Italian Holiday I

In 2023, we met up with Mark's cousin David and his partner Kathy for a few days in Barcelona.  We had such a nice time that we decided to do it again, this time in Florence, Italy.

We had a lovely AirBNB in the historic section of Florence.  We were within walking distance of most attractions, though we found that these older apartments did lack one amenity: an elevator!  Not unexpected as the building was probably hundreds of years old, but those three flights of stairs really gave us a workout.

With the exception of Kathy, we had all been to Florence before, so we were coming to Florence to re-experience the Tuscan culture and wonderful food.

Initial Tour

To get an overview of the city, we booked a golf cart tour around the major sites of Florence.

Pitti Palace

River Arno and the Ponte Vecchio

The highlights of this tour were the Piazza della Signoria, with its numerous statues and historic buildings including the Uffizi Gallery, and the Piazza Michelangelo, which overlooks the beautiful Florentine skyline.

The city of Florence offers innumerable attractions, providing visitors with a glimpse into the history and culture of this fascinating city.  

Galileo Museum

A multi-story museum dedicated to Galileo Galilei is located in central Florence, and it contains an enormous collection of scientific instruments.

The Duomo of Florence

Construction of Florence Cathedral (Duomo di Firenze in Italian) began in 1296 and was completed with a dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi in 1436.  The building's exterior is faced with marble panels in various shades of green and pink, alternated by white, giving it a striking and unique look.  The basilica is one of world's largest churches, and its dome is still the largest masonry dome ever constructed.  The cathedral complex, in Piazza del Duomo, includes the Florence Baptistery and Giotto's Campanile (belltower).

The climb to the top of the Duomo is 463 steps, and it offers unique perspectives of the cathedral's interior and the famous Last Judgment fresco.  The Campanile has a mere 414 steps, but it provides magnificent views of the Duomo and city.

The Basilica di Santa Croce

The principal Franciscan church of Florence, the Basilica di Santa Croce is best known as a burying place for notable Italians including many from the Italian Renaissance.    

The Parade of Carro Matto

​Every year at the end of September, the Carro Matto ("crazy cart") comes into town from the nearby wine producing area of Chianti Rufina.   The parade celebrates the autumn grape harvest and the arrival of the new wine in the city.

Uffizi Gallery and ​Galleria dell'Accademia

Through the Medici family's famous 1737 Patto di Famiglia (Family Pact), all Medici treasures (art, jewels, etc.) were guaranteed to remain in the city forever, making Florence a treasure trove of Italian art.  

Opened to the public in 1865, the Uffizi Gallery is the largest and best-known Italian museum in the world.  We were happy that we had booked a private museum tour as we were able to be shown some of the most historically significant pieces in what was otherwise an enormously large and somewhat overwhelming setting.

After the Uffizi, we took at 20-minute stroll to the Galleria dell'Accademia, which houses the most famous sculpture in the world, Michelangelo's David.

Florentine Food

After art, culture and history, Florence is best known for its outstanding food.  After a full day of museum hopping, we enjoyed some wonderful Italian food including pizza, Florentine steak, and gelato.  We even sampled the enormously popular Italian sandwiches (made well-known by the sandwich shop, All'Antico Vinaio).

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We had a great time during our four days in Florence, though we were surprised at how busy the city was even in late September.  David and Kathy continued on to the next phase of their Italian holiday in Rome.  We went for a few quiet days on the Italian Mediterranean coast.