Villa Demidoff and The Parco Mediceo di Pratolino

Piazza Santo Spirito Artisans’ Market

Giotto’s Campanile (or Bell Tower), Florence

At 414 steps, the climb to the top of Giotto’s famous Bell Tower (Campanile in Italian) probably shouldn’t have been undertaken at 12:30 in the afternoon, in August. But the queue for Santa Maria Del Fiore and the famous cupola was massive (take note; early morning, it opens at 10, or late afternoon are better unless you book a tour which lets you skip the queue – see the tours box below) and I wanted to make a Flip Florence Video with a panoramic view of the centre of Florence. I needn’t have worried as there are 3 stops on the way up which offer gradually more spectacular views. Be aware that although it doesn’t appear in most of the video, there are wire grids covering the apertures which can make photos less impressive.

There’s an interesting trick of perspective going on with the Campanile which is almost as good as David’s wonky eyes. The three top levels of the Campanile (which were designed by Francesco Talenti not Giotto) are not the same size so that they appear to be the same size. Follow? Each of the three is larger to give the illusion from ground level that they are in fact the same size. Plus, you can thank Francesco for not following orders not building the spire that Giotto had planned. With it, the tower would have been higher (by 120m) but would have been lacking the flat observation deck from which some of this video is taken.

The history of Giotto’s Campanile, like most Italian monuments is a long one. The Campanile was not even planned until 30 years after the death of the first Master of the Works of the Cathedral, Arnolfo di Cambio. At this time Giotto was a not-too-spritely 67 (this was 1334, remember) but he set about planning a great tower to accompany the main cathedral. Unfortunately (not for Francesco), Giotto died three years later having only finished the lower floor – just be grateful he wasn’t fitting your bathroom. In Giotto’s place, Andrea Pisano (he did the bronze door on the south side of the Baptistry; it took him 6 years) was appointed and he followed Giotto’s design exactly until the Black Death arrived in 1348. This was Francesco’s chance and he completed the campanile to his own specifications in 1358. 24 years after Giotto first put pen to paper, or quill to parchment.

Piazza San Firenze

Whilst it may not be the largest or grandest Piazza in Florence, with the law courts and the Hotel Bernini, Piazza san Firenze is a focal point for many of the city’s visitors (voluntarily or otherwise).

The great facade of the Law Courts, designed in 1667 by Pier Francesco Silvani was (in the fine tradition of Italian construction) only finished five years later in 1772. Opposite is the Palazzo Gondi, a fine example of the Florentine architect Giuliano da San Gallo and expanded in the nineteenth century. On the southwest corner is the rear of the Palazzo Vecchio, in front of which is the Columbia Parliament building. This was a hotel when Florence was the capital of Italy and it hosted the Italian members of Parliament who met in the Palazzo Vecchio.

View Larger Map

Piazza Della Repubblica – the lounge of Florence

It has been said that Piazza Della Repubblica is the lounge of Florence but that could probably be said of most of the piazze here. Being in the centre, it is certainly one of the most densely populated with tourists who come to see the buildings and often, the shops (everything from Gucci and Belstaff to Zara and H&M) that are nearby. For more, check out the Shopping in Florence post

The main highlights are Cafe Gigli (have your coffee standing it’s about a third of the price you pay if you sit) and the Giubbe Rosse Cafe that has long been a meeting place for famous artists and writers. There is a merry-go round for the kids and the standard of busking, if it can even be called that, is very high.

The piazza was built on land that was reclaimed after many important buildings were demolished. The Wikipedia entry on Piazza Delle Repubblica (Florence) goes into this in more depth.

View Larger Map

Ponte Vecchio – Florence’s Oldest Bridge

The Ponte Vecchio (as we should all know) is the only bridge that the Germans didn’t destroy. That they were so slap-dash in their bridge destruction means that we all get to see an historic landmark in the centre of old Florence. At some point it was probably called the Ponte Nuovo (or New Bridge) as to call it the old bridge from the beginning would be stupid. I wonder when it actually became the “Old Bridge”. . . answers on a postcard (or even better, in the comment section) please.

It is, like most of the main Florentine landmarks, a bit of a tourist trap but all those people come there for a reason. Whether it’s getting married and then having some lovely photos taken (the girl in this video’s wedding car was a Toyota Yaris – I’m not kidding) or just a stroll across and a bit of window shopping in the traditional jewelers, the bridge is definitely in the top Florence tourist attractions.

During the day there is a constant bustle of foot traffic and even the occasional copper on the beat (which translates into Italian as; “wander around, do nothing; especially don’t arrest someone,  just imagine the paperwork”) and it is one of the best spots to view the sunset (second, in my opinion to Piazzale Michelangelo though there’s no round of applause here). At night, the city pays for “buskers” and although you are more likely to hear a phonetic rendition of an Oasis song than something traditional, it doesn’t take away from the feeling of the place.

View Larger Map

Florence Duomo – The City’s No 1 Tourist Attraction?

Dominating the skyline (and occasionally guiding a lost tourist back to the centre!), the Duomo of Florence is amongst the most photographed buildings in the city along with the Ponte Vecchio. Once you come here and see it for yourself, you realise that the scale of this building must have inspired awe in those who saw its “cupola” for the first time in 1436. The cupola is the domed bit – duomo means Cathedral, not dome apparently.

The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is at the centre of the Piazza and though it was started in 1296, the gothic facade is actually a 19th century addition. As expected, the area can get really busy, especially in the summer months and is busy with hawkers trying to sell over-priced tat and posters. “No, grazie” is a useful phrase in the centre of town!

The small building to the west is the Baptistry for (you guessed it) baptisms and along with Giotto’s Campanile (the tower), the three buildings are a Unesco World Heritage site which basically means they can’t paint the thing pink without completing lots of forms. Also, the cathedral is old and  is permanently swathed in scaffolding somewhere as part of the cleaning process (thanks to Alexandra at ArtTrav for the insight). This is important if you are coming to take photos of the Duomo, or Florence in general; be aware that building works may obscure some of the best shots of the city and its monuments.

Later on, I’ll be posting more videos about the Duomo so follow me on Twitter to find out as soon as it’s live! Do you think that the Duomo is Florence’s biggest or best tourist attraction? Leave your comments below;.

View Larger Map