Florence - the capital of Tuscany and the former capital of the Italian Republic. It is a beautiful ancient city, founded by Julius Caesar in 59 BC. It reached its greatest prosperity in the XIV - XVI centuries, when it became a major cultural and financial center of Europe.
Modern Florence combines the spirit of the grand history and atmosphere of a modern European city, with great opportunities for shopping, great food and lots of options for entertainment.
Florence is considered the city in which the Renaissance began its victorious course. Here carried out their vibrant cultural activities great creators such as Dante Alighieri, Giovanni Boccaccio, Petrarch, Leon Battista Alberti, Brunelleschi, Andrea Landini, and, of course, the great and inimitable Leonardo Da Vinci. This concentration of the great minds in one city made it a real open-air museum.
The climate of Florence is a combination of classic Mediterranean and mild subtropical climates. Tuscan Fields always bring a warm wind, bringing floral scents from the fields. In Florence, is always hot and stuffy in summer, and winters are mild, but rainy. The ideal time to visit Florence is spring or early autumn.
Florence is very popular destination among shopping fans. It is often bought leather and furs, jewelry, art objects. Most of the boutiques situated in the center of the city and in the suburbs there are several large outlets, which represent the world famous brands.
Of course, a full-fledged shopping Florence is unthinkable without visiting the market of San Lorenzo and Delle Pulci.
Florence is divided in two parts by the river Arno, which cannot be called majestic and impressive, but there is something attractive and beautiful in it. On the northern shore is the historic city center, which is fully included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The main historical square of Florence is Duomo. Next to it is the bell tower of Santa Maria del Fiore, in the construction of which was attended by one of the most famous architects of the Renaissance in Europe - Giotto. Also on the Piazza del Duomo is the Cathedral of St. John - the saint patron of Florence. There are in the historic center of the city and other masterpieces, which created the legendary Brunelleschi, Michelangelo and Donatello.
Another historic area of the city is San Lorenzo, with eponymous temple at its heart. It was known throughout Europe as one of the major trading centers in Italy. San Lorenzo district is also often called the "quarter of the Medici", as used to be the famous dynasty made great efforts for its development.
Santa Croce - Florence district on the east, named after the church of "Holy Cross", one of the main architectural gems of the city. It is certainly worth a visit Spinelli palaces, Cocchi-Serristori, Antella, house of Giorgio Vasari. This is one of the most popular tourist areas of Florence, which houses most of the city's best hotels.
Crossing the Ponte Vecchio will take you to the area of Oltrarno - the most bohemian part of Florence, where you can find a lot of cultural and architectural attractions. There are many museums, galleries and churches. Also, this is the best place in town if you want to enjoy authentic Italian cuisine.
Coverciano district, located in the north-east of the city is renowned by great number of religious sites. There are temple of St. Catherine of Siena, the church of San Bartolomeo Dzhinoro, San Girolamo, San Baldassarri.
ATTRACTIONS OF FLORENCE
The capital of Tuscany is known for the fact that here the Renaissance began its victorious march across Europe, so there are just a huge number of attractions in the city. It is a true open-air museum. It is difficult to pass ten meters and don’t see some attraction.
One of the main attractions of the city - the Ponte Vecchio, built in the time of Julius Caesar. Repeatedly it was destroyed, but always rebuilt. It is also the only bridge of Florence, which survived after the Second World War.
If you want to enjoy the magnificent views of the city, go up to Mikellandzhelo Square. It offers a spectacular view of the entire city. Another beautiful square which is also one of the most beautiful all over Italy is the Sinorri square. Here is the fountain of Neptune and the Palace Vecchio. Also a lot of beautiful architectural monuments are on Sinorri square, many of which, unfortunately, are only a copy of the original monuments.
Many tourists come to Florence specifically to look at the residence of the Medici dynasty - Palazzo Pitti. It adjoins to the famous Boboli Gardens - a stunning park with beautiful sculptures, pavilions and an observation deck with views of Florence. Guests want to come back to the park Boboli again and again, and if you stay in town for a few days, you will probably often walk here.
From almost anywhere of Florence you can see the huge dome of the Duomo, located in the eponymous square, which is also called Santa Maria del Fiore. This is one of the largest basilicas in the world. The cathedral has a museum where you can see works by Michelangelo and Donatello, and an observation deck with stunning panoramic views of the city.
One of the most famous museums of Florence and all of Italy is the Uffizi Gallery. Here are a large number of authentic samples of works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Masaccio, Raphael, Goya, Rembrandt and many other representatives of the Renaissance.
Giotto's bell tower is located on the Duomo Square, 30 meters from the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, its artful murals that can be seen from almost any part of the city.
House-Museum of Dante Alighieri is one of the favorite attractions of Florence for the literature lovers. In fact, the author of "Divine Comedy" never lived in this house, as it was only built in 1910, but it was built on the foundation, where at one time really was the home of Alighieri.
There in the city and interesting sights for true football fans - the Italian Football Hall of Fame, Museum of Football in Coverciano, and Hall of Fame of football club "Florentina".