The many sights and attractions in Florence
The Tuscan capital Florence – A truly unmissable Italian city. Lying in a basin of the river Arno, Florence is the most populous city in Tuscany, which is the capital of the region. The city is world famous for its history, its art and its architecture. Sometimes know as the “Athens of the Middle Ages”, Florence is widely accepted to be the birthplace of the renaissance.
The city attracts over 1.5 million tourists every year and is of course a UNESCO world heritage site. This bustling and spirited Tuscan city is simply brimming with fantastic art and wonderful sights and is widely regarded as being one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
The Medici Family
The importance of the great noble Medici family in terms of the development of Florence can not be over-estimated, namely because this important and powerful family ruled whilst Florence was at the height of its influence and power, predominantly during the 15th century. During this time Florence was considered to have been an economically successful city with bankers from the city bankrolling all of the English kings, during Italy’s 100 years war with France.
Throughout the 15th the art scene in Florence was increasingly flourishing, with Lorenzo Medici, commonly known as “Lorenzo the magnificent” for his enthusiastic patronage of all things to do with the arts, commissioning works by the likes of Michelangelo, Leonardo de Vinci and Botticelli.
The many sights and attractions in Florence
The domed cathedral of “Santa Maria del Fiore” boasts the claim that even 600 years after it was built, it remains the world’s largest brick built dome. Close to this magnificent cathedral you can find the Camparile and the Bapistery, both of which are considered to be remarkable architectural wonders.
Inside the city’s medieval walls you find in the “Piazza della Signoria”, an L-shaped square in front of the inspiring Palazzo Vecchio. Here the Fountain of Neptune can also be found, a marble sculpture which was built by Bartolome Ammanati, and is also considered to be a masterpiece for its unique and domineering presence.
The Ponte Vecchio Bridge is another magnificent sight in Florence and is the only bridge to have survived being blown up by the retreating Nazis in World War II. Not far from the Ponte Vecchio lies the ancient Church of San Lorenzo which contains the mausoleum of the legendary Medici family.
As Florence is cited by many as being the art capital of Europe it is naturally home to many remarkable and important art galleries. One of the most famous art galleries in Florence is the world famous Uffizi, which was built on the instructions of the ever-prevailing Medici family. Another gallery in Florence that simply cannot go ignored is the” Galeria di Accadamia”, which houses a collection of work by Michelangelo including his legendary “David”.
As you can see there is quite a lot to be seen and done in the Tuscan capital, a European city that certainly warrants the title of being ‘unmissable’.