Explore the World. Part 3. Florence, Italy

There are not many cities that give you a wowing moment as you walk down their streets. If anything, most cities are noisy, polluted and crowded and you want to leave them as soon as possible. Therefore, a city that fits the former description is agreeably a place worth visiting. And one such city that has personally made me go, “wow!” is Florence, Italy.

Florence is both the capital city and only metropolitan city of Tuscany, a region in Central Italy. I had heard and read a lot about Florence, just as you are right this moment, before visiting late last year in November. To my satisfaction, all the praise given to the city was not an exaggeration as I am still in awe of its beauty.

UNESCO included Florence’s historic center in their famed World Heritage List. Forbes magazine also classified it as one of the most beautiful cities worldwide. So what has earned this city by the banks of River Arno such esteemed titles?

Where it all began

To understand Florence in all its beauty, we will need to go back in time, several hundreds of years ago. Shall we begin? Initially, Florence was a Roman city that developed from trade and banking. It also recognized for being the birthplace/origin of the Italian Renaissance. This refers to a 3-century period that saw great cultural changes and achievements especially in art and marked the beginning of modern Europe.

As a result of the Renaissance, Florence became the home to many famous artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli etc. It was also home for the Medici, an influential noble European family at the time. Even with the change in culture and power, Italian remained and still is Florence’s main language since the 14th century.

It is thanks to this past that you and I get to enjoy Florence’s current diverse culture and a vast array of renaissance art, monuments, and architecture.

Things to do in Florence

I remember feeling as if the jetlag had worn off as soon as we landed at the Florence airport in Peretola. The excitement even made the 25-minute taxi drive to the city appear magical. However, the key highlights of my stay in Florence were where I went, what I ate, where I shopped and other extra activities I took during my visit. Here is a summary of each of these highlights:

• Places to go

Fortunately, there are so many places to go but sadly there is not always enough time. Nonetheless, here are the places you should definitely go to:

Piazza del Duomo

The name Piazza del Duomo simply translates to cathedral square. It is one of the most visited places in the world and is right at the city center. The square contains several historic buildings three of which are listed on the World Heritage List. The 3 are The Florence Cathedral, Giotto’s Campanile and The Baptistery of Saint John. The cathedral has, however, more historic art than the rest such as its magnificent dome which holds the record for the largest brick dome ever built.

Other buildings on the square include Brunelleschi Cupola, a museum, and a palace. Most of the architecture used for the construction of these buildings is gothic in nature. There are no entry fee charges to the cathedral and any building at the Piazza del Duomo.

Galleria Degli Uffizi

Which simply means the gallery of Uffizi, is a U-shaped building and the most popular museum in Florence because it houses and displays the biggest collection of renaissance art chronologically.

You will notice that similar arts such as those painted by the same person or around the same period are normally showcased in one hall. Take your time and enjoy the works of Sandro Botticelli, Michelangelo and of course Leonardo da Vinci!

There are other works from painters from all over early Europe, think of one and chances are high you will see his work at the Gallery of Uffizi.

Galleria dell’Accademia

What is a trip to Florence if you do not get to see the most famous sculpture in the world? Michelangelo’s, David. The marble statue is a representation of King David who is the subject of a lot of artwork in Florence. In the recent past, after it was sculptured, the statue soon became a representation of civil freedom. In Accademia, you will also see works from Botticelli, Perugino, Alessandro Allori among others.

If you went to Florence and only had time to go to the above places, it would not be wasted trip. However, there are many other places to go such as Pallazo Della Signoria, Santa Croce, Bardini gardens. You might want to consider the city tours if you have limited time to explore Florence.

• What and where to eat?

Most of the local foods are made with meat which is actually a tradition that goes way back. Such foods include antipasti, Tuscan bread and soups such as Bistecca and Fiorentina, Chianina which is a T-bone steak cooked over hot charcoal among others.

Florence has plenty of restaurants, pizzerias, and cafes that prepare both local and international foods, so whatever your palate craves, it is going to get. If you are having trouble deciding where to eat, observe the locals and dine where most of them are as that shows the place is highly preferred over others.

• Where to shop?

Of course, you want something to remind you that you visited the city da Vinci hailed from. Florence’s many local markets and outlets will present you with a large variety of all kinds of affordable goods such as traditional ceramics, marble mosaics, jewelry, leather jackets, bags, clothes, spices etc. for you to choose from. I would advise spending your money on something you are not likely to get in your hometown.

And we should not forget that Florence is the birthplace of Italian fashion! Such world renowned brands as Salvatore Ferragamo, Armani, Stefano Ricci and others have their flagship boutiques in this city.

• Other things to do

As you can see, a lot of my time was spent at the historic sites but I made time for a few other activities that probably could interest you as well. These were:

· Sampling coffee made from either of 15 type of coffee beans including the rare kopi luwak from Indonesia, at Chiaroscuro.

· Going for a picnic at the colorful garden of Giardino Delle Rose

· Making leather. Do you know how to differentiate real leather from fake? At $14 you will learn that at the Leather School in Santa Croce through an extensive tour of the school and finally participating in the leather making process yourself.

I must say Florence and its people were good to me and I am certain I will be visiting again. Hopefully, on that trip, you will be the excited stranger seated next to me on the plane.

• Camera: Samsung Galaxy S8