Your guide in visiting Florence, Italy

How to get to Florence?
Where to stay in Florence?
What to do and see in Florence?
Where to eat in Florence?
Where to shop in Florence?

FLORENCE. The birth place of the Renaissance. The capital of Tuscany. Ponte Vecchio. The Duomo of Florence. Michelangelo’s David. It still amazes me how a name of a city can generate so many images in your head.

A 19th century French author visited Florence and after some time in the city he suffered from many today might call a panic attack. Later he recalled that the sensation was an overwhelming of art and culture in Florence. The Stendhal syndrome named after this author is a disorder today where a person suffer from physiological reaction from viewing art of significance or too much of such.

If you are an art lover, you could spend weeks in the museums of Florence. I suggest this book to learn more about the art history in Florence. The historical center of Florence is a UNESCO site where it is one of the most beautiful city in Italy. Although, one can debate Venice or other Italian cities to such title but coupled with the tremendous history and culture; there is no other city like Florence.

HOW TO GET TO FLORENCE

Firenze Santa Maria Novella is the main train station and is right at the historical city center. Trenitalia is the main national railway operator with a great online ticketing system. Florence International Airport is also a great option as it is very close to the city center at the outskirt of the city. A bus called “Volainbus” runs from the main bus terminal near the main train station to the airport and takes around 20 minutes.

VOLAINBUS – Bus that runs frequently from Airport to City

Everywhere within the city is walking distance but for the less mobile, you can easily get a taxi outside main monuments. I did not have any trouble finding a taxi when I needed to.

WHERE TO STAY IN FLORENCE

I’ve stayed at Hotel L’Orologio Firenze and would recommend it. It is right beside the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella and a 5 minutes walk from the main train station. It is only a 15 to 20 minutes walk to the Florence cathedral. The location is perfect and a newly renovated hotel in a historical building with contemporary style. The theme of the hotel group is always with watches and each hotel floors have a different branded watch theme. The rooms are also named after a specific watch. For example, one floor would be Rolex and another floor will be Patek Philippe.

I’ve stayed on the Rolex floor and the name of my room is the 6236 Dato Compax Ros. The L’Orologio group also have a hotel in Venice and it is also where I stayed when I was in Venice and I highly recommend the Venice L’Orologio as well.

Another option would be Hotel NH Collection Firenze Porta Rossa.

WHAT TO SEE & DO IN FLORENCE

I’ve spent 3 nights in Florence and it is not enough to truly immerse yourself in the city and its culture. There are so many museums and sites that really warrants more time in this beautiful city. As always, my time is limited but I will definitely be back to this beautiful city.

A tip when visiting many of the sites in the city is to get a timed entrance ticket online. It will save you a lot of time lining up and with a timed entry, you can better gauge you schedule for the day. Not all the sites allow you to get tickets online but best to check beforehand to ensure you are not missing this opportunity.

Ponte Vecchio – The famous bridge that spans the Arno river. Historical bridge built in Roman times and rebuilt a few time due to floods but not destroyed during World War II. The bridge is probably most famous for its design because of all the shops that are on the bridge. Today, you will find many jewelers, art dealers and souvenir shops on the bridge. I personally do not find this bridge that interesting but the history makes it a significant landmark in Florence.

Not the best time of the day for a photo but the view is best from the Ponte Santa Trinita – Trinity Bridge.

Palazzo Vecchio – The town hall of Florence. An archilogical sight, a museum with Renaissance halls and paintings , and where the Hall of Five Hundred (Salone dei Cinquecento) is located. You can also climb the tower which will give you a great view of the city.

Uffizi Gallery – One of the most famous museum in Italy and in the world for Renaissance art.

Piazza della Signoria – The center of the Florentine Republic and still consider the political center of the city. It is where the Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizi is located.

Piazzale Michelangelo – A park located near the city center with panoramic view of the city. A very popular and touristic spot for taking photos of the city.

Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte – If you are willing to walk a bit further up from the Piazzale Michelangelo, you can visit the beautiful basilica which will also offer you an even better view of the city than from Piazzale Michelangelo.

Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore – The landmark in Florence is the duomo of Florence; the main church of the city. The dome designed by Brunelleschi is still the largest masonry dome built today.

Photo taken from the top of Giotto’s Bell Tower. It gives you a perfect view of the dome.

For 15Euros the cumulative ticket will allow you to visit the cathedral, climbing up the dome with a timed entry, the Baptistery, climbing up the Bell Tower with a timed entry, the Crypt below the cathedral, and the museum. To me, this is the best 15Euros spent for a day in Florence.

In the crypt below the cathedral, you can see the archaeological site of the old basilica of Santa Reparata. It is amazing how much of the mosaic floor is still intact.

Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari painted the Last Judgment under the dome and was restored from 1978 to 1985 but many felt this painting lacked quality but still a grandoise piece under the dome.

While climbing up the dome you will enter a walkway which surrounds the base of the painting which will give you a fantastic view of The Last Judgment. I have always liked paintings of the Last Judgement because of the contrast of hell and heaven.

Walking up the dome is not for the faint of heart or if you are claustrophobic. You have to walk 92 meters and 463 steps up to the viewing platform on top of the dome. The passage is often narrow and dark but you will be rewarded with a 360 degrees view of the city of Florence.

Climbing up the Giotto’s Bell Tower is only slightly less strenuous than climbing the dome at 82 meters and 414 steps but will give you a great view of the Brunelleschi dome.

The baptistery is a beautiful structure complimenting the cathedral. I love this octagonal building and one of the oldest in the city. The three sets of bronze door is a replica at the actual building and the originals are now inside the cathedral museum across from the cathedral. Dante and many important figures of the Renaissance including the Medici family is baptized in this baptistery.

The ceiling of the baptistery is covered in beautiful mosaic telling the stories of the Bible from the Book of Genesis and others .

Admire not only at the ceiling but the beautiful pattern of the mosaic floor. This blog shows all the flooring pattern in amazing detail.

The cathedral museum is just in another building beside the cathedral. It has a great exhibition on telling how the dome was built but the most magnificent piece in the museum must be the original baptistery doors.

East doors, the “Gates of Paradise” by Lorenzo Ghiberti

Galleria dell’Accademia – Michelangelo’s David is one of the symbol of Renaissance art. Standing at almost 17 feet tall and carved out of a single block of marble, today it is housed in the Galleria dell’Accademia.

It was created between 1501 and 1504 and revealed in the Palazzo della Signoria outside of the Palazzo Vecchio where a replica of David stands there at the original location today.

The Accademia also houses other Michelangelo’s scriptures and Renaissance art.

Basilica di Santa Croce – A beautiful Franciscan church in its own right, Basilica di Santa Croce is famous for the tombs of many famous Italians including Galileo Galilei and Michelangelo.

The statue of Dante was erected in 1865 to celebrate the 600 anniversary of the birth of the poet Dante. Dante is not buried here in this church but there is a monumental tomb inside.

There is this eerie feeling once inside the church because all these historical figures that are laid to rest here. I believe it is a must to come here to pay your respect to those that contributed so much to history, art and science; humanity as whole.

I love Michelangelo tomb where three sculptures portraying the Painter, the Sculpturer, and the Architect.

I was almost in tears standing in front of his tomb with a sense of disbelief that I am here with Galileo who did so much to science and humanity as an astronomer, physicist, engineer, philosopher, and mathematician. I can understand why Stendhal felt overwhelmed when he was in this church.

Basilica di Santa Maria Novella – Just across the main railway station named after this Basilica, Basilica di Santa Maria Novella is the city main Dominican church. There is a large Piazza Santa Maria Novella in front of the Basilica and also where the Hotel L’Orologio Firenze is located.

Chiesa di Santa Maria del Carmine – Famous for the Brancacci Chapel with Renaissance frescoes by Masaccio, Masolino da Panicale, and Filippino Lippi.

Basilica di San Lorenzo – One of the oldest church in Florence and the burial place of all the principal members of the Medici family. There is also the Laurentian Library located there designed by Michelangelo.

Museo Galileo – A large collection of scientific instruments.

WHERE TO EAT IN FLORENCE

La Bottega Del Buon Caffè – one of the best restaurant in Florence by Michelin Starred Head Chef Antonello Sardi. A “farm to plate” experience with the best ingredients. Great open kitchen where you can see they put their heart and soul in every dish.

Out of this world! “Mezzelune pasta with caramelized onions and potatoes from our own farm, parmigiano reggiano 24 months and Borgo Santo Pietro balsamic vinegar”

Buca Lapi – Florentine Steak, Tuscan cuisine.

Trattoria Cibrèo – Tuscan cuisine trattoria.

Baldovino Bistrot – When you are running out of idea, maybe this place will give you a pleasant surprise.

Arà: è Sicilia – This is the cafe but there is a restaurant as well. Sicilian food in Florence. Yes, I know but it’s good.

Trattoria 13 Gobbi – Hit or miss but good trattoria with an atmosphere.

Dolcissima Firenze – cakes. chocolate. confectionery.

Vestri – Some say the best chocolates in town.

5ecinque – Italian flare vegetarian.

Gelateria La Carraia, Gelateria Della Passera, Gelateria Dei Neri, Carabè, Vivoli – Just a few places to have Gelato.

Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio – The food market in Florence.

WHERE TO SHOP IN FLORENCE

la Rinascente Firenze – A smaller version of the same in Milan, a great department store with a small food section on the top floor. There is also an outdoor cafe on the roof with commanding view of Florence.

Piazza della Repubblica – is a main commercial plaza in Florence with a carousel. There are usually outdoor markets in this plaza depending on the season. It is also right outside of la Rinascente and the streets surrounding the plaza is the main shopping area in Florence.

The Mall Outlet – A popular fashion outlet around 30 minutes from Florence. The outlet have their own bus service operating from the main bus station beside the main train station; same as where the Volainbus stop is to the airport.