Florence in three days: attractions, history and plan for visiting the city. Two days in Florence

if you have 2 days in Florence, then the first day can be devoted to the most famous ones, such as the Ponte Vecchio bridge, and the second day can be used to examine church masterpieces and works of art in Palazzo Pitti.

In two days in Florence you can see most of the city's treasures, devoting the third day to trips to the surrounding towns.

Florence sightseeing program for day 2:

Florence route on day 2:

2. Giardino di Boboli

3. Vasari Corridor (Corridoio vasariano)

7. - located on . This majestic 14th-century building is now the City Hall of Florence and one of the most important public buildings in Italy. The original palace was called Palazzo della Signoria, in honor of the government body of the Florentine Republic - the Signoria. Here you can visit the Palazzo Vecchio museum, archaeological excavations, climb the tower to admire the panorama of Florence, and walk along the fortifications. Ticket 10.00 - 18.00 €, depending on what is included.

If you are going to Florence for the first time, we strongly recommend that you spend at least three days here. During this time, you will be able not only to explore the main attractions, but, importantly, begin to feel the pulse of this city, and, perhaps, fall in love with Dante’s homeland, because the Italian poet considered his homeland not Italy, but rather beautiful Florence.

Our plan for visiting Florence is designed in such a way that, on the one hand, you do not miss anything important, but at the same time, you are able to feel the unique atmosphere of the city where Donatello, Michelangelo and, of course, the great Leonardo worked. And historical inserts into the text will allow you to learn a little more about the morals and customs that reigned in Florence during its heyday.

Every significant city in Italy is awarded a stable epithet - a definition. For example, if Rome is the Eternal City, if Venice is the Most Serene Republic, if Florence is the Cradle of the Italian Renaissance. Surprisingly, but true, many guests of Florence who arrive here for the first time, for example, from Rome, experience slight disappointment. In fact, the city turns out to be small, although by Italian standards this is not the case, the streets are crowded with crowds of tourists, and in general the scale is not comparable to Rome or Venice.

In order to avoid such perception, I advise everyone to watch the BBC multi-part documentary before their first trip to Florence "Medici - godfathers of the Renaissance" (it is publicly available on the Internet), and also re-read the novel Dan Brown "Inferno" - despite all the disputes regarding the artistic merits of the book, Florence is described there very vividly, which puts you in the right mood.

If we talk about where to stay in Florence, I recommend the Santa Maria Novella area, which is near the station. Surprisingly, the station area in Florence is very clean and safe, plus there are charming restaurants where locals go to dine.

DAY ONE: EXPLORING THE OLD TOWN

The morning of the first day in Florence should definitely start with coffee and cantucci - Florentine biscuits with almonds or chocolate. Even if your hotel has breakfast, still indulge in the pleasure of starting your acquaintance with the city by tasting local pastries. If you are staying in the Santa Maria Novella area, I recommend checking out the pasticceria Il Cantuccio di San Lorenzo(address: Via Sant’Antonio 23/r, website: ), where exceptionally delicious cantucci are baked.

In the photo: coffee with cantucci - a popular Florentine breakfast

You can refresh yourself with them in the pasticheria itself, or take biscuits to go and, cheerfully snacking on them on the go, head along the streets to the Old Town, to Piazza del Duomo, from where we will begin our acquaintance with Florence.

MORNING – PIAZZA DEL DUOMO

Most often, guests of Florence, finding themselves at Piazza del Duomo for the first time, first freeze with their eyes spontaneously widening with delight (and sometimes their mouths open), and then, without paying attention to anything else, they rush as fast as they can to photograph the Cathedral of Santa Maria Del -Fiori, trying to distort it in such a way that the fifth largest cathedral in the world fits into the frame as much as possible.

It is not difficult to understand the delight of tourists; lined with white, green and pink marble, Santa Maria Del Fiori with its famous brick dome, erected by Filippo Brunelleschi, has not just become a symbol and living demonstration of the power of Florence. But let’s not rush to the foot of one of the most famous cathedrals in Italy, but first let’s pay attention to the Florentine Baptistery, which looks very modest against the backdrop of the beautiful Santa Maria Del Fiori.

FLORENTINE BAPTISTERY

Florence Baptistery or Baptistery of San Giovanni (San Giovanni - John the Baptist in Italian.) is one of the most ancient and mystical buildings in Florence, and many art historians, not without reason, rank it among the most mysterious monuments of world art. The fact is that the current baptistery building was erected in the period from 1059 to 1129, but before that there was a baptistery built here in the fifth century AD.

The Baptistery is the place where baptism is received, and it was in the Baptistery of San Giovanni that all the famous residents of Florence were baptized: from Dante, who, after his exile, was given the condition that in order to return to his hometown he must publicly repent in the same place where he was baptized, to all representatives of the Medici dynasty without exception. Like many Christian sanctuaries, the Baptistery of San Giovanni was erected on the site of a pagan temple; historians suggest that in this case it was the temple of the god of war Mars, however, during the first excavations carried out near the baptistery back in the twelfth century, workers discovered mosaic floors , which can often be seen on the ruins of villas and private houses of wealthy Romans.

Modern knowledge of the baptistery is a regular octagon, faced with white and green stone and decorated with striped pilasters, the same as can be seen on the façade of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiori. At the same time, the building is divided into three tiers, and it is crowned with a gently sloping light roof. By the way, the shape of the octahedron in this case is an illustration of symbolism in Christian art, for it symbolizes the six days of the creation of the world, the seventh - the day of God's rest and the eighth day - the rebirth that occurs during the sacrament of baptism. Unfortunately, in 2015, the baptistery began to be restored, so at the time of writing this article, the building is closed with scaffolding, but everyone can donate money for the restoration of the oldest landmark of Florence, they promise that then your name will be inscribed on the inside of the stones with which clad the building.

Another attraction of the Florentine Baptistery is the five-meter "Heaven's Gate"- the eastern gate made of gilded bronze, created by Lorenzo Ghiberti and decorated with bas-reliefs of biblical scenes. Ghiberti worked on them for more than 20 years, and as a result, his work was praised by Michelangelo himself, who said that the bronze gates were so beautiful that they could serve as the gates to Paradise.

In the photo: “The Gates of Heaven” by Lorenzo Ghiberti

Buanarroti’s statement went down among the people, and since then the eastern gate of the baptistery has been called nothing more than “The Gates of Heaven.” Unfortunately, the original Ghiberti gate is today in the Duomo Museum, and what we see is just a good copy of the original. The southern gate of the baptistery by Andrea Pisano does not look as impressive, but it is more ancient, and its bas-reliefs depict scenes from the life of John the Baptist and the main Christian Virtues.

When you find yourself in the Baptistery of San Giovanni, it is impossible not to raise your eyes to the dome, decorated with mosaic panels depicting biblical scenes; the effect of the radiance of the smalt mosaic is enhanced by the fact that in the center of the dome there is a window through which daylight penetrates. By the way, the frightening scenes of Hell that can be observed in the Baptistery of Florence are very close to the description of Hell in Dante’s “Divine Comedy”, well, we all come from childhood.

In the photo: mosaic on the dome of the Baptistery in Florence

Meanwhile, the Baptistery of San Giovanni is the burial place of one extremely odious, but very important character for understanding the history of Florence - Anti-Pope John XXIII. The fact is that in 1378, after the death of Pope Gregory XI, a great schism occurred in the Catholic Church, which lasted until 1417. During this period, first two Popes claimed the right to be called the head of the Catholic Church (one sat in Rome, and the second in Avignon), and since 1409, another, third Pope began to be elected by the College of Cardinals in Pisa. Anti-Pope John XXIII (the prefix “anti” appeared after the modern church decided that only Roman pontiffs had the right to bear the title of Pope) was elected as the third Pope from Pisa. Occurred in 1410, after the death of the first Pope of Pisa, Alexander V.

In the photo: the tomb of Anti-Pope John XXIII in the Baptistery of Florence

The biography of anti-Pope John XXIII is full of “wonderful details,” however, it is now practically impossible to figure out where the truth is and where the slander of enemies is. The anti-pope was accused of poisoning his predecessor Alexander V, and of raping nuns, and of torturing innocent residents of Rome and Bologna, and, of course, of trading in episcopal sees. It’s amazing how a person had time for all these atrocities! One way or another, but when the Ecumenical Council of Constance decided to restore the unity of the Catholic Church and demanded voluntary abdication from all the numerous Popes, John XXIII first fled from Italy to Freiburg, and then demanded for himself, in exchange for his abdication, a pension of thirty thousand gold florins, transfer to him the use of Avignon and Bologna, as well as the retention of the title of permanent legate in Italy.

Such insolent behavior of the pontiff becomes understandable if you know his biography - John XXIII in the world bore the name Balthasar Cossus and before the start of his religious career was a very successful pirate. This story ended predictably: anti-Pope John XXIII was arrested in Freiburg, after which he abdicated his rank, and, having been freed, confessed to the new Pope Martin V, who appointed the former pirate Bishop of Tusculan. Balthasar Cossa died on December 22, 1419. The question arises: why was such an odious personality buried in the holiest place in Florence, and Donatello and Michelozzo worked on his tomb, decorated with statues of the three Christian virtues of Faith, Hope and Love?

In the photo: statues of Faith, Hope and Love at the tomb of Anti-Pope Joan XXII

It's quite simple. The fact is that the career of Balthasar Cossa in the Vatican was sponsored not by anyone, but by Giovanni Medici, the founder of the famous Florentine dynasty. Two factors coincided here: Giovanni Medici was the first representative of the family who, thanks to his ability to conduct trade well and prudence in financial matters, managed to accumulate impressive capital, but to enter the ranks of the powerful families of the Florentine Republic, the Medici family lacked a serious patron. Giovanni calculated everything accurately; he knew that the papal throne was being shaken by unrest, which means that with the proper financial support, even a former pirate had a chance of success. The Medici not only gave Balthasar Cossa a large sum of money at the initial stage of his career, but also financially supported their protégé throughout his career: from priest to cardinal. When in 1410 Balthasar Cossa was elected the third Pope of Rome in Pisa, he transferred the management of all papal accounts to the Medici family, thus the Medici began to control the accounts of the Roman Catholic Church and nothing could prevent them from becoming one of the chosen families of Florence.

GIOTTO'S BELL TOWER (GIOTTO'S CAMPANIA)

We leave the baptistery and admire the cathedral complex, because it is a hundred meters high, lined with white and colored marble Giotto's bell tower(or Campanile Giotto) seems to be another component of Santa Maria Del Fiore, although it was built separately from the cathedral. According to Giotto's idea, the bell tower should have seemed to passers-by painted against the sky, and the illusion of the lightness of the structure actually arises; you even wonder how it has stood here since the fourteenth century, having survived numerous earthquakes.

Today, Giotto's Campanile is often called one of the most striking architectural examples of the "trecento" - a transitional movement in Italian art from Gothic and Renaissance. The bell tower was built from 1298 to 1359, the foundation was laid under the patronage of the architect Arnolfo di Cambio, Giotto created the bell tower project, but during the life of Giotto di Bondone, only the lower tier of the campanile was erected. The bell tower was completed by Andrea Pisano and Francesco Talenti; the latter, by the way, lined it with three types of marble: white from Carrara, red from Monsummano Terme and Siena, and green from Prato.

In the photo: the bell tower (campanile) of Giotto

As in the case of the baptistery, the external appearance of the campanile contains Christian symbolism - the bas-reliefs by Giotto, decorating the lower level of the bell tower, seven on each side, symbolize the human ability for self-improvement. Many of the statues that decorated the campanile were made by Donatello himself; unfortunately, the originals are now kept in the Duomo Museum, and only copies are exhibited to the public.

CATHEDRAL OF SANTA MARIA DEL FIORE

But on the façade of Santa Maria Del Fiore, not all of the original statues have yet been replaced with copies. For example, if you look carefully at the figures of Adam and Eve located on the facade at the gate of the temple, you may notice that the figure of Adam is lighter, but Eve has darkened a little over time. This is due to the fact that the sculpture of Adam is a copy, but the sculptors of the cathedral workshop are still working on the copy of Eve.

In the photo: façade of Santa Maria Del Fiore

By the way, you can watch the work of Donatello and Michelangelo’s successors in “live time” mode; the workshop where copies of the statues are made is located in the alley to the left of the cathedral (if you stand with your back to it). Watching the work of the sculptor Giuseppe is very entertaining, because he makes copies using the same technologies that were used in the fifteenth century. In general, if the Baptistery of Florence has always been the main sacred place of the city, then Santa Maria Del Fiori is not only a cathedral, but also the scene of political intrigues of the Florentine Republic. And here we again have to return to Giovanni Medici, who so successfully lent money to Balthasar Cossa. The fact is that today's pride of Florence, the beautiful Santa Maria del Fiori, has been the shame of the city for more than a century. The initial design of the cathedral turned out to be too bold; as a result, the temple was erected, but crowning it with a dome turned out to be technically impossible, and the duomo stood without a roof.

In the photo: the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore - a symbol of Florence

Then Cosimo Medici, the son of Giovanni Medici, together with his father, for the sake of the future glory of the family, decided on the unprecedented: he entrusted the construction of the dome to Filippo Brunelleschi, an architect and engineer of a new formation, whom many considered almost a city madman for his violent character and unexpected ideas. The Medici sponsored Brunelleschi's trip to Rome, where he studied the structure of the dome of the Pantheon. It was the study of the structure of the dome of the Roman Temple of All Gods that suggested to Brunelleschi the idea of ​​a double frame, that is, that the dome of the cathedral should be erected inside an octagonal drum. Also, using mathematical calculations, the architect deduced what degree of inclination the walls of the dome should have to prevent collapse, and calculated that the brickwork of the dome should be made with an inward slope.

The construction of the dome was completed only in 1436, when Giovanni Medici was no longer alive. But his son Cosimo won a complete political victory over his opponents, and now the Medici family could gain the glory of the most powerful dynasty in Florence. By the way, Cosimo’s path to the top of the Florentine political Olympus was not at all easy and was by no means safe. Thus, in 1433, due to the intrigues of the influential Albizzi family, Cosimo was first imprisoned and then expelled from Florence. True, already in 1434 the Albizzi party was put on trial, and Cosimo returned to the city, where he was greeted as the father of the fatherland. Cosimo de' Medici invited Pope Eugene IV himself to illuminate the Cathedral of Santa Maria Del Fiori, and although the final construction of the cathedral was completed only in 1887, Brunelleschi's gigantic dome has remained the main symbol of Florence since the fifteenth century to this day.

Immediately after the construction of the dome of Santa Maria Del Fiore, Cosimo de' Medici implemented another ambitious project: he decided to propose moving the ecumenical council of the Catholic Church - the main meeting of the clergy - from Ferrara to Florence. Especially for this occasion, thinkers and representatives of the church arrived in Florence not only from all over enlightened Europe, but even from India and Ethiopia (Cosimo, by the way, paid for the travel for foreigners entirely out of his own pocket). Under the shadow of Santa Maria Del Fiore, Platonic readings were held, the streets of the city were filled with foreigners, and Cosimo’s contemporaries began to call Florence the new Rome on the banks of the Arno River.

However, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Del Fiore became not only a symbol of the triumph of the Medici, but also the place where tragic events took place: on April 26, 1478, during a mass in the cathedral, Florentine patricians tried to stab representatives of the Medici dynasty with daggers. Lorenzo Medici managed to hide behind the heavy doors of the sacristy, but his younger brother Giuliano Medici died.

In the photo: inside Santa Maria Del Fiore looks quite modest

Entrance to the cathedral is paid, it’s worth warning right away; the inside of Santa Maria Del Fiore is not at all as luxurious as the outside. However, it’s still worth going inside if only to feel the strange atmosphere of this place, because it was here, for example, that Girolamo Sovanarola preached, calling on everyone to quickly repent and renounce earthly joys, and in addition, Giotto di Bondone is buried in the cathedral - architect of the bell tower Giotto. Those who are physically strong can climb to the dome of the cathedral or to the top of Giotto's Campanile to admire the bird's eye view of Florence, but for others we suggest going to the very heart of the city - to Piazza della Signoria.

SIGNORIA SQUARE

Piazza della Signoria with the famous Palazzo Vecchio is the place where the heart of Florence beat in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. It must be said that at that time this Italian city, or rather the republic, was, without exaggeration, the center of European life. All ambitious people endowed with a wide variety of talents flocked here, not only artists and poets, but also politicians, businessmen and clergy.

In general, Florence in the fifteenth century can be compared with New York in the twentieth century, the same rhythm of life, the same passion for discovering new things. The Palazzo Vecchio, the main government building of the Florentine Republic, has been compared to a rook chess piece, which is not far from the truth. By the way, an exact copy of the palazzo was erected in the town of Montepulciano, where the second part of “Twilight” was filmed, so the style of Florentine architecture was not only admired, it was copied.

At the entrance there is a copy of Michelangelo’s “David” in company with Ammanati’s “Neptune”, “Hercules and Cacus”. The abundance of naked male bodies confuses some tourists, while others, on the contrary, inspire, one way or another, but even Dan Brown in his “Inferno” talked about the fact that the number of stone penises in Piazza della Signoria is somewhat excessive for the eyes. By the way, in the square near the naked sculptures they burned the preacher Girolamo Sovanarola, who fiercely opposed the depraved Pope Borgia, depraved sodomites, depraved ladies and, by the way, depraved sculptures. Now the place of his execution is marked with a metal medallion, which is typical because it is located in close proximity to the sculptural riot of male nudity.

In the neighboring palazzos of Piazza della Signoria there are boutiques of the best brands: the flagship Chanel boutique looks at the Palazzo Vecchio, and on the right on the square there is a Gucci boutique with a museum of the Florentine fashion house. If you are partial to fashion, then you can look into the Gucci Museum - the visit will take a maximum of half an hour, and the most interesting thing in the exhibition is the exclusive dresses that the fashion house sewed for actresses for a spectacular appearance at the Oscars or at the Cannes Film Festival. We and those who prefer history to fashion are going to Palazzo Vecchio.

PALAZZO VECCHIO

Palazzo Vecchio is not only a museum, but also a government building, however, its most interesting part is open to tourists. Don't skimp and buy a full ticket to see not only the halls where the ruling families of Florence met, but also the catacombs, and also climb the tower to see the entire historical center of the city from its top.

It is best to start your visit to Palazzo Vecchio from below, going underground. Then it suddenly turns out that the history of Florence begins not with the Middle Ages, and certainly not with the Renaissance, but with the times of the ancient Romans, and the current center of the city at that time was the outskirts. The Romans often built theaters on the outskirts of cities, and Florence was no exception to the rule. Yes, hidden under the floors of the Palazzo Vecchio are the ruins of a huge ancient Roman theater. To enhance the effect of immersion into the depths of centuries in the truest sense of the word, projections using shadow theater technology are shown on the stone ruins: the shadows of actors playing flutes or dancing among age-old stones turn a walk through the ruins into an almost mystical act.

In the photo: a shadow theater on the ruins of an ancient Roman theater in the Palazzo Vecchio

We continue our walk through Palazzo Vecchio, going up to Hall of the Five Hundred(Salone dei Cinquecento) and immediately move from ancient times to the end of the fifteenth century. The Five Hundred Hall was once the largest hall of the government council, consisting of 500 people (hence the name), but now chamber concerts are often held here. The Hall of the Five Hundred acquired its current appearance thanks to the engineer Giorgio Vasari, who managed to raise the roof of the room - as a result, daylight began to penetrate into the hall through the windows, and at the same time decorated the walls of the hall with large-scale frescoes.

In the photo: Hall of the Five Hundred in Palazzo Vecchio

It is Vasari’s giant frescoes that immediately attract the attention of guests of the Palazzo Vecchio, and tourists who have read the novel “Inferno” immediately begin to look at the giant canvas “The Battle of Marciano”, on which there is a mysterious inscription "Cerca Trova" ("Seek and you will find"). But we are sadly forced to admit, no matter how beautiful Vasari’s frescoes are, previously in their place there was “The Battle of Anghiari” by Leonardo da Vinci and “The Battle of Cascina” by Michelangelo, neither from one nor from the second canvas after the reconstruction of the Vasari hall - Lorenzo’s favorite architect There was no trace left of the Medici.

In the photo: Vasari's fresco "Battle of Marciano" with the inscription "Cerca Trova"
(“Seek and ye shall find”) from the book “Inferno” by Dan Brown.

But among the statues of the Hall of Five Hundred you can see Michelangelo’s sculpture “The Spirit of Victory” (Italian: Genio della Vittoria). By the way, this statue is one of the most mysterious works of Buanarroti; for example, art historians still cannot clearly decide whether Michelangelo did not have time to complete the statue, or whether it was deliberately made using the “non finito” technique. The most curious thing is that initially the sculpture of an elegant young man (Michelangelo sculpted the statue from his lover Tommaso Cavalieri) was planned to be installed as a tombstone on the grave of the conservative Pope Julius II, an ardent opponent of homosexuality. One way or another, the statue was in Michelangelo’s Florentine workshop until his death, and now it can be seen in the Hall of the Five Hundred. By the way, as at the entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio, in the Hall of Five Hundred there is no shortage of male nudity, as are the statues demonstrating the exploits of Hercules, which, according to Renaissance sculptors, the ancient hero performed exclusively naked.

In the photo: Michelangelo’s sculpture “The Spirit of Victory” (Italian: Genio della Vittoria)

After admiring the frescoes and statues, take a look at Lo Studiolo- small office of Francesco I. All the walls of the office are decorated with an incredible number of paintings; more than three dozen masterpieces of fine art, one might say, crowd into a small space. Overall, Lo Studiolo is a great place to practice focusing on one object among many others, otherwise you will inevitably feel like you are inside a colorful kaleidoscope.

In the photo: Lo Studiolo in Palazzo Vecchio

Then stroll through the halls of the palazzo, many of them are dedicated to representatives of the Medici family, which is reflected both in the names of the rooms and in the decor - frescoes illustrate all the significant milestones in the history of the city's ruling dynasty.

In the photo: frescoes in the hall named after Cosimo de' Medici, on the frescoes
depictedconstruction of the dome of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

In one of the halls on the second floor you will see Dante's death mask. The author of the Divine Comedy was expelled from Florence; his tomb is located in Ravenna, but a mask-cast from the face of the deceased was brought to Florence. In “Inferno,” Dan Brown writes that Dante’s death mask makes a frightening impression on the viewer, but I don’t agree with this; rather, there is a feeling of aching sadness.

In the photo: Dante Alighieri's death mask in the Palazzo Vecchio

The visit to the Palazzo Vecchio ends in the Cartography Hall, the same one in the center of which there is a globe, and where Robert Landon, together with his assistant Siena, discovered a secret passage to the palace's bins under the map of Armenia. Of course, you won’t be allowed into any secret passage, but studying ancient maps on which, for example, Russia is called Tartary is a very entertaining activity.

In the photo: the Cartography Room in Palazzo Vecchio

Finally, climb the tower of Palazzo Vecchio for a bird's-eye view of the old town. The only thing is, be prepared to stand in line for some time; tourists are allowed to the top of the tower in small groups.

LOGGIA LANTZI

Leaving the Palazzo Vecchiu, we set off to wander around the statues. Here, under the arches erected between 1376 and 1382, there are sculptures that are the property of the Uffizi Gallery (by the way, it is located here, you just need to go through the arch).

In the photo: stone lion in the Loggia Lanzi

During the time of the Florentine Republic, receptions for the nobility were held in the loggia, but now young people smoke on its steps, and tourists shamelessly climb onto statues of stone lions and selflessly photograph “Perseus with the Head of Medusa” by Benvenuto Cellini or a copy of “The Rape of the Sabine Women” by Giambologna. By the way, some of the female statues exhibited in the galleries are ancient originals.

In the photo: “Perseus with the Head of Medusa” by Benvenuto Cellini in the Loggia Lanzi

SECOND HALF OF THE DAY: THROUGH DANTE AND PONTE VECCHIO

In the afternoon we suggest you take a walk through the places of Dante Alighieri, but first we will have a snack. However, in this case, we have the opportunity to combine a tasting of one Florentine gastronomic specialty with a walk through the places of Dante - a good eatery where they cook real lampredotto- a Florentine tripe sandwich - is located in the building next door to the Church of Santa Margherita dei Cerchi, the same one that is also called Dante's Church.

In the photo: a snack bar next to the Church of St. Margaret dei Cerchi

We take lampredotto from the window - a bun stuffed with boiled rennet - a cow's stomach, and, like true Florentines, we eat it right on the street. By the way, this sandwich has been eaten in Florence since the fifteenth century, and it got its name because of its external similarity with lampreys, which used to be found in large numbers in the Arno River, lamprey in Italian - “lampreda”.

CHURCH OF SAINT MARGARETA DEI CERCHI AND HOUSE OF DANTE

Having refreshed ourselves, we head to the outwardly unassuming Church of St. Margaret dei Cerchi (Chiesa di Santa Margherita dei Cerchi). Its ascetic appearance is explained by its age, because the church was built in 1032, that is, during the dark Middle Ages. It is believed that it was here that Dante met the love of his life, Beatrice Portinari, which, by the way, is not true; the poet met his muse at the age of nine at a party in her father’s house.

In the photo: Church of St. Margaret dei Cerchi

But in this church, Dante married his unloved wife Gemma Donati, and here is the tomb of Beatrice - Dante’s beloved died at the age of 24, that is, very young even by the standards of the Renaissance. Notes are often left at Beatrice's grave asking for help in love affairs, and her modest tombstone is invariably decorated with fresh flowers.

In the photo: Beatrice Portinari's tombstone

By the way, the small church of Santa Margherita dei Cerchi inside also looks more than simple: no frescoes, no paintings, the atmosphere is enlivened only by children's drawings depicting the life of Dante - this is the work of Italian schoolchildren. Literally a stone's throw from the church (just follow the signs Casa di Dante) there is also a house-museum of the poet. The building is not original, it was built only in the first decade of the twentieth century, however, on the site where the house that belonged to the Alighieri family actually used to be located.

In the photo: Dante's house-museum in Florence

There is a museum in the house, a visit to which will take you a maximum of half an hour, but you will be able to see not only clothes from Dante’s era and reconstructed furnishings, but also, for example, a home chemical laboratory - the best minds of the Renaissance conducted experiments in similar ones, by the way, Dante himself did alchemy I didn’t shy away from it at all.

PONTE VECCHIO - THE GOLDEN BRIDGE OF FLORENCE

We go from Dante's house to Ponte Vecchio - the old bridge of Florence, which is now often called the bridge from the film "Perfume". It's all about the external similarity of the structures - on the Ponte Vecchio, as on the Money Changer Bridge, there is an incredible number of shops, however, they sell not perfumes, but gold jewelry, hence the second name of the bridge - Golden.

However, this was not always the case; initially there were butchers’ shops on the Ponte Vecchio, but they emitted such a terrible smell that in 1593 the butchers were expelled from the bridge, and jewelers took their place. By the way, the name Vecchio, that is, “old”, is also not without reason; the current bridge was built back in 1345 to the design of the architect Neri di Fioravanti. Until this time, the two banks of the Arno River were first connected by a bridge built by the Romans, but it collapsed in 1117, then by a bridge of an unknown architect, which stood until 1333 and collapsed during a flood.

But the current design of the bridge is unique not only because it is surprisingly strong, but also because Giordo Vasari (author of the Hall of the Five Hundred) built a secret corridor above the bridge that connects Palazzo Vecchio with Palazzo Pitti, located on the other side of the river, the palace where they lived Medici. By the way, according to some reports, the butchers were driven away from the bridge precisely on the initiative of Lorenzo Medici, because the stench from their shops penetrated into the secret corridor. When you walk along the Ponte Vecchio, not only admire the panorama of the Arno River from the observation deck in the center of the bridge and look into the jewelers' shops, but also try to find plaques on the bridge with quotes from Dante's Paradise - the first one is located right at the entrance. These tablets are a reminder of the murder of the Florentine Buondelmonte, which occurred in 1216, but had centuries-old consequences.

In the photo: panorama of the Arno River from the center of the bridge

The fact is that the Florentine Buondelmonte, for the sake of his beloved, refused to marry the bride whom his family had chosen for him. The family of the rejected bride was not going to forgive this and brutally killed the young man right on the bridge, just like Frey killed Robb in “Games of Thrones.” Because of the murder, a split occurred between the two Florentine parties, then they were at odds with each other for centuries, and the number of victims of the conflict was no longer even in the dozens. By the way, it was this political strife that caused Dante’s expulsion from Florence.

In the photo: jewelers' shops on Ponte Vecchio

After walking along the bridge, return to the old city; on the way back, take a look at New Florentine Market(Loggia del Mercato Nuovo). In terms of shopping, there is absolutely nothing to do here, because the market has long been firmly occupied by suppliers of cheap consumer goods from the People's Republic of China, but this is where another symbol of the city is located - boar statue.

It is believed that if you rub the heels of a boar, you will definitely return to Florence. We give three animals a nose and go to dinner.

DAY TWO: VISITING MUSEUMS AND THE TEMPLE OF SANTA CROCE

MORNING AND AFTERNOON: UFFIZI GALLERY

To visit the Uffizi Gallery, one of the most famous and oldest museums in Italy, you need to budget at least half a day. The second mandatory point is to purchase tickets in advance on the website, otherwise you will spend a good half of the day in line to enter, and if you come to Florence at the height of the tourist season, you may not get into the gallery at all: there is a crowd of people who want to see “Spring” and “ The Birth of Venus" by Sandro Botticelli, "The Adoration of the Magi" and "The Annunciation" by Leonardo da Vinci or "Venus of Urbino" by Titian does not dry out from year to year. The second important point is that on Mondays, like all Italian museums, the Uffizi is closed; take this into account when planning your trip.

However, even if you buy a ticket in advance, you will still have to spend some time in line to enter the Uffizi. Don't waste it while you stand under the arches of the museum and study the statues of the great citizens of Florence, who silently look down on the city's visitors from their stone pedestals. Leonardo, Machiavelli, Donatello, Michelangelo, Giotto, Lorenzo Medici, Alberti - here they are, all over the place, the great men of the Florentine Republic, those who managed to turn the tide of history, speed up the passage of time and create the miracle of the Italian Renaissance.

One can talk endlessly about the Uffizi Gallery itself. Let's limit ourselves to just a few facts: it was originally conceived by Cosimo I de' Medici as a palace under the arch of which all the administrative services of the city would be united, but since 1575 the gallery has worked as a museum. The basis of the exhibition was the personal collection of the Medici, and here it is necessary to stipulate one important point: in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the art market in the modern sense did not exist in Europe, and all artists and sculptors worked only if they received a good order. The main customer was always either the Catholic Church or representatives of wealthy European families.

In Florence, as is understandable, such a family were the Medici. So, "Birth of Venus"- the most famous exhibit of the Uffizi today - Sandro Botticelli painted at the request of Lorenzo de' Medici the Magnificent, a representative of the ruling dynasty of Florence wanted to give his cousin an erotic painting for his wedding that would decorate the newlyweds' bedroom.

"Birth of Venus" by Sandro Botticelli

By the way, all the men of the Medici family went crazy over the beautiful Simonetta Vespucci, with whom Botticelli painted his Venus: both Lorenzo the Magnificent and his younger brother Giuliano. According to rumors, the beauty chose the younger of the two brothers, because Giuliano had more free time to fully care for the most beautiful woman in Florence.

After visiting the Uffizi, be sure to have a snack; fortunately, a good place for lunch is located nearby, a stone’s throw from Piazza San Martino. Look for a three-table eatery Sogni e Sapori(address: Via dei Cimatori, 22r, 50122), they serve delicious soups and the famous ribollita - boiled vegetables with pieces of bread, a traditional Tuscan dish.

SECOND HALF OF THE DAY: TEMPLES OF FLORENCE

BASILICA OF SANTA CROCE

It must be said that several monastic orders operated in Florence at once and each of them erected its own basilica. In the south of the city, representatives of the Carmelite Order built Santa Maria del Carmine, in the north-west of the city the Dominicans built Santa Maria Novella, and in the south of Florence the Franciscans built a magnificent Santa Croce According to legend, the famous temple was founded not by anyone, but by Francis of Assisi himself.

In the photo: Basilica of Santa Croce with a statue of Dante at the entrance

Today, city guests go to the largest Franciscan church in Italy mainly to admire the frescoes and sculptures of Giotto, but in addition, Galileo Galilei, Niccolò Machiavelli, Michelangelo and other great men of Florence are buried here.

In the photo: Michelangelo's tomb in Santa Croce

SANTA MARIA NOVELLA: TEMPLE AND FAMOUS PHARMACY

We head to the north-west of Florence, more precisely to the area of ​​the railway station, where the Dominican Basilica is located Santa Maria Novella. Like Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella houses many works of art from the 14th to 16th centuries, but we would like to mention not the frescoes of Domenico Ghirlandaio and Sebastiano Mainardi that decorate the church, but the fact that this particular basilica is mentioned in “ Decameron" by Boccaccio, here a meeting of young people takes place, who together decide to flee from plague-ridden Florence.

In the photo: Basilica of Santa Maria Novella

Not far from the church there is a famous one (address: Via della Scala, 16, 501123, Firenze, Tel +39 055 216276), founded by Dominican monks.

Since 1612, it has been selling elixirs, all kinds of rubs, soaps, herbs, and the main hit of the pharmacy is perfumes "Acqua della Regina", which Catherine de Medici herself used.

EVENING: FLORENCE CENTRAL MARKET AND PAZA MICHELANGELLO

After a rich cultural program, take a look at the Lower Rows located in the same area, which are open only in the morning, but the second floor, where it is open until late. Here you can try all the Florentine gastronomic specialties at once; if you like it and want to expand your acquaintance with Tuscan cuisine, visit the market again the next morning, then you can take a walk along the lower rows of the mercato, where the Florentines themselves buy food.

In the photo: second floor of Mercato Centrale

If after dinner you have an irresistible desire to admire the sunset, then right next to the market, take one of the municipal buses heading towards Piazza Michelangelo. During the trip, you will definitely see the ancient Roman gate to the city, where bride fairs were held in ancient times, and Piazzale Michelangelo itself is very easy to identify - in its center stands another copy of “David”.

In the photo: panorama of Florence from the top of Piazza Michelangelo

But, most importantly, it offers an exceptional view of the old city of Florence and the dome of Santa Maria Del Fiore, and you can watch the rays of the setting sun caress its red roof until the velvet Tuscan night finally falls on the city .

THIRD DAY: MEET “DAVID” AND GO TO THE BOBOLI GARDENS

MORNING: BARGELLO NATIONAL MUSEUM
OR ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS

This is the story with the “Davids” in Florence. There are two famous sculptures: one is the well-known work of Michelangelo, the other is a statue by Donatello, by the way, his “David” is the first sculptural image of a naked male figure since antiquity.

In the photo: “David” by Donatello at an exhibition in Milan

Both sculptures were born thanks to the fact that the Medici actively patronized artists: Donatello received an order from Cosimo Medici, and the second famous representative of the dynasty - Lorenzo Medici the Magnificent - was the first to draw attention to the promising young sculptor Michelangelo, after which he invited the talented young man to live in Palazzo Pitti, where Buanarroti was able to develop his talent and cultivate high artistic taste.

The problem is that the statues are displayed in different places: Michelangelo's David is in the Academy of Fine Arts, and Donatello's David is in the National Bargello Museum (Museo Nazionale del Bargello). To decide which museum you want to visit, below is a brief information about both places.

Museo Nazionale del Bargello- the oldest public building in the city, looks very similar to the famous Palazzo Vecchio, which is not surprising, because it was the Bargello that was taken as a model during the construction of the palace where the government of the Florentine Republic met.

In the photo: the building of the Museo Nazionale del Bargello

Over the course of its history, the building has served as the residence of the podesta (city governor), the city council, a prison, and even a barracks. The sculpture museum was opened here in the 19th century. In addition to Donatello’s David, the Bargello exhibition includes four works by Michelangelo: the sculpture “Bacchus”, the bust “Brutus”, “Tondo Pitti” and “David-Apollo”. There is no need to buy tickets in advance to visit the museum; there is usually a short queue at the entrance.

In the photo: the original “David” by Michelangelo in the Gallery of the Academy of Fine Arts

But the original sculpture by Michelangelo is exhibited in Florence Galleries of the Academy of Fine Arts. The gallery was founded by the Archduke of Tuscan Pietro Leopoldo I di Lorena in 1784, the collection of sculptures and paintings by masters of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance is huge, but remember, the Academy is not only a museum, but also an educational institution, so if you want to see “ David" and "Prisoners" by Michelangelo, as well as the original "The Rape of the Sabine Women" by Giambologna, buy tickets in advance and check the time of your visit on the website.

Admission fees and opening hours of the Academy of Fine Arts:

BOBOLI GARDENS AND PALAZZO PITTI

Since in our story about Florence the Medici surname appeared in every third sentence, it’s time to see where the representatives of the noble family lived and go along the Ponte Vecchio to the other side of the Arno River - to Palazzo Pitti And Boboli Gardens.

Palazzo Pitti(Palazzo Pitti) by the standards of the Renaissance was considered an impregnable citadel; here the Medici could hide from their enemies, and they arrived at the Palazzo Vecchio along Vasari’s secret corridor, built above the bridge. In the halls of the palazzo itself, an extremely diverse range of artistic paintings are now displayed: from family portraits of representatives of the Florentine aristocracy to examples of modern art. Whether it’s good or bad, now social receptions are often held in Palazzo Pitti: buffet tables are set in the halls of the palace, crystal chandeliers light up with bright light, and here, just like in ancient times, music sounds, women’s laughter and the clink of glasses are heard.

In the photo: reception at Palazzo Pitti on the occasion of the gastronomic exhibition

And here Boboli Gardens- a classic Italian park with the obligatory sculptures, grottoes, rose gardens, pavilions, fountains and alleys. They began to be laid out during the life of Cosimo Medici; the detailed plan of the park was developed by the architect Nicolo Tribolo, and some of the buildings were designed by Giorgio Vasari, one of the favorite architects of Lorenzo Medici the Magnificent. The Boboli Gardens are not as luxurious as the same Villa d’Este, located in the city of Tivoli near Rome, but even here you can find a lot of interesting things. For example, the Cerchiata Tunnel, which looks like endless green arches, or the “Fountain of Little Ugly Faces”, which in the times of Lorenzo Medici was used for hunting birds - water dripped from the stone masks of the fountain, and when the birds flew to drink, nets were thrown over them .

Pictured: "Fountain of Little Ugly Faces" in Boboli Gardens

Another interesting exhibit of the Boboli Gardens is the “Bronze Neptune” - a fountain by Stoldo Lorenzi. The artistic merits of this sculpture raise many questions among modern Italians, and Lorenzi’s creation is often mockingly called “Neptune with a fork.” However, the Italians are not too fond of the statue depicting a naked fat dwarf sitting astride a turtle; by the way, this is a court jester, a favorite of the Medici family.

But, of course, the most interesting place in the gardens is Grotto Buontalenti- a suite of three caves named after their creator. The walls of the caves are decorated with sculptures and bas-reliefs, and the statues are inscribed in the structure of the sandstone so organically that it seems as if they are frozen spirits of the cave, eager to break free from stone captivity. According to the idea of ​​the Medici, the grotto was to be used for the entertainment of young people; by the way, during the reign of the dynasty, water flowed along the walls of the caves, which, on the one hand, enhanced the mystical atmosphere that still reigns in the Buontalenti Grotto, and on the other, served as an analogue modern air conditioner, because it perfectly cooled the air of the cave even on a hot Tuscan afternoon.

In the photo: Buontalenti Grotto in the Boboli Gardens

After walking around the Boboli Gardens, sit down in the summer cafe, open at the highest point of the park, because the gardens are located on a hill overlooking Florence. Order yourself a glass of chianti reserve and, while sipping wine, enjoy the panorama of the evening city opening from the top of the hill.

It is impossible to find a better place to say goodbye to Florence than the Boboli Gardens, however, it is impossible to say to Florence: “Goodbye” and in no case should you, instead tell her: “Goodbye”, or even better: “See you soon” .

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Yulia Malkova- Yulia Malkova - founder of the website project. Former editor-in-chief of the elle.ru Internet project and editor-in-chief of the cosmo.ru website. I talk about travel for my own pleasure and the pleasure of my readers. If you are a representative of hotels or a tourism office, but we do not know each other, you can contact me by email: [email protected]

if you have 3 days in Florence, then you can take a close look not only at the architectural beauty of the city and the most famous artistic works of Florentine authors, but also get more closely acquainted with the Italian Renaissance, the birthplace of which was Florence. The city's numerous museums contain a huge number of works by the most famous Italian masters, so the trip will be eventful and educational.

First day in Florence can be dedicated to the most famous, such as the Ponte Vecchio bridge, second day use for viewing the ecclesiastical masterpieces and works of art in Palazzo Pitti, and on the third day go to slightly less famous (but no less interesting) museums.

If museum halls do not really attract you, then the third day can be devoted to trips to surrounding towns, visiting and / or .

Florence sightseeing program for day 3:

Sights of Florence along the route:

1. Museo Nazionale del Bargello - National Museum of Bargello

2. Museo di San Marco, - Cosimo de' Medici often retired to the cells of San Marco to meditate surrounded by angels and saints painted by Fra Angelico. He created a famous library for the monks and showered them with other benefits. According to the same Vasari, under Lorenzo the Magnificent, a famous art school operated in the garden of the monastery, a nursery for young talents, from which Michelangelo came out. Over time, San Marco began to resemble more and more a “court monastery”, but it was in it that the seeds of the crisis filled with force, putting a limit to the omnipotence of the Medici and the eternal holiday of the Renaissance.

What to see when you come to the Italian city of Florence for 2 days. Main attractions and interesting places, map. My short guide.

As it turned out in practice, the city of Florence is very convenient in terms of tourism. All historical places are concentrated around small and large squares and it is very rare to find a separate landmark somewhere in the middle of historical streets.

But first, some practical information about how to get to the city and where to find inexpensive housing.

How to get to the city of Florence

1. : You can get from the airport by ordering for 50-60 € or using shuttle buses for 6 €. A budget option is the city tram T2 for 1.5 €.
2. , and Venice, Milan etc.: You can get from these cities either by bus or by rail. The bus network covers all these cities, and tickets cost from €10. Trains cost a little more, starting from €15; all train tickets are sold without extra charge in Russian.

Where to stay in Florence

1. Apartments: On almost all my trips around Italy, I choose private apartments, which allows me to save money without losing comfort. Without changing tradition, I book an apartment on. Detailed review of the apartment near attractions in the story -.
2. Hotels: For everyone else who prefers hotels, I suggest using a search engine, which often finds prices cheaper than on the classic one. In addition to this, use .

Sights of Florence

Before the film Inferno, Florence was a very popular place, and after the film it became even more popular, which affected the density of tourists and increased queues. To avoid queues as much as possible and plan your route, some tickets should be purchased in advance; this will discipline you upon arrival and allow you to see the city to the maximum.

1. — 23€
2. — 8,5€
3. skip the line – 19€
4. without a queue - 16€
5. — 20€
6. — 15€
7. — 16€
8. — 120€

What to see in Florence in 1 day

As I already wrote in a short introduction at the beginning of the article, everything in the city of Florence revolves around squares and the story will be built around the squares and dashes between them. If you look at the map of attractions, you can see this very clearly.

My story will start not from the square, but from the apartment in which I stayed. Not far from it there were some historical gates, the description of which I could not find anywhere.

Lower Fortress – Fortezza da Basso

There is another attraction near the apartment - the Lower Fortress. It looks gloomy and neglected, but still these are the remains of a once defensive structure. Many will pass by and perhaps not get here, but if you come to the city by bus, the stop will be next to this fortress.

San Marco Square

When you mention San Marco, most will immediately remember, but here, like in many cities in Italy, there is such a square. In the middle of the square there is a monument to General Manfredo Fanti, and the square itself is decorated with the Basilica di San Marco.

Santissima Annunziata Square

Just one street and 200m separates this square from the previous one. And if St. Mark's Square might not be remembered for anything, then here everything is more interesting. Here will be the first mention of the Medici surname. This surname was practically equated with the word Florence. The recently released series “Medici - Lords of Florence” also helped this.

In and around the square is the Basilica of Santissima Annunziata, the Equestrian Statue of Ferdinando I de' Medici, the Sea Monster Fountains and the Orphanage.

Duomo Square

From Piazza Santissima Annunziata you will be able to view the most important attraction of Florence - the Cathedral of Santa Maria Del Fiore.

Its appearance is more captivating when approaching than up close. This huge structure gets lost when you get very close and you are left looking at small pieces, which is not so interesting. An even better view of the cathedral opens from Michelangelo's observation deck, but we will get to it on the second day.

The square does not end with just the cathedral; there is also the Baptistery of San Giovanni,

Plaza San Lorenzo

Around the central Duomo square there are several other small squares and one of them is San Lorenzo. Among the attractions here is the square itself with the basilica of the same name and the monument to the military leader Giovanni delle Banda Nera Medici, nicknamed the Big Devil.

• — 8,5€

Attached to the Basilica of San Lorenzo is a chapel or, in other words, the Medici Chapel. This is one of the must-visit destinations for lovers of Michelangelo's work.

Central Market - Mercato Centrale

This is not exactly a Florence landmark, but for a break from the endless squares and a change of scenery, it’s a very good place to visit. This market, of course, is not such a tourist attraction as in the one, but it is also located almost in the very center next to the Medici Chapel. This is also a great option to buy fruit for a snack on the road or food to cook dinner in the evening.

Piazza Santa Maria Novella

We return from the market to the squares and go to the central station, next to which there is a square with the same-domain Basilica of Santa Maria Novella. Behind the basilica there is the building of the Catholic Church Cappella Del Sacramento and it is not clear what square it belongs to, so I will add it here.

• — 15€

Republic Square

The square lives up to its name and is the largest in the city. Among the Attractions here is the Colonna dell’Abbondanza, which was once a symbol of the center of the Florentine Republic, but was remodeled and demolished so many times that it lost its original appearance and was installed in another place.

There is a children's carousel in the square with its name Carousel Antica Giostra Toscana. This is apparently now also part of the tourist symbol of Florence.

Piazza della Signoria

Quite an unusual square compared to others in this city, and if you read about the sculptures in this square, you understand that you came here for a reason.

The most surprising thing is the Loggia Della Signoria - there is continuous suffering and murder, one sculpture is more bloodthirsty than the other. It is especially surprising that these are the creations of the great Michelangelo and Donatello. It is strange that they are stored almost in the open air. Maybe these are copies? To go and see it closer, as well as go inside, you will have to buy.

Where in this square you can visit a museum for 7 €, and the main asset of the square is a ticket to which costs 19 €.

Basilica of Santa Croce

This landmark of Florence also has a square of the same name nearby and is located a little further from the center, so you have to walk here for about 10 minutes. Apparently I was too lazy to walk or there were other reasons, but I didn’t get to the basilica and had to look at it from the Michelangelo observation deck.

A little to the left in the photo you can see another historical building - the central library of Florence.

Florence in 2 days

The second day in Florence can be devoted to the southern bank of the Arno River, as well as the bridges across it and the Vasari corridor. You can start from the Vasari corridor and walk, if not inside it for a fee, then at least along it.

Vasari Corridor

The Vasari Corridor is a hidden tunnel in the roofs and galleries of Florence, impoverishing the Palazzo Vecchia and Palazzo Pitti, located on opposite banks of the Arno River and passing through the Ponte Vecchio bridge. The Uffizi Gallery is also part of the corridor.

• without a queue - 16€

Ponte Vecchio Bridge

It’s hard not to pass by the Ponte Vecchio Bridge. It looks more interesting from the outside than from the inside. When you walk along the bridge itself, you may not even understand it, it seems that you are on an ordinary street. Although the street is unusual, they only sell jewelry here.

13Apr

Florence itinerary in one day

Seeing Florence in one day means choosing one of the routes to start getting to know the beautiful ancient city. The duration, depending on the museum visit, can be about 3-6 hours. Before the excursion, you should take into account that many attractions along the route have limited opening hours, as well as paid entrance and queues for entry. If you have planned to see a specific attraction, buy a ticket there in advance, online:

Route: Historical Center

Train station - Stanzione Centrale Santa Maria Novella (S.M.N.). If you stand with your back to the façade of the station, there will be a monastery complex with a cathedral directly across the road. We cross the road using the overpass and exit to the left into the old part of the city.

Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Italian: La Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore) http://en.duomo.waf.it Year of construction -1436, height -114.7m, authors Filippo Brunelleschi, Giotto di Bontone. Designed by the architect Arnolfo di Cambio. Notable in terms of architecture: a dome with a diameter of 42 m designed by Brunelleschi and the facing of the walls on the outside with panels of various shades of marble (green from Prato, pink from Maremma flowers and a white border from Carrara.

From the history of the building:

• Brunelleschi was entrusted with the construction of the dome,

  thanks to the Medici, who supported his project. In gratitude, he developed a project for a luxurious palace for Cosimo de' Medici, but due to the possible envy of the rich families of Florence, Cosimo rejected the project and commissioned the architect Michelozzo to build a more modest palace - Palazzo Medici-Ricardi... . Today the Dome of the cathedral is its main asset.

• The modern façade of the cathedral appeared only at the end of the 19th century. At first there was no money for finishing, and the boards of trustees had disagreements when choosing a project; Until the middle of the 19th century, no work was carried out. In 1871, the author was chosen - Emilio de Fabris. A fundraising call was made. Interesting fact: Russian philanthropist Pavel Pavlovich Demidov contributes to this and transfers monetary donations to the city structure for facing the facade of the cathedral. The sum was probably quite large; the coat of arms of the Demidov family was placed in a place of honor in the center of the facade.
  The coat of arms of Pavel Demidov - Prince of San Donato, which is a shield divided into four parts, covered with a small shield with the coat of arms of the Demidov family, in the upper part of which there are three mining vines, and in the lower part there is a hammer. In the four divisions of the coat of arms, the emblems of the coats of arms of the city of Florence are located in a checkerboard pattern - silver lilies and a Greek cross, which reflects the belonging of the territory of Villa San Donato to Florence
• Inside the cathedral, the following stand out: the painting of the dome and the unusual clock (1443), the hand moves against the usual direction of movement of the clock.

The cathedral is the place of Savonarola's sermons; an attempt was made on the lives of the brothers Lorenzo and Giuliano de' Medici in the cathedral (during the conspiracy, 1478). The organizer was Pope Sixtus IV. Giuliano Medici was killed, Lorenzo escaped inside the cathedral, in one of the sacristies.

Entrance to the cathedral is free; you can climb the dome and see the inside of the dome. The entrance to the staircase that leads to the dome and the ticket office is located to the right of the cathedral. The climb costs 8 euros per person. The viewing platform on the outside of the dome is more convenient. You can take photos inside the cathedral

1. Bell tower of Giotto. - a striking example of art of the 14th - 15th centuries, the bas-reliefs on the two lower tiers, the work of Andrea Pisano and Lucca della Robbia, and even, according to assumptions, Giotto, stand out especially; sculptures of prophets and sibyls (16 niches of the next tier) - the work of Andrea Pisano with his students and Donatello. In 1937, for the sake of safety, it was decided to dismantle all the sculptures of the bell tower and replace them with copies. Entrance to the bell tower (6 euros), the climb is difficult and narrow in some places, 414 steps. The view is stunning over the dome of the cathedral and the entire old city.
2. The oldest building on the square is the Baptistery of San Giovanni. In ancient times, there was a temple on this site, built by order of Julius Caesar. In the 4th century, it was decided to arrange a baptism here, i.e. Baptistery (lat. baptisterium). This is the first dated mention of the Baptistery - March 4, 897. Until the 19th century, it was in the Baptistery that all natives of Florence were baptized, among them the Medici and Dante, who once saved a baby from the font into which the priest dropped him. To this day, there is a custom that on March 21, all babies born in the previous 12 months are brought here.
3. The northern and eastern gates are the most valuable objects in the history of modern art. The northern doors were conceived by the city authorities in 1401 (the year from which the Renaissance begins). In 1402, the wealthy Florentine guild of textile merchants, in honor of ridding the city of the plague, announced a competition - the first in the history of art - to create doors for the Baptistery. on the topic - the life of Christ and the evangelists. The winners were two (they couldn’t choose the best) - Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi, and they invited the two great talents to work on the doors together. However, Brunelleschi refused and has not sculpted since then. The 25-year-old Ghiberti began work on the northern gate in 1403, as a result of which 21 years later (in 1424) a true masterpiece of the Renaissance appeared. The northern gate of the Baptistery amazes with its magnificent execution. Consists of 28 panels depicting scenes from the New Testament.
4. If you look aside, opposite the northern doors, you can see a column dedicated to St. Zenobius , first bishop of Florence. According to legend, during the funeral of the remains of a deceased preacher, an elm blossomed at this place during winter.
5. The guild of textile merchants also entrusted the gate of the eastern portal of the Baptistery to Ghiberti. The gate is divided into 10 gilded panels with scenes from the Old Testament. One is attracted by the figures of the prophets, which were placed as small statues in niches arranged on the sides of the panels, in complete violation of the then existing traditions. The work was completed in 1452 and lasted 27 years. This work by Ghiberti was highly appreciated by Michelangelo (50 years after its creation) and was called the “Gates of Paradise”.
6. In the center, we recommend stopping at Piazza dei Giudici, 1 (near via Roma), where the famous old confectionery Gilli is located. Here you can try home-made signature pralines, dark and milk chocolate candies, glazed fruits, delicious coffee and hot chocolate.
   This pastry shop has been open in Florence since 1733, during the reign of the Medici family. Knowing that the most skilled chocolatiers are the confectioners of Belgium and Switzerland, the Swiss Gigli family was invited to Florence. The interior of the confectionery is decorated with colorful paintings of walls and ceilings, engravings and antique chandeliers, clocks - everything has been preserved, just like ancient times.
   Official website http://www.gilli.it/
7. If you move further along via Roma, Piazza della Repubblica, via Calimala - on the left side through a small alley you can see the Piazza della Signoria
   — the heart of the city, a real open-air museum. Here is the main palace, Palazzo Vecchio, which served as the residence of many rulers of the city and now serves as the city hall (built on the foundation of an ancient Roman building).
8. You can continue your exploration of the city by visiting the inside of Palazzo Vecchio. There are several options for purchasing tickets: only visiting the palace, only the bell tower, and a general ticket to the palace and the bell tower. “Hercules defeated Cacus” - a statue in front of the palace. First we find ourselves in a medieval courtyard, we go to the ticket office. It is possible to take an audio guide
9. Nearby is the Uffizi Gallery, famous for its unsurpassed masterpieces of painting by famous masters (its visit requires at least two hours, tickets can be purchased online on the Uffizi-galleri website).

In this square, the Loggia Lanzi attracts with its sculptures:

"The Rape of the Sabians"; “Hercules defeating the centaur”; “Menelaus with the body of Potroclus”;

Abduction of Polyxena Hercules defeating the centaur

After seeing the sights of Piazza della Signoria, there are several options for continuing your acquaintance with Florence:

We suggest moving from Palazzo Vecchio to the Basilica of Santa Croce:

• Basilica di Santa Croce - If you walk along Borgo dei Greci (located to the left of the rear of the facade of the Palazzo Vecchio) you can see the Amfiteatro Romano (the remains of the Roman theater on which the Palazzo Vecchio was built) and then the medieval street will lead to Piazza di Santa Croce with the Basilica of the same name (Basilica di Santa Croce).

composer Rossini, thinker-philosopher Micchiavelli, philosopher Dante Allighieri
(only a tombstone, buried in Ravenna), Galileo Galilei and many others. On the walls of the main altar are 14th century frescoes by Agnolo Gaddi on the theme of the finding of the Holy Cross

Returning along the same route to Piazzo Duomo to Santa Maria del Fiori (to the left of the main facade of the cathedral) - along Via Ricasoli or according to the map - along the medieval streets

• From the cathedral along Borgo la Noce you can come to Mercato Centrale and then along Via Nazionale to Stanzione Centrale Santa Maria Novella (S.M.N.).
• Or return to Via Ricasoli to get to the Accademia Gallery.

Academy Gallery.

There are almost always queues here. The reason is to see Michelangelo’s work “David” in the original. Here you can also see his other creations: “San Matteo” - for the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, “Pieta di Palestrina”, unfinished statues. David: a five-ton statue, 5 meters high, moved to the gallery in 1873 from Piazza della Signoria, where it had been for 400 years. Michelangelo finished the sculpture at the age of 29.
At different times of the year, the queue at the entrance ranges from an hour to three. The advantage is reserved for those who have pre-booked tickets with priority entry to the Academy Gallery. Museum opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 8:15 to 18:50. The exhibition is closed on Monday, December 25, January 1 and May 1. Every last Tuesday of the month you can visit for free - after official closing: from 19:00 to 23:00.
Markets of Florence:
Not far from the Medici Chapel there is a leather market. An alternative is the San Lorenzo market. In the old market you can’t miss the Vepr fountain.

On Tuesdays, the Cascine Park (parco delle Cascine) on the banks of the Arno River hosts a traditional market of antiques, clothing, food, leather goods, household utensils, and collectibles from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Supermarket - near the station is located at the beginning of Nazionale street on Largo Alinari (if you are facing the station, it is on the right).

What to try

If you get hungry during a tour of Florence, you should definitely try a traditional street food - LAMPREDOTTO - a hearty sandwich, known in Florence since the reign of the Medici dynasty. It is prepared like this: a finely chopped part of a cow's stomach is placed in a cut loaf (Italian - Panini), which is first simmered for a long time over low heat with tomatoes and herbs. Lampredotto is available with seasoning to suit your taste. This is usually a sauce (bagnato).

Souvenirs from the trip:

Bags, belts, wallets and gloves, expensive and not so expensive shops with these goods are found everywhere. The leather workshop in Santa Croce (in the same place as the basilica of the same name) is known for its long traditions and assortment of leather.
Jewelry - Ponte Vecchio bridge. In the presented assortment you can choose earrings, bracelets, watches, rings, necklaces of high quality and purely Florentine style.

Barberino Outlet: Roundtrip from Florence - how to get there:

The Barberino Design Outlet can be reached from Florence by a comfortable shuttle bus from Florence Santa Maria Novella train station. DEPARTURE POINT: Santa Maria Novella Railway Station, Stop no. 1 for City Sightseeing Firenze double-decker buses, Line 1.
It is better to arrive at the meeting point for the trip 15 minutes before departure.
Santa Maria Novella Station is easily accessible from major Italian cities by high-speed trains (Bologna: journey time 35 minutes; Milan: journey time 1 hour 40 minutes; Rome: journey time 1 hour 30 minutes)

Barberino outlet opening hours: from Tuesday to Friday from 10.00 to 20.00 hours, on Saturday and Sunday - until 21.00 hours, on Mondays - only in December and January, and from June to September from 14.00 to 20.00. The outlet is closed on January 1, December 25 and 26, Easter.