti (from the name of the
owners).
Here are some historical tips about the Old Bridge. At the beginning of the Renaissance on the Old
Bridge you had no jewelers. But only butchers who threw away the entrails directly in the Arno River.
Because of their bad smell, once the Medici family took the power in Florence Ferdinando I replaced
them with goldsmiths, making the road more elegant and cleaner.
In 1565, Cosimo I de' Medici, Duke of Florence, had the famous Corridor built by Vasari on the upper
side passing over the shops. Unfortunately this part is close to the public (the most recent opening has
been to allow Madonna to visit it....)
There's a curious story about the Corridor. The Mannelli family who owned a medieval tower at the
southern end, towards Pitti Palace, did not want to give the Duke right of passage. So the corridor had to
be deviated, as we can still see today, around the tower

If you decide to visit Palazzo Pitti, its garden is famous (Giardino dei Boboli) because it inspired the
model of the garden called “Giardino all’italiana” that you can find also in Versailles for example. On one
side of the palazzo Pitti you can find the Grotta di Buontalenti (must see). Buontalenti was also (funny)
the inventor of one of the most famous ice cream flavors (“Crema alla fiorentina”)
Here you have more choices:
1) If you decide to visit the garden on the very top of it you will find yourself at the entrance of the
Forte Belvedere, a little fortress with a beautiful view of the city. You can go back and forward
from the street you made or take the bus and go also to visit San Minato a Monte (one of the
most ancient church in Florence, or actually the most ancient one) and/or Piazzale Michelangelo
with another beautiful view of the East part of Florence. Then go back to the center with a Bus;
2) Going back from there you can take the same street you came from, but once you crossed the
Old Bridge back, just continue to walk along and you will arrive at the so called “Porcellino
market”. It is a typical little market of artisans and there you have absolutely find the little pork
that gives the name to the market (it should be on your left side as soon you enter into the
market square) and put a coin on its nose, let it fall down, and express a wish, if the coin will fall
in the little hole of the fountain your wish will come true! In that square there is also a little shop
in which you can taste the real “Lampredotto” a very typical local product.
If you continue the street (just keep the market on your left side), back to the Old Bridge, you then arrive
to the Piazza della Repubblica that I mentioned before.
Here you can have another rest and if you go inside the big shop called “Rinascente” it is an entire
building on your right side and go on the upper floor, there is another lovely terrace and you can even
eat there, it could be an alternative choice if you decided not to use the ones I mentioned before (Bell
Tower and Loggia Lanzi).
Then you can pass the huge building (it was one of the first doors of the City) and you will have on your
left side Palazzo Strozzi (other very important family of bankers that went on bankruptcy because of the
King of United Kingdom that did not paid them back after losing a war!) and along this street you will
find both on your left, right and front the major fashion firms (the Street are Via Tornabuoni and Via
della Vigna Nuova).
If you are most interested in art rather than shopping, you can avoid Via Tornabuoni and Via della Vigna
Nuova and instead (A) from Piazza della Signoria just put the big Fountain on your right side and walk
down the little descent. You will have in front of you the Court of Justice of Florence (and Tuscany)
where I used to work as attorney, move along the narrow street and go directly to one of the most
beautiful church in Florence, Santa Croce in which are buried the greatest poets, writers of Italy. Very
close to the Court of Justice of Florence there is another beautiful Museum named “Bargello”.
(B) North area
Coming back to Duomo square, you can begin the visit of the northen part of the center. So, at the
junction between Piazza Duomo and Via Cerretani you take a short street and arrive to the San Lorenzo
Market with an incomplete church and behind that the Medici Chapels, turn right at the end of the
square back directly to the street you came from, and you will be in Via Martelli that become at that
point Via Cavour, walk along that street and you will arrive in Piazza San Marco (another beautiful
church, and besides that you can see (and visit) Piazza SS. Annunziata. When you will be in Piazza San
Marco, well our office is just behind there!!! In a very ancient and noble Palace, called Palazzo Pandolfini
(the nobles still live there!) with a beautiful garden that we can use. Between P.zza San Marco and
Piazza SS. Annunziata is located another Museum called The Accademia, in which the real Davide of
Michelangelo is located, among other sculptures.
Well I think that this could cover a program of a couple of days or three in case you want to visit also the
Museums
If you have time the following are the major – must see museums:
- Museo Uffizi (the fifth largest museum of the world);
- Museo del Bargello;
- Museo dell’Accademia (where the original Michelangelo’s David is located).
- Museo della scienza (Science Museum - with several works from Leonardo da Vinci).