The Details of Florence
Florence is a must-visit for any tour of Italy and it was right at the top of our list. We stayed at a BnB stlye hotel on the Piazza del Duomo. This came with its own challenges, but the location was worth it. Stepping out to the view of the iconic cathedral each morning was perfect.
There is so much to do in Florence we had to be very specific with what we visited, trying not to be overwhelmed by the sheer enormity of what is available to us. We chose to see the Uffizi Gallery. With its iconic works, seeing the Bottecellis, Michelangelos, Carvaggios, and Da Vincis were simply amazing. The architecture of the gallery itself is hard to focus on with all the incredible art but its details and spatial moves are not to be missed.
One of our favorite activities was a food tour. A friend recommended this, and it was one of the highlights of the trip. Eschewing the main part of Florence in favor of Oltrarno, literally “Across the River Arno,” the tour took us through several local restaurants that we never would have found on our own. Including the now-famous Wine Windows, we got a gastronomic and historic tour of Florence.
As we were walking around, it began to rain on us. As we looked for a place to shelter, we made our way into the Basilica di Santa Croce. This was an amazing happy accident. Home to the tombs of Ghiberti, Machiavelli, Galileo, and many other iconic figures, the Basilica is an amazing stop off. Don’t miss the Medici Chapel located just off the nave.
After the Uffizi gallery, we took advantage of the expanded ticket and visited the Pitti Palace and Boboli gardens. The grad architecture of the Palace was amazing. Its collection of Modern - modern to when the palace was built, that is - Art and fashion is a can’t miss. The Boboli gardens were beautiful the long vistas over the Florentine skyline are one of a kind.