Some of the best Florence landscapes

 

 

Some info about the best places to visit

 

PITTI: MUSEUM OF MUSEUMS Inside it many museums find their home: the Silver Museum, the Palatina Gallery, the real Apartments, the Modern Art Gallery, the Carriage Museum, the Porcelain Museum and the open-air museum of the Boboli Gardens. It was built around the middle of the XV century by the Florentine banker Luca di Buonaccorso Pitti who gave the commission to Filippo Brunelleschi. The project was then realized by his pupil Luca Fancelli. Originally the palace was of a cubic shape, composed of three doors and 7 windows, corresponding to the Renaissance ideal of symmetric harmony. The palace remained unfinished until 1550, when Cosimo I Medici and his wife Eleonora of Toledo bought the palace to transform it into a residence for the Grand Duke. Bartolomeo Ammannati was the great architect to make the modifications most relevant, like those to close the lateral doors with "kneeling" windows and to create the monumental courtyard that everyday fills with thousands of visitors. Many changes have been made with the passing of power, many of said transformations being in the Lorena period.

 

DANTE'S HOUSE Located in the heart of the historical centre of Florence, in the most Medieval area, in via Dante Alighieri, the Museo Casa di Dante is certainly one of the most admired and longed-for museums of the city. It's not the real house where the famous poet lived, but a reconstruction that dates back to the beginning of the 20th century created by Giuseppe Castellucci. A place where the mind roams freely in the romantic visions of an age characterized by the internal struggles of Florence at the end of the 13th century. The rooms of the ground floor are adapted for temporary exhibits while the upper floors are presently closely linked to the poet. This is, in fact, where the museum dedicated to Dante Alighieri is arranged, the supreme poet and historical personality whom the whole world talks about with admiration. The museum pathway is articulated between the upper floor and the adjoining tower through corridors and stone stairs with windows that open over the roofs visions of faraway times. The collection is divided into periods and themes of the life of Dante Alighieri: from his years of youth until those of his exile, from the military undertakings to his love for literature. paintings, wooden models and maps of the city; coat-of-arms of antique families and those of the city factions the Guelphs and the Ghibellines. In the first rooms are exposed a characteristic miniature of the Battle of Campaldino (June 11 1289) and tales and paintings of the historical and military events that Dante Alighieri is tied to. The last floor of the tower hosts a collection of antique copies, and in different languages, of the Divine Comedy, the masterpiece of the most famous poet in the world. Info: Casa di Dante - Dante's House, Via Dante Alighieri Opening hours: 9:30am/ 12:30pm 3:30pm/ 6:30pm Admission fee: Lit. 5000 (2,58 Euro) full; Lit. 3000 (1,55 Euro) reduced Closed on Wednesday Tel. 055/ 283962

 

VISITING THE UFFIZI GALLERY Buontalenti continued to build this building encouraged by Francesco who had a vision of seeing this becoming his Art gallery. There is no way that one can see all there is in this art galleries in one visit since it contains many masterpieces that have been collected all over Italy unless one decides to peruse over te marvellous art thus becoming unfair to all the people who spent time and effort in putting all te artifacts together. The gallery building contains rooms and rooms of art collections. Some of these rooms may be closed for a variety of reasons but surely one cannot visit all of them in detailed despite the eagerness. Each has its theme and features a spefic artist or a type of art. To mention just few highlights: Room 1 houses an assembly of antique sculptures, many of which were used as a sort of source by Renaissance artists. Room 8 is dedicated to Filippo . This artists did wonders with the Madonna and Child with two Angels. Following in his footsteps, the pupil, Botticellitakes his well-deserved bows in the next room with the all fine Madonna. Botticelli's other production are also found in Room 10 to 14. Leonardo da Vinci takes room 15's visitors by storm in his articulous work appearing in the Baptism. As if there can be no other competition, Michelangelo presents his Doni Tondo in room 25 which is the only easel painting he came close to completing but it still looks magnificent. Also found in Room 25 is another work by Michelangelo, The Holy Family with its vibrant colours and the twisted pose of the Virgin. Room 42 has a different feel to it. It has Roman statues of Niobe and her children and the neo-Attic Medici vase. Entry to this most historic gallery is not that easy considering that this gallery is in every tourists' 'must see' list. An entry fee of L12,000 is payable at the door and visitors are advised to bring te exact amount since change is often a problem. One can expect to wait a maximum of 30 minutes before entering the gallery, after buying the ticket, since only 500 people are allowed at one time. This is done mainly foe safety reasons and to avoid backlogs caused by too many people. The Vasari's Corridor can be found on the right end , far north of the museum. This corridor leads to the Palazzo Vecchio going over the Ponte Vecchio bridge.
Info: Operating Hours: 8:30 - 22:00 Tues-Sat; 8:30 - 20:00 Sun. Closed on Mondays. Ticket 8 Euro