Florence also known as the “Athens of the Middle Ages” was the 6th stop in our history trip. We took an Italo Treno from Rome to reach Florence. After Florence we went to Venice.
Day 0: We reached Florence at 6 pm. We walked to our Air BNB from Firenze Santa Maria Novella (SMN) railway station. We unpacked and immediately went out to explore the neighborhood. We had Spaghetti Carbonara for dinner and topped the meal with Cannoli from Arà: è Sicilia.
Day 1: After an early morning breakfast, we headed to the Uffizi Gallery [Tue-Sun: 8:15 am – 6:50 pm]. It’s advisable to reach early to avoid the crowd and the queue. The Uffizi ticket price is 20€ and it allows free admission to the National Archeological Museum and the Museum of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure. Don’t miss Sandro Boticelli’s The Birth of Venus, Primavera and Portrait of a Man with a Medal of Cosimo the Elder; Leonardo da Vinci’s Annunciation and the Adoration of the Magi; Caravaggio’s Medusa; Adoration of the Christ Child by Gerard van Honthorst; Pietà by Pietro Perugino; Titian’s Venus of Urbino and Bacchus by Caravaggio. Also, get awestruck by the marble sculpture of Laocoon and his sons.
In the second half we visited the world famous Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Day 2: Early morning we queued up at Galleria dell’Accademia [Price: 20€; Open: Tue-Sun: 8:15 am – 6:50 pm; Pre-book is recommended in peak seasons. Among the numerous amazing artefacts, the one that stands out with most glory is David by Michelangelo.
We walked over to Ponte Vecchio (famous bridge with shops over it). This bridge has a long history.
Don’t miss the special tradition of Il Porcellino in Florence. Put a coin into the wild boar's jaws, and let it slide down and fall. It is considered good luck if the coin passes through the grating placed below. , remember to rub the boar's snout to ensure a revisit to Florence.
At day’s end we headed to Mercato Centrale for an authentic Italian dinner the local style.
Day 3: In the first half we went to see the Duomo of Florence (we did not enter) and Giotto’s Campanile. Florence has been the resting place for many famous artists like Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Dante, Galileo Galilei and to pay respect to them we visited the Basilica of Santa Croce [Ticket: 8€ ; Open all days: 9.30am-5pm].
The same day we took a train from Florence (SMN station) to Venice (Venezia Santa Lucia).
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