Florence
Often consider “Rome Light”, Florence is the city of the Medici and art galore. Despite this, there is an odd modern influence in this hallowed city.
Florence Italy is in the Tuscany region about midway between Milan to the north and Rome to the South. During the Renaissance, Florence was the center of art, politics and intellectual thought. The city is the biggest tourist attraction in the region with plenty to see and do. The city is small enough to walk to most places, but offers many attractions to keep you interested for weeks. Read more
Palazzo Vecchio, Florence
Seven centuries after its completion the Palazzo Vecchio continues to serve as the Town Hall of Florence. But far from a mundane official city council building, this palace houses many important works of art. From the little Studiolo of Francesco I to the huge tower, the entire complex is breathtaking. Read more
Uffizi Gallery in Florence
It’s rare for an art museum to have too many masterpieces to display. That happy fate befell the Uffizi Gallery in Florence when the last of the Medici, Electress Anna Maria, willed the entire family collection to the gallery in 1743. The results, collected over several centuries, provide a view of one of the finest treasure troves of art anywhere in the world. Read more
Shopping in Florence
Everything in Florence is art. Shopping for leather goods? Jewelry? Food? Here, such things aren’t merely utilitarian or even decorative personal items. In this major Tuscan city, shopping amounts to searching for a work of genius. And, in Florence, that’s not hard to find.
Mercato Centrale
Formed from a major urban project in the mid-19th century, Mercato Centrale in San Lorenzo offers food and small goods shopping in a classic Florentine atmosphere. A two-story structure of cast iron and glass, there are ten classical arches to welcome visitors. Souvenir shops around the building make sure you don’t go home without something to remember the trip. Read more