Florence, Italy…a Must See for the First-time Visitor to Italy
If I were to pick one city as a definite must-see for the first time traveler to Italy, my choice would be Florence. Since the birth of the Renaissance, Florence has retained its standing as a center of art and culture. It has also become renowned for high fashion (excellent leather and silk goods), great cuisine, beautiful parks, tourism and, of course, friendly and warm people. Located in the heart of the central region of Tuscany, Florence is situated in a valley surrounded by rolling Tuscan hills. It is about a three-hour train ride north of Rome and 1 hour from Pisa.
Home to many great prominent figures (Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarotti, Dante Allighieri, Niccolo’ Machiavelli), their legacies can be seen all over town. In the Academy Art Gallery one can see Michaelangelo’s famous Statue of David, completed by the sculptor at age 26 after others had rejected the marble block because of its imperfections. According to the bible, David represents an Israelite shepherd boy who emerged victorious in an improbable battle against the mighty Goliath. In the Uffizzi Galleries, Europe’s third largest museum, one can see Sandro Botticelli’s masterpiece “Birth of Venus”.
The city has an excellent bus system, and it is also very easy to get around on foot. A great place for a stroll is along the Ponte Vecchio, or the “Old Bridge.” This is the oldest of all the bridges in Florence and may even date back to Etruscan times. It has undergone many repairs through the centuries. It has even been the source of controversy. During one of the World Wars, a German general defied orders to bomb the bridge because he thought it was so beautiful. Previously, the bridge was aligned with butcher shops. Today, however, the only merchants allowed on the bridge are jewelers. It is one of the social points in town where you can window shop and watch artists as they sketch.
Another great place to shop is along Via Tornabuoni. Here you can find various boutiques and fashion giants as Armani, Versace, Fendi and Gucci. Florence also has many open markets where you can find some excellent leather and silk bargains. Some of the better markets include the market of San Lorenzo and the market in the Parco delle Cascine.
Florence is also noted for its excellent cuisine and sinfully delicious desserts and gelati (ice cream). Many fine restaurants can be found in town. You must not leave the city without trying some risotto, a Florentine specialty. Another specialty, believe it or not, is beefsteak. You can, of course, find excellent pasta dishes as you would in other parts of Italy. Because Tuscany is in the heart of the Chianti region, there is always an excellent selection of wines to savor.
Just South of the Arno River lies the Boboli Gardens, once an estate of a feudal king; it is one of the most beautiful parks in all of Europe. It is over 100 acres of beautifully manicured landscape and walking paths aligned with trees. There is even a Roman amphitheater, which in the summer is used for theatrical plays. Walking up to the top of the hill offers a great panoramic view of the city.
In summary, Florence has everything you are looking for in an Italian vacation: great food, great art and great people. It doesn’t take long for the city’s charm to capture your heart and spirit. With half a million inhabitants, it does not overwhelm you like a city such as Rome or Milan (each of which has approximately 4 million people).
I believe Charles Dickens said it best in the “Pictures of Italy” when he wrote “how much beauty is here, when, on a fair clear morning, we look, from the summit of a hill, on Florence! See where it lies before us in a sun-lighted valley, bright with the winding Arno, and shut in by swelling hills; its domes, and towers, and palaces, rising from the rich country in a glittering heap, and shining in the sun like gold!”
About the Author
Larry Aiello is an Italian-American living in Florida that loves to share his knowledge of Italy. Visit his website for Italian travel-related information, tips, travel advice, recipes, community, etc . He is also a mortgage broker and offers consultation on home-buying and refinancing your mortgage through http://www.TampaMortgageConsultant.com.
Italy VS Europe – The Comparison
|
|
Italian Stallion italia rocky italy boxing T-shirt 2XL yellow $0.01 |
|
|
Genova Italia Italy license plate plates set and frames $0.01 |
|
|
Italy (Italia) COUNTRY FLAG – 3ft x 5ft FLAG – ITALIAN $0.01 |
|
|
V2011 Album Pickers old Italy stamp MH 1897 L’Italia al afferma $0.25 |
|
|
Italy Italian Italia 10 lire lir lira 1969 coin $0.35 |
|
|
ITALY / ITALIA -small lot of old stamps #B313 $0.49 |
|
|
Italy #216(1) 1929 15 centesimi slate green “Italia” Set of 8 Used $0.73 |
|
|
ITALY ITALIA – ROMA CHUSA DI S. CROCE IN GERUSALEMME – REAL PHOTO EARLY 1900’s $0.77 |
|
|
ITALY ITALIA – VENICE VENEZIA – IL CANAL GRANDE CON GONDOLA – SEPIA PHOTO 1900’s $0.77 |
|
|
ITALY ITALIA – MILAN MILANO – MONUMENTO A VITTORIO EMANUELE II – COLOUR 1900’s $0.77 |
|
|
ITALY ITALIA – MILAN MILANO – MONUMENTO A GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI – COLOUR 1900’s $0.77 |
|
|
ITALY, ITALIA collection, all different in this lot (#026) $0.80 |
|
|
ITALY – POSTALE ITALIANO,REGNO D´ITALIA, FIUME $0.89 |
|
|
Italy #225(1) 1929 2L carmine lake ITALIA 10 USED $0.97 |
|
|
Italy #626 1953 5L “Italia” after Syracusean Coin Used $0.98 |
|
|
2010 Finale Tim Cup Roma Coppa Italia Italy Football EMBROIDERED Patch $0.99 |
|
|
1982-1000 LIRE D ITALIA, 1,000 LIRE FROM, ITALY VERY NICE $0.99 |
|
|
Men’s Rare Everlast Italia (Italy) Track Jacket, Size – XL $0.99 |
|
|
Italy Banknote 1 Lire 1935 P-29 UNC Italia Rare $0.99 |
|
|
Italy Italia 19 different stamps, all MNH but tropical on the back $0.99 |
|
|
Italy Italia stamps ERITREA Various MINT and USED $0.99 |
|
|
Italia – Italy Europa CEPT MNH all sets 1974 – 1983 $0.99 |
|
|
Italy Italia Italie Italien stamps collection on old album pages from 1863 porto $0.99 |
|
|
1984 Banco D’Italia (Italy) 10,000 Lire $0.99 |
|
|
L’ ITALIA A TAVOLA~All the DISHES & FOODS OF ITALY Dish Towel 100% Cotton New $0.99 |
|
|
*** 2- 1929 ITALY 10 LIRE VITT.EM. III . RE.D. ITALIA $0.99 |
|
|
Italy / Italia Sc Cat #1233 1976 MNH 150L Stamp Flora by Titian Painting Art $0.99 |
|
|
ITALY Italia TRIESTE TRIEST Panorama Vintage Postcard $0.99 |
|
|
Italy (“Italia”) Long Sleeve Mens Jersey $0.99 |
|
|
Genoa Italy (Genova Italia) – 4 Older Black & White Photo Postcards $0.99 |
|
|
7 Postcards – Greetings from Pisa Italy – Saluti da Pisa Italia $0.99 |
|
|
Italy Italia Roma Black T-Shirt XXL $0.99 |
|
|
KAPPA 2000 ITALY ITALIA SOCCER FOOTBALL JERSEY XL – BRAND NEW **NO RESERVE** $0.99 |
|
|
ITALY BANCA D’ITALIA 2000 LIRE GALILEO 1973 VF $0.99 |
|
|
ITALY BANCA D’ITALIA 50 LIRE 1944 XF $0.99 |
|
|
ITALY CORTINA ski resort Old Postcard 1971 Italia $0.99 |
|
|
Italy Italia Florence Firenze Original vintage postcard $0.99 |
|
|
Italy Italia Verona Verone Original vintage postcard $0.99 |
|
|
Italy Italia Naples Napoli Original vintage postcard $0.99 |
|
|
Italy Italia Verona Verone Original vintage postcard $0.99 |
|
|
Bialetti 6800 Moka Express 6-Cup Stovetop Espresso Maker $29.99 Invented in Italy in 1933, the Bialetti Moka Express is an internationally popular coffee maker with over 200 million sold. The aluminum unit is easy to use: simply put water and coffee grounds in the lower chamber, set the device on the stove and in just a few minutes, delicious crema-topped espresso will bubble up into the pot. The coffee tastes authentically Italian, and it comes at a fraction … |
|
|
Atlas Pasta Machine … |
|
|
Bialetti Moka Express 9-Cup Stovetop Espresso Maker $29.85 Moka Express is the world’s number one coffee-maker and has been manufactured in over 200 million units. For an excellent cup of Italian coffee, Moka Express is the classic household coffee-pot and the only one to bear the unique mark of the “little fellow with the moustache”. Moka Express boasts a lot of records: it is even the most copied coffee-maker! What else could be said? That its quality … |
|
|
Italia $6.74 Fine jazz trumpeter plays Italian music…. |
|
|
Andrea Bocelli – Amore $9.83 Romance. Passion. Emotion. These Words Are Synonymous With The Voice Of Andrea Bocelli. Almost Ten Years Ago He Exploded Onto The International Music Scene With Romanza, And Has Since Sold Nearly 50 Million Albums Worldwide. Amore–Released Amongst The Glamor Of The Winter Olympics In Torino, Italy (Where He Will Perform At The Closing Ceremony) And The Romance Of Valentine’S Day–Finds Bocelli St… |
|
|
Mob Hits – Music From and a Tribute to the Great Mob Movies $12.39 As you may already know from seeing it hawked incessantly on late-night TV by Jerry Vale, Mob Hits is a compilation CD that attempts to capture the ambience of the modern gangster pic by assembling songs heard in key scenes of such films as The Godfather, GoodFellas, Donnie Brasco, and Casino. While licensing restrictions keep the music of Frank Sinatra from being part of this collection (odd, as … |
|
|
Rossini: Il Turco in Italia [Blu-ray] $27.57 All products are BRAND NEW and factory sealed. Fast shipping and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed…. |
|
|
Only You [VHS] $2.47 While director Norman Jewison’s Moonstruck is a romantic cornerstone, this 1994 film is often overlooked. It’s a sweet valentine about a young woman, aptly named Faith (Marisa Tomei, never cuter), who chases an unknown man to Europe because the name “Damon Bradley” was once spelled on an Ouija board as her true love. With her sister-in-law (Bonnie Hunt, whose own marriage seems to be falling apart… |
|
|
World Cup USA 94: Final (Brazil vs. Italy) … |
|
|
VCT VP107 Universal Outlet Plug Adapter for Italy, Travel Adapter $1.89 This is a Universal plug for Italy. This adapter converts plugs from most of the foreign countries to grounded plug for Italy (three round pins in a row)…. |
