Visiting Florence, Italy

January30th

Visiting Florence, Italy

Posted in: Traveling

If you are visiting Florence, Italy you are probably excited about your once in a lifetime vacation. Of course you want to make the most of your time there and you want to make sure you know the best things available for you to do while visiting. Florence, Italy is a lovely place and there are so many amazingly wonderful things to do and see that creating a best to do list is in itself a difficult task. You could devote your trip just to art and architecture and fill 10 days. Just as easily you could fill 10 days with shopping and cuisine. Florence has so much to offer. There is so much art and history in this city to make you want to visit again and again. The following is a list of the best things to do while in Florence, Italy.

When you think of Italy you think of art. Beautiful Italian paintings like those of Michelangelo and Botticelli shouldn’t be missed while you’re here. First you should be sure to visit the Uffizzi Gallery. This is one of the world’s great museums. It’s known for having one of the best collections of Italian paintings in the world. Be sure to book your tickets ahead of time. This is one of the most popular destinations in Florence and you will regret wasting any of your precious time in Florence waiting in line for tickets.

Second on my list is the Basilica di San Miniato al Monte. This religious site is a beautiful example of Tuscan Romanesque architecture and has gorgeous views of the city as well.

While in Florence be sure to visit Duomo Square. The Duomo and the Baptistery which is located nearby are both worth seeing. The doors of the Baptistery were considered so beautiful by Michelangelo he thought them to be worthy of being the gates of Heaven.

While in Italy you simply must take the time to stop in one of the many shops along the streets to taste some gelato. There are gelato shops everywhere in Florence but one that is particularly wonderful is the Festival del Gelato. The gelato is terrific and there are so many flavors you may have to stop by more than once.

Of course, if this is your first trip to Florence, you must take the time to see Michelangelo’s David, and is quite accessible, being located in the Gallery of the Accademia di Belle Arti. The statue captures the moment David decides to challenge Goliath to duel, which is much different from other traditional depictions of David with the head of the slain Goliath.

The Piazzale Michelangelo has many other sculptures by Michelangelo and also one of the best views of the city.

For shopping you can’t beat Florence’s outdoor leather markets where you’ll find wonderful leather goods as well as food and souvenirs to bring back.

So much art, so little time you may say. Be sure to visit the Bargello to see more of the beautiful sculpture the city is known for.

Since you’re in Italy you must hear the Opera. Even if you’re not an opera lover, you will love hearing beautiful Italian love songs sung at the gorgeous Saint Mark’s Anglican Church. The setting is intimate and unforgettable with just a tenor, a soprano and a piano. However, you would need Italian interpreter services to help you understand what they are saying.

Finally, the Museo di San Marco would be a must. Here you’ll see the largest collection of Sacred art in Florence, including the majority of works by Mariotto Albertinelli, a large collection of 15th century arwork, and a breathtaking fresco by Giovanni Antonio Sogliani.

These are just a few of the things you can do while in Florence, Italy. This city is so packed with art and history and architecture you will be so glad you came.