Firenze Attractions, Italy

Ponte Vecchio
It is possible that the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, the "Old Bridge" at the narrowest point on the Arno River, dates back to Etruscan times. It is known for certain this is where there was a wooden bridge for the Roman consular road, the Via Cassia, to cross the river. On account of its age the Ponte Vecchio has undergone more repair following collapse or flooding than any other bridge in the city.
Shops and dwellings have been built on it since the 13th century. It was convenient for the butchers who could throw their waste straight into the river, to the delight of the fish and those Florentines who had to keep the city clean. The number of shops increased to such an extent, however, that Grand Duke Ferdinando I decreed "for the benefit of strangers" that only goldsmiths might have shops on the bridge, a ruling that has been observed right up to the present day.
In the middle of the bridge is a bust of Florence's most famous goldsmith, Benvenuto Cellini (1900).
The Corridoio Vasariano, constructed in the 16th century to link the Palazzo Vecchio and the Palazzo Pitti, leads through the first story of houses on the bridge.
The shops on the bridge are renowned for their gold and jewelry.

Battistero San Giovanni
The "Baptistry of St John" or, in Dante's words, "il bel San Giovanni", was completed about 1128 after 70 years of building. It is famous for the three massive bronze doors on the south, north and east sides and for the magnificent mosaics in its octagonal interior.
A number of builders were responsible for the construction of what, after 1128, was to serve as a baptistry. Its pleasing proportions and green and white marble scheme of decoration made it an architectural masterpiece that was to serve as a model for other European buildings. The three bronze portals - works of sculpture unsurpassed in the Western world - were added in the 15th century.


Bargello Palace and National Museum (photo - left)
The massive bulk of the sturdy tower and crenellated walls of the Bargello, the mighty palace that the citizens of Florence built after 1250 as testimony to their victory over the nobility, is one of the city's landmarks. Located in Piazza San Firenze, between Via del Proconsolo, Via delle Vigna Vecchia, Via dell'Acqua and Via Ghibellina, nowadays it houses the National Museum (Museo Nazionale del Bargello).

Loggia dei Lanzi
Also known as the Loggia della Signoria, the Loggia dei Lanzi owes its name to the "Lanzichenecchi", or "Landsknechte", the German lancers stationed here as his guard by Cosimo I. Known too as the Loggia dell'Orcagna (after Orcagna, a major artist and its possible architect), this arcade on Florence's main square was built between 1376 and 1382 under the direction of Benci di Cione and Simone di Francesco Talenti, and it precisely counterpoints the Palazzio Vecchio.

Cathedral Belfry
One of the great landmarks of Florence, the Campanile, the cathedral belfry, 82m/269ft high and 14.5m/47.6ft wide, was begun in 1334 by Giotto (di Bordone). After his death in 1337, Andrea Pisano continued the building of the belfry in accordance with Giotto's plans but his successor, Francesco Talenti, deviated from the original design. The tower was completed in 1387.
The building is characterized by the harmony of its dimensions, the strength of the octagonal pillars, the delicate articulation of the intervening walls and the intricate alternation of the colors of the marble. It is decorated on the lowest story by two rows of panels containing allegorical bas-reliefs. Most of the hexagonal panels are by Andrea Pisano, who worked to Giotto's designs, and Luca della Robbia. They depict the life of Man, his work and his art.

Palazzo Vecchio (Palazzo della Signoria)
The austere beauty of the city and the pride and tenacity of the people of Florence are embodied in the Palazzo Vecchio (or della Signoria) in a unique way.
The city's principal palace came into existence when Florence was beginning its rise to power and greatness, was a witness to the decades of its artistic and cultural heyday, and stayed on as the symbol of its glorious past. The defiant fortress-like structure of the main building serves to express the power exercised by the Florentine community from the 14th to the 16th century; its bold and lofty tower (94m/308ft), with its clock dating from 1353, symbolizes the fierce pride of the people of Florence, while the furnishings within the palace reflect their love of art.
Arnolfo di Cambio is said to have begin the building (1299-1314). Thereafter several patrons and architects (Michelozzo) were responsible for modifying the work and for the additions and alterations. Initially the palace was the official residence of the Priors (Palazzo dei Priori) and the Gonfaloniere, which therefore made it the seat of the governing body of the Republic, the "Signoria". Its other names, Palazzo del Popolo and Palazzo del Comune, are accounted for by the republican-democratic nature of Florence, even when it was ruled by the Medici, although they governed from their palace, the Palazzo Medici. It was Cosimo I, Duke then Grand Duke of Tuscany, who moved into the city's principal palace in 1540, after which it was known as the Palazzo Ducale (Ducal Palace). Soon, however, he moved into the Palazzo Pitti, so the name of Palazzo Vecchio (old palace) became current. Between 1865 and 1872, during the Italian struggle for unity, it was for a while the seat of the Government, the Chamber of Deputies and the Foreign Ministry. Thereafter it became the equivalent of the City Hall, and the state rooms were thrown open to the public as a museum.

Galleria degli Uffizi
The Uffizi contains one of the most important collections of paintings in the world, which, besides Florentine and Italian art, also includes a large number of foreign works and valuable Classical sculpture. The collections began as the private gallery of the Medici princes, and were bequeathed to the city of Florence by the Electress Anna Maria Ludovica von der Pfalz, the last heiress of the house of Medici, who died in 1743.
The Uffizi are, however, valued not simply for their paintings, but also for the beautiful setting they provide, and the corridors are bedecked with oriental grotesques, Classical sculpture and precious tapestries.
The greatest treasure is undoubtedly the unique collection of Florentine Renaissance painting, deemed a vital part of this city's contribution to European art. These works from the Florence of between about 1300 and 1500 set the trend for the whole of Western art, so the following pages therefore briefly introduce and interpret a representative selection of them. This account follows the hanging of the pictures in chronological order according to when they were painted, beginning with Room 2 on the second floor of the Uffizi and making it relatively easy to follow the museum's own tour guideline. However, beyond Room 13, an octagonal gallery in the Tribune, the works are no longer in chronological order, but according to schools, regions and countries (e.g. German, Dutch, North Italy, etc.) from about 1500 to 1700.

Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore
Florence's cathedral is more than the symbol of the city. Together with the Campanile and the Baptistery it forms one of the most magnificent works of art in the world. Florentines could not live without a glimpse of the dome of their cathedral. It would seem that when Michelangelo created the dome of St Peter's he was seeking to transplant Brunelleschi's masterpiece from his native city of Florence to Rome.
At the end of the 13th century the citizens of Florence, conscious of the growing importance of their city, wanted to erect a great new edifice on the site of the church of Santa Reparata that would surpass the other churches in the city in its beauty and its dimensions.

europe, map of europe, travel europe, 89 europe, europe tour, eastern europe, flight to europe, great britain europe, europe cruise, europe vacation, history of europe, travel europe france, map of western europe, britain europe general great, cheap flight to europe, europe car rental, europe news, wow europe, rail europe, map of eastern europe, western europe, europe trip, europe travel guide, backpacking europe, europe hotel, central europe, europe germany, europe travel package, nfl europe, eastern europe travel, europe ireland, europe train, cheap travel europe, blank map of europe,  europe river cruise, europe airfare, ski europe, cheap airfare to europe, europe country,  country in europe, holiday, visit europe, europe france, europe atlas, union europe, europe beach, cheap ticket to europe, united kingdom and europe,