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When folding the sheet, we would suggest placing pressure with your fingers on the side to be folded, so that it might open up, but if you want to permanently remedy this problem, 1 2 it is enough to apply a very small amount of glue. THE FLORENCE CITY GUIDE © Netplan - Internet solutions for tourism © Netplan - Internet solutions for tourism © 2005 Netplan srl. All rights reserved. © Netplan - Internet solutions for tourism All material on this document is © Netplan. THE FLORENCE CITY GUIDE 1 Summary THINGS TO KNOW 3 History and culture THINGS TO SEE 4 Churches and Museums 6 Places and charm THINGS TO TRY 7 Eating and Drinking 8 Shopping 9 Hotels and lodgings THINGS TO EXPERIENCE 10 Events 11 La Dolce Vita ITINERARIES 12 A special day 14 Shopping in Florence 15 Three places less than 40 km from Florence © Netplan - Internet solutions for tourism THE FLORENCE CITY GUIDE / THINGS TO KNOW 3 4 THE FLORENCE CITY GUIDE / THINGS TO SEE History and culture Churches and Museums Art & Culture were in great ferment and saints who are patrons of the arts and work the people’s desire to educate themselves “Corporations”. gave rise to the first work in the vernacular language, in the poetic style of “Dolce stil Basilica di Santa Croce novo”, which then brought about the works This church in the Gothic-Florentine style was of Dante, Petrarca, Boccaccio and finally, a built in the second half of the 12th century. century later, the “Accademia della Crusca”. Santa Croce contains several masterpieces: It was Boccaccio who documented the plague the frescoes by Giotto, the Crucifix by of Florence, a tragedy that started off the Cimabue and the Cappella dei Pazzi, a chapel people’s dissatisfaction, which culminated in built by Brunelleschi. The Basilica is famous the “tumulto dei Ciompi” riots in 1378. throughout the world because some famous people are buried inside it, such as Alfieri, After a short period in which the people whose tomb was sculpted by Canova. ruled the city, the Medici dynasty then took over, first with Cosimo and then with Basilica di San Lorenzo Lorenzo il Magnifico, who brought the The interior of this church was completed by Humanist Age to Florence, together with Brunelleschi and later, by Michelangelo. The the wonderful architecture by Brunelleschi. Basilica di San Lorenzo’s façade is still not After Lorenzo il Magnifico’s death (1492), and finished. There are some works of art inside: in later centuries, the city oscillated between the two pulpits built by Donatello when he was Florence: Dante Alighieri Republican agitation and Medici revenge, Florence: Santa maria del Fiore already 74 years old, The Biblioteca Medicea while geniuses such as Michelangelo and Laurenziana and the Tombe Medicee, works In our tourists’ guide to Florence there had to Leonardo Da Vinci became famous names in The most magnificent and interesting by Michelangelo, the Cappella dei Principi be a section dedicated to the history of this art and literature. churches from an artistic and architectural chapel with its magnificent decorations in wonderful city. Let’s discover it together; point of view: marble and semi-precious stones. In 1865, Florence was chosen to be the Florence’s origins date back to the Etruscan capital of the Kingdom of Italy, and remained Duomo - Santa Maria del Fiore and Santa Maria Novella era, when Fiesole, an important center capital until 1871. In later years and until the Baptistery Built in the 13th century according to the in Etruria, dominated the valley. Before beginning of the twentieth century, Florence Work on the Gothic cathedral of Santa Maria wishes of the Dominican monks, the Church’s conquering Fiesole in the first century B.C., was famous for its literary happenings, that del Fiore began in 1296 and was completed façade is built in the Gothic-Romanesque the Romans set up camp by the River Arno produced works such as Pinocchio and which by Brunelleschi in 1436 with the famous style, with white and green marble. in a place that then became Florentia, brought writers such as Papini, Palazzeschi, Dome, which was painted inside with Important works of art inside are the frescoes “destined to flower”. Florence survived the Pratolini to the fore, who were all members frescoes by Vasari and Zuccari. The square by Masaccio portraying the Holy Trinity, dark centuries of the Middle Ages and then of the historical Literary Caffè group the Bell tower designed by Giotto in 1334 stands the Crucifix by Brunelleschi and the one by became an important city, until it became a “Giubbe Rosse”. on the right-hand side of the Cathedral and Giotto. Municipal Borough in 1115. is covered in white, green and red marble. The dispute between the Guelfs, who were The Baptistery of San Giovanni, one of the All the museums and galleries to be seen: faithful to the Pope, and the Ghibellines, oldest monuments in Florence (1128), is loyal to the Emperor Frederick II, that located opposite the Cathedral and is built in Galleria degli Uffizi resulted in the Guelfs being exiled from the Florentine Romanesque style. The Uffizi Gallery is one of the largest city, was extremely interesting. When the museums in the world, It was built in the mid- Emperor died, however, the Guelfs took the Orsanmichele sixteenth century, following a project by the upper hand once more and Florence enjoyed This church was built with the intention of architect Giorgio Vasari and still houses some a period of prosperity. Great importance was becoming the people’s grain market, but was of the most famous works of art by Italian given to the Corporazione delle Arti and the immediately used as a place of worship. 14 and foreign painters from the 13th to 19th architectural beauties, which make Florence niches can be seen in the church’s outer walls centuries, such as Tiziano, Cimabue, Giotto, such a unique city, began to be built. containing the same number of statues of Masaccio, Tintoretto, Leonardo, Botticelli, © Netplan - Internet solutions for tourism © Netplan - Internet solutions for tourism THE FLORENCE CITY GUIDE / THINGS TO SEE 5 6 THE FLORENCE CITY GUIDE / THINGS TO SEE Places and charm Michelangelo, Piero della Francesca, on his own, as a tribute to his ancestor. It is Giardino di Boboli Raffaello, Caravaggio, Rubens, Rembrandt, possible to see some early masterpieces by The Boboli Gardens spread out alongside Dürer and Goya. Michelangelo such as the Madonna della Scala Palazzo Pitti. They were both created on the and the Battaglia dei Centauri. wishes of the Medici family in 1500. If we take Galleria dell’Accademia a walk through these wonderful Renaissance This Gallery was founded in 1784 by the gardens, we can see some charming Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo, who decreed monuments such as the amphitheater, the that all the schools of painting should be Grotta del Buontalenti, and the small island joined together in a single Academy. One with the statues of the dancing country-folk. of the most popular museums in Florence, the Gallery houses many sculptures by The San Lorenzo Market Michelangelo, including the famous David. The Central San Lorenzo Market is housed inside a huge iron and glass building that Bargello was built in 1874. Even though it is now a The National Museum, housed in a building tourist attraction, the Market has preserved that was the city prison dating back to 1200. a part of its charm. On the ground floor there It contains some of the best sculptures from are several delicatessens, selling Florentine the Tuscan Renaissance era. Some of the and Tuscan delicacies, where it is possible works of art in the Bargella are: the David by to stop for a bite to eat. On the first floor Donatello, Mercury by Gianbologna, and the there are flower stalls and fruit and vegetable bust of Brutus by Michelangelo. Florence: Ponte Vecchio stalls where all the local seasonal produce is displayed. Archeological Museum A walk to discover Florence: The collection of artifacts on show in the Spedale degli Innocenti Museum belonged to the Medici family, Ponte Vecchio This building was opened in 1445, and was especially to Cosimo il Vecchio, and comprises As its name suggests, this splendid Bridge is the first orphanage in Europe. A part of objects from the Etruscan period: terracotta the oldest in Florence: the first construction the building is still used for this purpose ornaments and sculptures in marble and already existed before the 11th century, but today. The portico, built by Brunelleschi, is bronze, including the Chimera di Arezzo and was destroyed by a flood of the Arno. The decorated with glazed terracotta spheres l’Arringatore. The Egyptian section, that was bridge was rebuilt in solid stone in 1345.