An Autumn Walk South Of The Arno

Autumn in Florence is an enchanting time of year. September may be the month of change but it doesn’t start to get cold until October and even then, days around 20 degrees Celsius are not unheard of. So, what can you do in a city such as Florence when the leaves start to turn brown and sunbathing isn’t an option? One of the best things to do is go for a walk. The historic centre of Florence is a marvel but many tourists never venture far from the Ponte Vecchio and, as a result, they see what they expect to see but nothing more. As with many cities that are on a river, Florence’s Arno River provides a focal point and a good route to follow; you can’t really get lost!

For this video, I took one of my favourite routes, out of town in a Easterly direction, following the Northern bank of the River Arno as far as Ponte San Niccolo where I crossed the river. From there, the fitter tourist can choose to take the longer route up to Piazzale Michelangelo by Viale Michelangelo or, even better, take the old Via dell’Erta Canina. In the video, you can see the old cobbled road that rises above Florence – it’s steep, so you’ll need to be in shape – and from the top, you will have a great view of the Duomo in the South as well as San Miniato Al Monte in the East. If you continue along the road, you will pass the Paraguayan Consulate (of all things!) and eventually reach Viale Galileo where you can turn left and walk back down to the Piazzale.

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) 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.

Boboli Gardens or Giardino di Boboli

The Boboli Gardens or locally, Giardino di Boboli (ooh, he speaks Italian) are behind the Pitti Palace and are home to a collection of sculptures dating from the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries, with some Roman antiquities. Plus there are some, ah, more recent additions scattered about the place. There’s a sculpture of what looks like dung beetles fighting; that’s my favourite.

The Boboli Gardens really are huge and it is possible to get (deliberately) lost in them for hours. Unfortunately, it is a constant work in progress so there will be barriers and “No Entry” signs here and there but with so many of the major works completed, the place really is a marvel in the centre of a city such as Florence.

A 10 Euro ticket from Giardino Bardini gives you access to the Giardino di Boboli which is easily enough walking and garden viewing for a whole day but if you want to go to see other museums on your trip to Florence, Alexandra at ArtTrav.com has some really useful information on how you can see everything on on ticket and skip the queues!

Giardino Bardini – Florence’s Newest Renaissance Garden

The Giardino Bardini was only recently opened to the public and the gardens and statues have been beautifully restored. The main entrance is on Via de’ Bardi, just over the road from the Museo Bardini (see Google StreetView below) although the shop and another exit can be found on Costa di San Giorgio. From there, you can walk to Forte di Belevedere* and the Giardino di Boboli for which your ticket is valid. Entrance at the time of writing (August 2009) is 10 Euros.

The Garden is marvellous, especially in the early morning. If you are lucky, you can have the place to yourself (as I did) by going when it opens at 8:15. Be aware that the shop opens at 9 and the cafe doesn’t open until 10. The early morning start is worth it though as the sun hits the terraces and it’s also not too hot for the climb to the top. Once you are up there, if you exit on Costa di San Giorgio (turn left and follow the signs)  you can walk a short distance to the Giardino di Boboli and you enter at the top; it’s all downhill after that!

This video was made after a suggestion from RobertaK on Twitter. Send me a suggestion and if I can, I’ll shoot the video! Aren’t I good to you?

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*Unfortunately, a young woman lost her life at the Fort and it is now closed until it the investigation has completed

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.
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Piazzale Michelangelo At Sunset Or Sunrise?

Although I have put this post in the Piazze category, it’s not actually a piazza but a “Piazzale” (it isn’t surrounded by buildings). Whatever the specifics, Piazzale Michelangelo should definitely be the place you spend your first Florentine sunset. Or, for the brave, your first Florentine dawn. There are various organised tours to suit all budgets from hop-on hop-off bus tours to a personal guided visit:

In the evenings groups gather on the west-facing steps to see the sunset. The light in summer is very orange and makes everything (and everyone!) glow. You can watch the sun setting over the hills of Tuscany and perhaps join in with the spontaneous round of applause when it finally disappears. It is truly a unique moment in any trip to Florence or indeed, Italy.

Dawn visits are strictly for the keen photographers or masochistic tourists. The thousands of vistas that populate Flickr are often taken from Piazzale Michelangelo and the Duomo is illuminated in the early morning but shadowed later in the day. Getting up there is quite a walk for those disinclined towards exercise (see the video) but most people can get up there without resorting to the chair lift.

Only joking; there is no chair lift, sorry.

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Piazza Santa Croce

In the East of the old town, Piazza Santa Croce is one the nicest and least touristy Piazze in Florence. There are artists and the shops are not aimed at locals in the main but sitting on the steps outside the church and having a drink is highly recommended!

Public drinking of alcohol is perfectly acceptable here and so a bottle of wine or beer from one of the local shops can be a great way to save money for doing something more exciting like the 500 Touring Club’s wine tasting tour!

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