- Florence
- City of Florence
- Art & Culture of Florence
- Museums
- Parks of Florence
- Nightlife in Florence
- Airports
Florence is a really nice , old and monumental city; the city of Florence
began to flourish in the early 1400s under the rule of Cosimo de Medici. Famous
buildings were designed during that period including the Pitti Palace and the
Uffizi Gallery; today these buildings are museums housing works by Leonardo da
Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Titian, Raphael and many others.
One of the most popular museums to visit is the Uffizi Gallery which houses
such famous works as the Birth of Venus and the Primavera by Botticelli, the
Adoration of the Magi by Leonardo da Vinci as well as works by Michelangelo,
Titian and Rubens. Because of its popularity and because only small groups are
let into the museum at one time, people have to wait in line for several hours
to visit the Uffizi Gallery.
We suggest you to call in advance and reserve a specific time to visit the
museum in order to avoid long and borings wait; adding a little extra, you can call
39-055-294-883 and buy your tickets for the Uffizi Gallery.
The Pitti Palace houses several museums, including the Palatine Gallery on
the ground floor, the Silver Museum and the Gallery of Modern Art. The Palatine
Gallery is unlike any other art museum. It makes you feel like you are visiting
an amazing private art gallery. The paintings are not organized in any
particular order and hang in lavishly decorated rooms. Among the most important
works presented in the Palatine Gallery are paintings by Titian and Raphael.
The adjacent Boboli Gardens feature Renaissance-style gardens, statues and
fountains.
As the birthplace of modern humanism, naturalistic arts and scientific
enquiry, Florence was the cradle of Renaissance civilization, the place where
Dante, Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Machiavelli
and Galileo changed for ever the way we see the world. For centuries travelers
and admirers of art and culture have fallen in love with this city and the
undulating countryside that surrounds it. Located in the heart of Tuscany,
Florence is the ideal destination for those interested in studying humanities,
art, Italian language and culture. Extraordinarily rich in history and ancient
traditions, the city, with its world-famous artistic heritage, offers the
student a wide spectrum of cultural events throughout the year. The city is
also known for its exceptional cuisine, characteristic restaurants, ice-cream
parlors, wine bars, elegant shops, artistic workshops and traditional markets. As
a thriving economic center with particular strengths in the fashion, luxury
goods and tourist sectors, the city of Florence also offers its inhabitants the
chance to investigate myriad aspects of the contemporary Italian world. In
addition, Florence is an excellent location for access to other sites and
cities in Tuscany, Italy and Europe.
Much of Florence looks as it did 500 years ago during the period called the
Renaissance, a time of rebirth of art and culture in Europe. Many of the great
painters and sculptors of the Renaissance were born in Florence or made the
city their home.
Over 200,000 people now live in Florence town but some 6/7 milion tourists
keep them company every year!
Places of interest
Florence was the first city in Europe to have paved streets and sidewalks.
So, it is best to experience the city on foot, strolling down the narrow
alleyways and cobblestone streets. A first stop might be the Ponte Vecchio, the
oldest bridge across the Arno River. The bridge dates from the 14th century and
houses many shops that sell gold jewelry. Palazzi (palaces), piazze (open
squares), churches, statues, and museums are some of the other sights awaiting
the visitor.
From the Ponte Vecchio, one can walk to Uffizi Gallery. One of the greatest
museums in the world, the Uffizi offers masterpieces by Italian and other
artists, including Giotto, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Michelangelo,
Raphael, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, and Francisco de Goya.
A short walk from the Uffizi is the spacious Piazza della Signoria, where
one can see the proud Palazzo Vecchio. Built in the 1200’s, the palace is now
the town hall. Nearby, in the Piazza del Duomo, is Florence cathedral, called
the Duomo, which is topped by a mighty dome. Next to the cathedral is the
magnificent Campanile, or bell tower, designed by Giotto di Bondone, who is
considered the father of Renaissance art. The tower is covered with white,
green and pink marble tiles and stands 276 feet (84 meters) high.
Across from the Duomo is the eight-sided Baptistery of San Giovanni, with
its white marble and fancy geometric decorations. The Baptistery, which dates
from the 6th to the 12th century, is thought to be the oldest surviving
building in Florence. It is famous for its bronze doors. On one door, the
Florentine Lorenzo Ghiberti sculpted the Life of Christ, on another, scenes of
the Old Testament.
Not far from the Baptistery is the Accademia Gallery, where visitors from
all over the world come to see Michelangelo’s giant statue of David, a symbol
of Renaissance male beauty. The statue took three years to complete and stands
14’ 3 " feet tall (4.4 meters).
Children like to visit Florence’s Institute and Museum of the History of
Science, where they can see the compass, celestial spheres, and telescopes used
by Galileo Galilei to transform Renaissance astronomy.
Florence’s most famous park is the Boboli Gardens, which offers beautiful
flowers and hundreds of fountains and statues. The Boboli Gardens served as a
model for many of Europe’s royal gardens, including Versailles in France.
Florence’s Iris Garden has more than 2,500 varieties of Iris, the flower that
has symbolized the city since 1251.
One of the most respected libraries in Italy, the Biblioteca Nazionale
Centrale is located in Florence. It is second in size only to the National
Library in Rome. Young people from all over Italy, as well as international
students, come to Florence to study. Founded in 1321, the University of
Florence is one of the largest in the world, with 60,000 students and over
2,000 professors.
The Chianti area, between
HISTORY
Founded by the Romans in the first century B.C., Florence began its
rebirth after the decadence of the barbaric ages, in the Carolingian period,
and reached its highest pinnacles of civilization between the 11th and 15th
centuries, as a free city, balancing the authority of the Emperors with that of
the Popes, overcoming the unfortunate internal dispute between Guelfs and Ghibellines. In the
15th century, it came under the rule of the Medici family, who later became the
Grand Dukes of Tuscany. This in fact was the period when the city was at the
height of its glory in art and culture, in politics and economic power. The
Grand Duchy of the Medicis was succeeded, in the 18th
century, by that of the House of Lorraine, when in 1860
ART AND CULTURE
THE ECONOMY
The economy of
EVENTS
International Crafts Fair (April-May), Antiques Biennial, Music Festival
in May, Opera and Theatre Seasons, Fashion shows (famous "Pitti" fairs, spring and autumn), Festival dei Popoli (December).
FOLKLORISTIC
The most important Folkloristic events in
SOME FAMOUS PEOPLE
Giovanni Cimabue (artist, 1240-1302),
Dante Alighieri (poet, 1265-1321), Giovanni Boccaccio (poet, 1313-1375),
Filippo Brunelleschi (architect,
1377-1446), Lorenzo Ghiberti (sculptor,
1378-1455), Donato dei Bardi, called 'il Donatello' (sculptor, 1386-1466), Luca della Robbia (sculptor, 1400-1482), Filippo Lippi
(artist, 1406-1469), Antonio Pollaiolo (sculptor, 1432-1498), Alessandro Filipepi
called 'il Botticelli' (artist, 1445-1510), Domenico Bigordi
called 'Ghirlandaio' (artist, 1449-1494), Lorenzo the Magnificent
(the most famous of the Medicis, 1449-1492), Leonardo da Vinci (artist,
1452-1519), Amerigo Vespucci (explorer
who gave the name to the continent
of America, 1454-1512), Michelangelo Buonarroti (artist, 1475-1564), Francesco Guicciardini
(historian, 1483-1540), Andrea del Sarto (artist, 1486-1530), Niccolņ Machiavelli
(politician and historian,
1489-1527), Benvenuto Cellini (goldsmith,
1500-1571).
Italian art has engendered great public interest and
involvement, resulting in the consistent production of monumental and
spectacular works. In addition, Italian art has nearly always been closely
allied with the intellectual and/or religious currents of its day while
retaining its own remarkable past as a continual source of inspiration.
Florence is called the capital of arts; according to statistics produced by
UNESCO, 60% of the world's most important works of art are located in Italy and
approximately half of these are in Florence.
From the 13th to the 16th century it was a seemingly endless source of creative
masterpieces and Italian genius. Both Dante and Michelangelo were born here.
Boccaccio wrote his 'Decameron' in Florence. The Italian Renaissance, Europe's
richest cultural period, began in Florence when the artist Brunelleschi
finished the Duomo, with the huge dome.
During the Italian Renaissance Florence acquired its renaissance palaces and
squares, turning it into a living museum. Many squares, such as Piazza della
Signoria exhibit famous statues and fountains. Florence is also a city of
incomparable indoor pleasures. Its chapels, galleries and museums are an
inexhaustible treasure, capturing the complex, often elusive spirit of the
Renaissance more fully than any other place in the country. The most famous
museum in Florence is the Uffizi which houses works by Botticelli, Leonardo da
Vinci, Michelangelo, Titian and Rubens. Other great art museums include the
Pitti Palace, Galleria dell'Accademia and Palazzo Vecchio. Florence is also
home to some of the biggest churches in Italy, including the famous Duomo of
Florence, San Lorenzo, Santa Maria Novella and Santa Croce.
Florence attracts a high proportion of international travelers to Italy. The city
is an active centre of art and culture, and organizes periodical exhibitions
and art festivals. Take for example the summer, when music, cinema, dance and
theatre pour out onto the streets and into the squares. There are several
outdoor cinemas to be found in Florence, one in the grounds of an old villa
where the film is projected onto a screen on the facade of the villa. Nearly
all the squares are open in the summer months providing entertainment every
evening along with refreshment and spectacular views of the surrounding
buildings. The other seasons areno exception however as Florence's theatres
draw in the crowds with the operas, ballets and special guests, the many venues
that Florence is blessed with host exhibitions, concerts, shows and rare collections
of paintings. Florence's blends its art and culture in such a way that you'll
find there's always something new to see, do or experience, as it offers
endless opportunities to become intimately acquainted with the artistic,
architectural, literary, and cultural achievements of Italy's past.
This is an invitation to take a journey through the museums of Florence. Guided
by these pages you will be able to select your own itinerary and go at your own
place to discover - or rediscover - the collections and monuments which,
together, offer an extraordinary overview of Florentine art and history. From
the traces of the Roman
The "UFFIZI GALLERY"
Address: Loggiato degli Uffizi, 6
Opening times: Tuesday-Sunday from 8.30 am to 7 pm
Phone: 055 238 8683
Reservations phone: 055 294 883
Website:www.uffizi.firenze.it
The UFFIZI GALLERY is one of the greatiest museums in Italy and the world.
The Uffizi were intended to house the offices of the famous Medici family
(Uffizi = offices). From the beginning, however, the Medici set aside certain
rooms to house the finest works from their collections.
Today the Uffizi contains masterpieces by Italian and foreign artists from
the 13th to the 18th century, such as Cimabue, Giotto, Masaccio, Beato
Angelico, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Piero della Francesca,
Raphael, Caravaggio, along with Rubens, Rembrandt, Dürer, Goya and many others.
… more about the UFFIZI
GALLERY…
The building that is now seat of the Gallery was built in the mid-sixteenth
century by the architect Giorgio Vasari (151 1-1574) in a period when Cosimo I
de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, was bureaucratically consolidating this
recently acquired position. The building was meant in fact to house the offices
of the magistrates (Uffici=offices). From the beginning however, the Medici set
aside some of the rooms on the third floor to house the finest works from their
collection. Two centuries later, thanks to the generosity of the last heir of
the family, Anna Maria Luisa, their collection became permanent public
property.
The museum now comprises the rooms on the third floor of the building, that
display in chronological order paintings ranging from the 13th to the 18th
centuries. The most precious and famous group of paintings of the Uffizi are
however represented by the works of the Italian Renaissance artists, although
several sections of the museum are devoted to the works of foreign artists
(German, Flemish, Dutch and French).
In addition to paintings, the Uffizi exhibits a fine collection of Roman
sculptures (portraits, emperors and divinities) that are displayed in the
corridors decorated with frescoed and sculptured ceilings of the 16th and 17th
centuries.
On the ground floor it is still possible to admire the remains of the
ancient Romanesque church of San Piero Scheraggio, which was partially
destroyed by Vasari to build the Uffizi. The second floor houses the Prints and
Drawings Department, which comprises one of the most important collections in
the world that was started by a Medici, the Cardinal Leopoldo, during the 17th
century.
If we follow the natural layout of the rooms, we enter the large rooms that
display the great altarpieces of Cimabue, Giotto, Duccio di Buoninsegna, the
first remarkable examples of western painting, followed by the remarkable works
of 14th century Siennese artists, such as Simone Martini and the brothers Piero
and Ambrogio Lorenzetti and the pupils of Giotto. The following rooms display
some fine examples of the lnternational Gothic style: the Adoration of the Magi
by Gentile da Fabriano and another one by Lorenzo Monaco, before actually
reaching the most important rooms of the museum that are dedicated to the early
Renaissance. These rooms exhibit works by Masaccio, Paolo Uccello, Domenico
Veneziano, Piero della Francesca, Beato Angelico, followed by the elegant
Madonnas of Filippo Lippi, by the precious panels of the brothers Piero and
Antonio del Pollaiolo to end with the mythological allegories and religious
paintings of Sandro Botticelli. Of this artist, the museum preserves perhaps
the finest colloction of works, comprising the Birth of Venus, the Primavera,
the Magnificat and Pomegranate Madonnas.
It is then the turn of Perugino, Signorelli, Piero di Cosimo and Leonardo
da Vinci; the latter is represented both with the painting the Baptism of
Christ painted together with Verrocchio, the largeAdoration of the Magi and his
early work the Annunciation.
The following rooms (from n. 18 to n. 23) are the oldest of the museum; it
is well worth stopping to admire the Tribuna that originally contained the most
precious works and objects. Today it displays also a series of portraits of the
Medici family by Agnolo Bronzino, in addition to the oldest sculpture piece of
the museum, the Medici Venus. The following rooms, originally used as
armouries, offer again more paintings by Renaissance artists, both Italian -
with works by Bellini, Giorgione, Mantegna and Correggio - and foreign artists
with paintings by Dürer, Cranach, Memling.
Continuing along the rooms on the western side of the Gallery, it is
possible to admire more 16th century masterpieces, starting trom the
"Tondo Doni" by Michelangelo, the Madonna of the goldfinch by Raphael
and the Venus of Urbin and Flora by Titian. Even the section dedicated to
Mannerism is lavish and comprises works by Pontormo, Rosso Fiorentino, Bronzino
down to Parmigianino (Madonna with the lonq neck) and famous Venetian artists
such as Sebastiano del Piombo, Veronese, Tintoretto, and Lombard ones like
Savoldo and Moroni. Until not so long ago the visit to the gallery ended with
some l 7th century works by famous Italian (Caravaggio, Carracci) and Dutch
(Rembrandt) artists. The museum has recently restored the last rooms of this
section after the explosion of 1993, also in view of the eniargement of the
lower floors of the building that were occupied by the State Archive until not
so long ago. The project for the "New Uffizi gallery", which is already
underway, will significantly alter the original layout of the museum, doubling
the exhibition rooms. Thanks to this new arrangement it will be possible to
distribute more evenly works that are now concentrated in a few rooms, exhibit
paintings that are now stored in the gallery's warehouses or include whole
collections that had to be displayed elsewhere, like the Contini Bonacossi
collection (see below), due to lack of space. It is too early to foresee the
exact layout of the new gallery, althongh it is certain that the collections
will be arranged in chronological order and by schools.
The eastern section of the ground floor will be instead used to welcome
visitors and to house the bookshop, with the rooms designed to offer a more
confortable and tidier approach to the large number of tourist thet visit the
Uffizi all the year round.
The visit to the Gallery could ideally end with another section: that is
the famous Vasari Corridor, built by Vasari in 1565. The Corridor joins the
Uffizi to Palazzo Vecchio, crosses the river Arno above Ponte Vecchio and is
connected with Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens. Recently restored after
the explosion of the bomb, the corridor now displays Down seven hundred works
comprising mamly the Important group of Self-portraits (from Andrea del Sarto
to Marc Chagall). At present the corridor can be visited only by groups and by
reserving the visit ahead.
The "VASARI
CORRIDOR"
The VASARI CORRIDOR (Corridoio Vasariano) that connects the Uffizi Gallery
with the Pitti Palace hosts a rich collection of self-portraits by past and
present artists. Built by Vasari in 1565, it passes above the Ponte Vecchio,
the "Old Bridge" (infact the oldest bridge in the city), with its
many jewelry shops.
… more about the Vasari
corridor…
The Corridor was built in 1564 by Giorgio Vasari in only five months at the
time of the wedding between Francesco I de' Medici and Giovanna of Austria; it
served to link up the Pitti Palace, where the Grand Duke resided, with the
Uffizi (or offices) where he worked." It is a covered walk, almost a
kilometre in length, an overhead passageway that starts out from the West
Corridor of the Gallery, heads towards the Arno and then, raised up by huge
arches, follows the river as far as the Ponte Vecchio, which it crosses by
passing on top of the shops. The meat market on the bridge was at this time
trasferred elsewhere, so as not to offend the Grand Duke's sensitive nose with
unpleasant smells on his walk, and replaced (from 1593) with the goldsmiths who
continue to work there today.
On the other side of the Arno, the corridor passes through the interior of
the church of Santa Felicita, Down the tops of the houses and the gardens of
the Guicciardini family until it finally reaches the Boboli gardens (one of the
exits stands beside Buontalenti's Grotto) and the apartments in the Pitti
Palace. Vasari thus created a monumental urban "footpath" that took
the absolute power of the ruler right into the historic heart of the city. In
fact, a second corridor above Via della Ninna links the other side of the
palace of the Uffizi with Palazzo Vecchio, the seat of Florentine government
since the 13th century.
The Corridor was restored and reopened to the public in 1973 but can only
be visited by appointment or to groups (the entrance is between rooms 25 and
34). Apart from the fact that the visitor can enjoy some magnificent and
little-known views over the city from its round windows, the passageway
contains over 1000 paintings, all dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, as
well as the important collection of Self-portraits by some of the most famous
masters of painting of the 16th to the 20th century.
This collection, unique in the world, was created by Cardinal Leopoldo de'
Medici in the mid 17th century, a golden century for collections, and receives
regular additions to this day. It displays self-portraits by Andrea del Sarto,
Beccafumi, Bernini, Annibale Carracci, Guido Reni, Salvator Rosa, Rubens,
Canova, Hayez, Corot, Ingres, Delacroix, Ensor and many others.
The "ACCADEMY
GALLERY"
Address: Via Ricasoli, 58-60
Opening times: Tuesday-Sunday from 8.15 am to 6.50 pm
Phone: 055 238 8609
Reservations phone: 055 294 883
Website:www.polomuseale.firenze.it/accademia
The ACCADEMY GALLERY ("Galleria dell'Accademia") is one of the
best known museums in Florence, because it houses famous sculptures by
Michelangelo, including the "David", "The four prisoners"
and the "Pieta of Palestina". There are also many paintings collected
by the Grand Duke Peter Leopold to help the young Florentine artists, enrolled
in the Academy of Arts school which is still next door to the gallery.
… more about ACCADEMY GALLERY…
The most enlightenend prince of the Lorraine family that ruled over Tuscany
for over a century, the Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo, united in 1784 all the
Florentine drawing schools into one "Academy". He also founded a
gallery to exhibit paintings with the aim of facilitating the study of the
Academy´s pupils. The seat chosen is the present location of the Museum, a
building that originally housed the "Hospital of St. Matthew",
enlarged in time through the addition of several adjoining spaces. The
consistency and composition of the collection displayed in this museum has
changed 0ver time due to the addition of works of art removed from suppressed
convents, but also due to loss of works temporarily given or returned to other
Florentine museums, in particular to the Uffizi (Bottlicelli´s
"Primavera" was displayed here for many years).
Over time the Gallery has become one of the main museums in town, also
thanks to the acquisition of some extraordinary masterpieces, such as the
"Pičta" by Giovanni da Milano (14th century); the
"Annunciation" by Lorenzo Monaco (15th century); the splendid frontal
called "Cassone Adimari" showing a sumptuous marriage procession (c.
1450) and the "Madonna of the Sea" attributed to Botticelli
(1445-1510). In 1873, when Michelangelo's David was exhibited for the first
time on a specially arranged tribune. For protection purposes, the statue was
in fact removed from Piazza Signoria where it had represented for over four
centuries the strengh and dignity of the Florentine Republic.
In the early years of the 20th century, this statue was joined by other
extraordinary works of art by the same artist, such as "St. Matthew"
and the four "Prisoners" originally made for the tomb of Pope Julius
II in Rome, but placed in the grotto of the Boboli gardens at the end of the
15th century, and finally by the "Pietį di Palestrina" (whose
attribution to the master is still somehow controversial). A capillary
organisation and restoration of some of the rooms on the upper floor have
allowed the museum to recently integrate the collection with a series of
paintings from the 14th to the 16th centuries and to open a room displaying the
chalk models of famous 19th century sculptors like Lorenzo Bartolini and Luigi
Pampaloni.
In this museum see also:
Musical Instruments
The Superintendent of Culture has received and relocated the splendid
collection of Medici and Loraine musical instruments owned by the Cherubini
Conservatory, giving them a permanent space in the Academy museum. The exhibit
is therefore a way to greet a museum within a museum and to offer to the
visitors a journey through the world of sound inside the world of art and
culture.
Next to the musical instruments there are numerous paintings, such as the
four canvases of Anton Domenico Gabbiani (1657 - 1726) that depict musicians at
the court of Ferdinando Medici with their instruments, or the paintings of
Bartolomeo Bimbi and Cristoforo Munari. Multimedia work stations allow further
fascinating study by means of an easy-to-use CD-rom in Italian and English.
THE
NATIONAL MUSEUM "IL BARGELLO"
Address: Via del Proconsolo, 4
Opening times: Everyday from 8.15 to 13.50
Phone: 055 238 8606
Reservations phone: 055 294 883
Ticket: Euro 4,00
Website:www.polomuseale.firenze.it/bargello
The NATIONAL MUSEUM "IL BARGELLO" has its setting in one of the
oldest buildings in Florence and one of the most beautiful in Italy, which was
begun in 1255. Initially the residence of the "Bargello" or head of
police spies, from which it took its name, the building's use as a National
Museum began in the mid-nineteenth century. What the Uffizi offers in painting,
the B˙˙ge˙˙˙˙offers˙˙n sculptth˙˙end its courtyard and interiors allyain some
of the maPaerpieces of the Tuscan Renaissance. It contains masterpieces by
Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Cellini, Giambologna and Donatello alognwith
priceless ivories, enamels, jewels, tapestries and weapons.
… more about NATIONAL MUSEUM
"IL BARGELLO"…
The National Museum has its setting in one of the oldest buildings in
Florence that dates back to 1255. Initially the headquarters of the Capitano
del Popolo (Captain of the People) and later of the Podestą, the palace became,
in the sixteenth century, the residence of the Bargello that is of the head of
the police (from which the palace takes its name) and was used as prison during
the whole 18th century. Its walls witnessed important episodes of civic
history. It was the meeting place of the Council of the Hundred in which Dante
took part. It wituessed sieges, fires, executions, the most famous perhaps
being that of Baroncelli, involved in the Pazzi plot against the Medici, which
Leonardo also witnessed. During the 14th and 15th century, the palace was subjected
to a series of alterations and additions, still preserving its harmonious
severity, best seen in the beautiful courtyard, the balcony and the large hall
on the first floor.
The building's use as National Museum began in the mid-19th century. Today
it is the setting for works of sculpture, mainly from the grand ducal
colleotions, and for many examples of 'iminor' Gothic decorative arts.
The large 14th century hall on the first floor displays some works by
Donatello (1386-1466) including the early marble Davõd, the St. George moved to
this location from the niche in Orsammichele, the more mature and ambiguous
bronze David, the Atys. and the Marzocco, originally installed on the
battlements of Palazzo Vecchio. The works of the master are surrounded by the
most delicate works of his pupils Desiderio da Settignano (c. 1430-1464) and
Antonio Rossellino (c. 1427-1479). The collection also includes the two panels
entered by Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi for the Baptistery door
competition of 1401. The Renaissance repertoire comprises the glazed
terracottas by Luca della Robbia (c.1400 - 1482) that include a very
extraordinary group of Madonna with Child.
The rooms on the ground floor exhibit Tuscan 16th century works, focusing
in particular on four masterpieces by Michelangelo (1475-1564): Bacchus, the
relief representing a Madonna with Child ,Brutus and David-Apollo. The
assortment is then followed by works of Andrea Sansovino (14601529), Jacopo
Sansovino (1486-1570), Baccio Bandinelli (1488- 1560), Bartolomeo Ammannati
(1511-1592), Benvenuto Cellini (the model of Perseus and the small bronze
sculptures were moved to this location from the Loggia dell'Orcagna), down to
Giambologna (1529-1608) with his admirable Mercury. The bronze animals that
were originally placed in the grotto of the Medici villa of Castello are now
displayed on the staircases.
The museum stores however many other treasures: fine works of art enriched
by the Carrand, Ressman and Franchetti collections comprising decorative or
"minor" arts are distributed among the several rooms of the Palace,
both on the first and second floor. From ivories that include several Roman and
Byzantine examples, down to medieval glazes and Limoges porcelain from German
and French gold works, Renaissance jewels down to Islamic examples of
damascened bronze; from grand ducal collections down to Venetian glass. The
museum displays several treasures including very unique panel pieces and wooden
sculptures. Of note are also the majolicas, arms and small bronze statues.
Two rooms on the second floor are dedicated to the glazed terracottas
created by Andrea and Giovanni Della Robbia, besides displaying the bronze
David and the Lady with Posy by Verrocchio in the room named after the artist,
which displays also an extraordinary collection of busts of Florentine
personalities made by some of the most important 15th century artists. One of
the most important sculptures is the portrait of Costanza Buonarelli by Gian
Lorenzo Bernini. It is also worth visiting the very lavish collection of medals
belonging to the Medici family.
THE MUSEUM OF "SAN MARCO"
Address: Piazza San Marco 3
Opening times: Monday - Friday from 8.15 to 13.50; Saturday and Sunday from
8.15 to 18.50
Phone: 055 238 8608
Reservations phone: 055 294 883
Ticket: Euro 4,00
Website:www.polomuseale.firenze.it/sanmarco
It is worth visiting the setting of the MUSEUM OF SAN MARCO for its
architecture alone. This consists of the former Dominican convent restored and
enlarged to its present size for Cosimo the Elder de' Medici by his favourite
architect Michelozzo (1396-1472). This building was the scene of fervent
religious activity, highlighted by personalities such as Beato Angelico
(1400-1450) and, later, Gerolamo Savonarola.
Fra' Angelico was a Dominical monk who later became Prior of the convent
and who decorated in a style perfectly adapted to the architecture of the
chapter house, cloister and the brothers' first floor cells. The museum offers
the visitor an example of a perfectly preserved fifteenth century convent, its
rational and harmonious plan based on Brunelleschi's innovations.
Everything is designed to coordinate and simplify the monastic life within
its walls as much in its calm cloister as in the light-filled library, one of
the finest interiors of the Renaissance. On the other hand, the the museum also
contains the works of Fra' Angelico in the form of frescoed interiors and the
panels displayed in the large alms-house. The museum also has a very beautiful
Last Supper frescoed by Ghirlandaio at the end of the fifteenth century, and,
in its first public library of the Renaissance, a fine series of illuminated
manuscripts.
… more about MUSEUM OF
"SAN MARCO"…
The building that houses the Musem (that was opened to the public in 1869)
is the old convent of Dominican order, restored and enlarged to its present
size for Cosimo the Elder de' Medici by the architect Michelozzo (1396-1472).
Consacrated in 1443, this building was the scene of fervent religious activity
and played host to personalities like S. Antonino Pierozzi, Bishop of Florence,
Beato Angelico (c.14001450) and later Girolamo Savonarola.
The Museum offers visitors an example of a perfectly preserved 15th century
convent, based on the rational and harmonious plan inspired by Bruschelleschi's
innovations. On the other hand, the complex also contains the works of Fra'
Angelico, a Dominican monk who closely collaborated with Michelozzo and his
pupils to the fresco of the large alms-house, the refectory, the cloister and
the monks' cells on the first floor. One of the most famous frescoes is the
(Crucifixion painted in the Chapter House, permeated by the contemplative
melancholy found in the refined spirituality of the Dominicans. Among the
frescoes of the cells, which are austere yet full of meditative inspiration for
the brethren, we find the Annunciation, the Three Maries at the Tomb , and the
Noli me tangere.
The panel paintings in the Refectory comprise the earlier works of
Angelico,in addition to a superb reredos showing the Last Judgement and the
Deposition set against the background of the Tuscan hills. In addition to the
works of the Dominican Fray, the museum displays a beautiful Last Supper frescoed
by Ghirlandaio at the end of the 15th century and a fine series of paintings by
Fra' Bartolomeo, who spent some time in the convent at the beginning of the
15th century and to whom an entire room is dedicated. The Large Refectory is
instead dedicated to the painters of his school. The Library (one of the most
harmonicus examples of Renaissance architecture) displays a fine collection of
illuminated manuscripts produced in the convent that reflect the same spirit of
meditative creativity. In addition to the cell that once belonged to
Savonarola, it is also possible to visit the cells where Cosimo the Elder
retired to meditate.
The Visitor's Area and the underground room display a tidy and well
preserved collection of precious objects and relics that were saved from the
19th century destruction of the convent, in addition to a rare collection of
bells.
THE
MUSEUM OF THE "CATHEDRAL"
Address: P.za Duomo
Phone: 055 230 2885
The MUSEUM OF THE CATHEDRAL ("Museo dell'Opera del Duomo") houses
artworks from the Gothic Cathedral, the Baptisty and the Tower of Giotto
(campanile). The most important works in the museum are by Michelangelo
("Pietą"), Donatello ("Mary Magdalen"), Arnolfo di Cambio
("Boniface VIII") and Luca della Robbia ("Cantoria").
THE MUSEUM OF THE
"HISTORY OF THE SCIENCE"
Address: P.za Giudici, 1
Phone: 055 265 311
Ticket: Euro 6,50
Website:http://galileo.imss.firenze.it
The MUSEUM OF THE HISTORY OF THE SCIENCE houses an important collection of
scientific instruments in a carefully arranged layout, the proof that
Florence's interest in science from the thirteenth century onwards was as great
as its interest in art. It was the interest of the Medici and Lorraine families
in the natural sciences, physics and mathematics which prompted them to collect
precious and visually beautiful scientific instruments along with paintings and
other objects of art and natural curiosities; this provided the nucleus for
this museum. It is well-known that Cosimo I and Francesco de' Medici encouraged
the scientific and artistic researches carried out in the Grand Ducal
workshops, but also members of the Medici family in the seventeenth century protected
and personally followed physics experiments in the full light of Galileo's
method. Very important the original scientific instruments used by Galileo
Galilei.
GALLERY OF THE "HOSPITAL
OF THE INNOCENTS"
Address: Piazza SS. Annunziata, 12
Phone: 055 249 1708
Opening times: Everyday (except Wednesday, closed) from 8.15 to 14
Ticket: Euro 2,50
The GALLERY OF THE "HOSPITAL OF THE INNOCENTS" is set in one of
the best known and most important architectural complexes of the early
fifteenth century in Florence. This was commissioned and financed by the Arte
della Lana to the designs of Filippo Brunelleschi. The "hospital"
aimed to raise abandoned children and teach them some useful trade enabling
them to take their place in society. In the buildings of the refectory,
cloisters, dormitories, infirmary, nurses' rooms and porticoes, Brunelleschi
created a perfect example of rational and harmonious hospital architecture
subsequently enlarged and decorated with frescoes documenting the continuing activities
of the institution and the favours of the reigning Medici family. After the
1966 flood, the entire complex of buildings was completely restored in an
attempt to return to its original fifteenth century appearance. The Gallery is
placed in the loggia above the cloister and in the former dayroom of the
children above the main portico. The Gallery contains also fine works of a
collections made up over the centuries by gifts, bequestes and loans, apart
from works, specifically executed for the Innocenti itself.
List of other museums open to
the public in Florence:
Palatine Gallery
Address: Pitti Palace - Piazza Pitti, 1
Opening times: weekdays 8,30 - 18,50; holydays and Sundays 8,30 - 18,50
Saturdays 8,30 - 22,00
Phone: 055 238 8614
Reservations phone: 055 294 883
Ticket: Euro 6,0
The Pitti Palace and
Monumental Apartments
Address: Pitti Palace - Piazza Pitti, 1
Opening times: weekdays 8,30 - 18,50; holydays and Sundays 8,30 - 18,50
Saturdays 8,30 - 22,00
Phone: 055 238 8614
Reservations phone: 055 294 883
"Cappelle Medicee"
Address: Via Madonna degli Aldobrandini,
6
Opening times: Monday to Friday, from 8.15 to 17; weekdays, from 8.15 to
13.50
Phone: 055 238 8602
Reservations phone: 055 294 883
Ticket: Euro 4,00
Website: www.firenzemusei.it/medicee
Dante's House
Address: via Santa Margherita, 1
Opening times: Every day (except Wed.), from 3.30 to 12.30 and from 15.30
to 18.30
Phone: 055 219416
Ticket: Euro 2,50
Cenacolo di Sant'Apollonia
Address: via XXVII Aprile, 1
Opening times: Every day (except Monday), from 8.15 to 13.50
Phone: 055 388 607
Reservations phone: 055 294 883
Ticket: Free
Website: www.polomuseale.firenze.it/musei/apollonia
"Specula" Museum
Address: Via Romana, 17
Phone: 055 222 451
Website: www.specola.unifi.it
National Archeological Museum
Address: Via della Colonna, 38
Opening times: Monday from 14 to 19; Tuesday and Thursday from 8.30 to 19;
Wed. Friday and weekends from 8.30 to 20
Phone: 055 235 75
Ticket: Euro 4,13
Website: www.comune.firenze.it/soggetti/sat/musei/index.htm
Orsammichele Museum
Address: Via Arte della Lana
Phone: 055 284 944
Della Ragione Modern Art Collection
Address: Complesso delle Oblate, via
Sant'Egidio
Opening times: Wed. to Mon. from 9 to 14; closed Tuesday
Phone: 055 283 078
Ticket: Euro 2,00
List of other museums open to
the public in Florence surroundings:
Primo Conti Museum
Address: Le Coste - Via Dupre 18
- Fiesole
Phone: 055 597 095
Roman Amphitheatre and
Archeological Museum
Address: Via Portigiani, 1 -
Fiesole
Phone: 055 594 77
"Doccia Porcelain"
Museum
Address: Via Pratese, 31 - Sesto
Fiorentino
Opening times: Tuesday to Saturday 9 a. m. -1 p. m. / 3 p. m. -7 p. m.
Phone: 055 421 0451
Reservations phone: 055 420 7767
Website: www.museodidoccia.it/ing/mdinfo.html
"Leonardo da Vinci" Museum
Address: Museo Leonardiano di Vinci, Castello dei Conti Guidi - Vinci
Opening times: Every day everyday from 9:30 to 18
Phone: 0571 560 55
Website: www.leonet.it/comuni/vinci
"Luigi Pecci" Museum
of Contemporany Art
Address: V.le della Repubblica, 277 - Prato
Opening times: Every day everyday from 9:30 to 18
Phone: 057 5317
Website: www.centropecci.it
"BOBOLI"
The BOBOLI GARDENS were not to become famous until they became the property
of the Medici family, who called in Niccolņ Pericoli, known as Tribolo, to
design them; this artist created a masterpiece of "landscape
architecture" between 1550 and 1558. The park, which makes part of the
Pitti Palace, was planned to occupy a scenographic setting on the slopes of the
Boboli hill (covering 320.000 square metres) and also had access from the
square. The park was enriched with many Mannerist inventions by Buontalenti
(like the Grotta Grande), fountains and statues by Ammannati, Giambologna and
Tacca and completed by Giulio and Alfonso Parigi (1631- 1656).The two
architects, father and son, carried out the stone Amphitheatre, the unique
setting for many celebrated theatrical performances, the cypress alley known as
the "Viottolone" and the square and pool of Isolotto. The last
additions, like the Coffeehouse (1774-76), the Lawn of the Columns (1776) and
the Lemonary (1785), were installed by the Lorriane family. Pietro Leopoldo
decided to open the garden to the public in 1776. The design of the Boboli
Gardens was used as a basis for all the royal gardens in Europe, including
Versailles.
Address: Piazza Pitti, 1
Opening times: Winter: every day (except Monday) from 9,00 to 16,30.
Summer: every day (except Monday) from 9,00 to 18,30
Phone(+39): 055 2651816
Web Site: www.firenzemusei.it/00_english/boboli/index.html
PARCO DELLE CASCINE
The first nucleus of the Isola Estate, known today as the Parco delle
Cascine, was bought by Archduke Alessandro in the mid-1500's. The estate was
subsequently expanded by Cosimo I. The park's present name derives from the
farms on the estate, which were primarily dedicated to cattle raising (a
cascina is a barn).
Since the beginning of the 17th century the park has been dominated by a
majestic tree-lined lane, first known as the Stradone dei Pini and subsequently
as the Stradone del Re. Under Pietro Leopoldo the park was reorganized, with
the addition of gardening facilities and a guardhouse. It was also opened to
the public, but only for special events and Ascension Day. It was conceived of
as an essentially wild area whose only fixed structure was a hunting lodge
built by G. Manetti in 1786, where the Archduke and his family could stay. The
following year, in occasion of Archduchess Maria Teresa's wedding, all the old
buildings were demolished. In the second half of the 18th century Archduchess
Elisa made the park public, thus giving the city a vast green area very different
from the gardens within the courtyards of the city's palaces.
The Archduchess also had a new entrance added to the park at Porta al Prato,
where the Baluardo del Serpe was breached and a wide road avenue built to the
Arno. At the same time, the street that paralleled the river was straightened
and paved. In the 19th century the gardens of the Cascine were laid out in a
romantic style, and looked very different than they do now. Also, in the course
of the 19th century large areas of the park were transformed into sporting
facilities, including racetracks.
Opening Times: always open free entrance
GIARDINO DELL'IRIS
The entrance to Florence's Iris Garden is located where Viale dei Colli
opens into Piazzale Michelangelo. The garden has more than 2,500 varieties of
the flower that has symbolized the city since 1251.
Address: entrance from Piazzale Michelangelo
Phone: (+39)055 483112
Opening time: open from the 2nd of May to 20st of May (Monday-Friday:
10-12,30; 15-19. Week-End: 10-19)
GIARDINO DELLE ROSE
In 1865 the City of Florence asked Giuseppe Poggi, the architect who
masterminded the restructuring of the future Capital of the Kingdom of Italy,
to turn his attention to the left bank of the Arno. Poggi had the city buy
about 2.5 acres of the hillside above Porta San Niccolņ (upriver from the Ponte
Vecchio) that Rose Garden, Poggi's terraces towards the end of the century. It
was May 1895, during the annual Festa di Belle Arti offer a magnificent view of
the city. The which is patterned after similar French gardens, was planted on
opened to the public in delle Arti e dei Fiori organized by the Society and the
Italian Horticultural Society.
Address: viale Giuseppe Poggi 2
Phone: (+39)055 2625305
Opening time: suggested visit in May
List of Historical gardens open to the public in Florence and its province:
Botanical Gardens
Address: Via P. A. Micheli, 3
Phone: (+39)055 2757402
Web Site: www.horti.unimore.it/cd/Firenze/obfi_home.html
The Garden of Palazzo Medici Riccardi
Address: Via Cavour, 1
Phone: (+39)055 276.01
Opening times: from 9,00 to 13,00 and from 15,00 to 18,00 - Sunday from
9,00 to 13,00 - (Closed Wednesday)
Giardino dell'Orticultura
Address: Via Bolognese, 17
Phone: (+39)055.483698
Opening times: from 8,00 to 20,00
Web Site: http://brunelleschi.imss.fi.it/ist/luogo/giardinoorticultura/html
The Garden at Villa
della Petraia
Address: Villa della Petraia, 40 -
Localitą Castello
Phone: (+39)055 425691
Web Site: www.polomuseale.firenze.it/english/musei/petraia
The Garden al Villa di Castello
Address: Via di Castello, localitą – Castello
Phone: (+39)055 454791
Opening times: Every day (except Monday), from 9,00 to 16,30
Web Site: www.polomuseale.firenze.it/english/musei/villacastello
THE NIGHTS
Further to be rich in art and history, Florence offers a lot of
opportunities for entertainment, with many clubs, pubs and discos. Florence's
nights can be spent not only inside a club but even on the road looking at the
marvellous monuments illuminated by the moon, or simply walking throghout the
roads looking at artists that sing and play with you. Don't forget to go to see
the beautiful view of Florence by night from Piazzale Michelangelo. Piazzale
Michelangelo: you'll fall in love!!!
WHERE TO GO
Clubs and pubs are almost in the centre of the city, around the Cathedral
or in other famous squares of the city you can find many small places where can
have a beer or a glass of the best Chianti wine. Most of them are Irish pubs
but, don't worry there are also English one, American, and even Spanish and if
you want to taste Tuscan specialities you absolutely have to spend a evening in
an Enoteca. In the centre there are even some little discos, don't worry about
dressing, you can enter anywhere without problems. If you don't want to close
yourself in a pub go for a walk under the stars and go to listen to the street
musicians... If an evening you want to go for a longest walk then continue to
walk up to Piazza S. Spirito you won't repent of it because here you will find
a real mix: people of the district, university students Italians and foreigners
and...
EVENTS
During the winter you can enjoy yourself skating on ice in Parterre in
Piazza della Libertą open also in the evening. During late Spring and all
Summer when nights are quite warm in every square of the town there are events,
such as concerts, or representation with always a bar where you can refresh
yourself. In piazza S.S. Annunziata and in piazza S. Ambrogio there are summer
spaces with concerts jazz, ethnic music and installation video. In Rime
Rampanti you will find a very suggestive summer space, because it is really
under the Piazzale Michelangelo!! Here you will have the embarrassment of the
choice: festival of ethnic music, classical music, reading of poetries and...
why not? A dinner under the stars! If you prefer a dive in the night then don't
lose you the swimming pool of Pavoniere in the Park of the Cascine: open at
night and free!
PERETOLA FLORENCE AIRPORT
Switchboard: +39.055.3061300
Lost & Found Office: +39.055.3061302
Company Secretary: +39.055.30615
Website: www.aeroporto.firenze.it/EN/index.php
Florence Airport ("Aeroporto di Firenze") or Amerigo Vespucci
Airport (Airport Code - IATA: FLR, ICAO: LIRQ) is an airport located close to
Florence, Italy. It is one of two main airports in the Tuscany region, the
other being Galileo Galilei Airport in Pisa.
There are train and bus links between this airport and Florence, and the
train line provides shuttle runs between the airport and the final station
which is Florence city terminal. Tickets are available in the airport and must
be validated prior to boarding the train (by inserting the ticket into the
small stamping machines on the terminal), otherwise an on the spot fine is
reliably served.
PISA INTERNATIONAL Airport
Toll-free number: 800 018849
Flight Information: +39 050 849300
Tourist Information Desk: +39 050 503700.
Left Luggage Service: +39.050 849300
Website:www.pisa-airport.com
Galileo Galilei International Airport (Airport Code - IATA: PSA, ICAO:
LIRP) is an airport located in Pisa, Italy. It is one of the two main airports
in Tuscany, together with Peretola Airport in Florence. It is named after
Galileo Galilei, a famous scientist and native of Pisa.
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