“Everything about Florence seems to be colored with a mild violet, like diluted wine” — Henry James
Florence, or Firenze as it’s called in Italy, is a city renowned for its art, architecture, and historical significance, particularly as the birthplace of the Renaissance. It is the capital of the Tuscany region and its historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Florence was a centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of that era. It is considered by many academics to have been the birthplace of the Renaissance, becoming a major artistic, cultural, commercial, political, economic, and financial center. During this time, Florence rose to a position of enrogmous influence in Italy, Europe, and beyond.
It’s turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerful Medici family and numerous religious and republican revolutions. From 1865 to 1871 the city served as the capital of the Kingdom of Italy.
Florence originated as a Roman city, and later, after a long period as a fluorishing trading and baking medieval commune. The language spoken in the city during the 14th century came to be accepted as the model for what would become the Italian language.
Day 1:
We arrived at the hotel in the morning after coming in from Rome. The city center has a unique architecture distinct from the rest of Italy. The center has a carousal and in the evenings there are always live performances which can be enjoyed from any of the beautiful surrounding restaurants or cafes.
We spent the day exploring the city and then headed to our first pasta cooling class. We learned how to make three different kind of pastas. My favorite was a stuffed riccota lemon pasta.
We spent the rest of the day enjoying the beauty of Florence. It’s an extremely walkable city with parks and historic artifacts around every turn.
Uffizi Gallery:
My favorite museum in Italy was the Uffizi gallery. It’s located adjacent to the Piazza dlta Signoria in the historic center of Florence. Be mindful of getting tickets in advance as they do get sold out quickly.
After the ruling House of Medici died out, their art collection was given to the city of Florence under the famous Patto di Faiglia negotiated by Anna Maria Luisa, the last Medici heiress. The Uffizi is one of the first modern museums. The gallery has been opened since the 16th century and in 1769 it was officially opened to the public formally becoming a museum in 1865.
My favorite painting is Caravaggio and the Uffizi has a numer of his famous works including Bacchus the god of wine and Medusa who he painted on a sheild symbolizing the final view of the soldiers before they took in her scary sight.
One of the most incredible parts of the museum was the ceilings which were intricately designed in each part of the museum.
Galleria dell’ Accademia di Firenze:
Another must see sight while in Florence is Michelangelos David. David was the first colossal marble statue made in the High Renaissance. The sculpture is glorious and roughly the size of a 2 story building.
The original marble slab was deemed unusable for a sculpture until Michelangelo worked his magic. He inherited this block of marble from two other sculptors who had chipped, chiseled, and ultimately disowned the marble. Certain characteristics of the statue — notably his slender waste and twisted figure — are likely due to the shape of the original marble.
Because David was intended to be viewed from below, Michelangelo eschewed ideal proportioning and instead carved the head, arms, and hands much larger than the torso and legs. This creates the illusion that David is alert and poised for action, especially when viewed from below. That statue embodies the city of Florence, symbolizing independence and strength in a perfect image of youthful beauty.
We spent our last evening going to a Michelin starred resteraunt in Florence with the most amazing Italian hospitality. The truffle pasta was something dreams were made of.
We spent the rest of the evening going to an opera hosted in one of the local churches. The vocals were incredible and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Italy.
I hope this helps plan your own Florence trip! Thank you for reading and happy travels!
