During Chinese National Day Holidays of 2016, I took some additional days off and caught a flight to Rome for two weeks long road trip across Italy, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City. After our first stop at the Leaning Tower of Pisa, we drove to a very beautiful old city of Florence (Italian: Firenze), the capital city of the Tuscany region.
The present city of Florence was established by Julius Caesar in 59 BC as a settlement for his veteran soldiers and was named originally Fluentia. During Second millennium, after a long period as a flourishing trading and banking medieval commune, it became one of the wealthiest cities of that era. It was the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. It was politically, economically, and culturally one of the most important cities in Europe and the world from the 14th to 16th centuries. The language spoken in the city during the 14th century, the Florentine dialect, came to be accepted as the model for what would become the base of Standard Italian and it became the language of culture throughout Italy.
Florence was home to Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Dante, Machiavelli, Galileo, and generations of the Medici family, its most-renowned rulers and one of European history’s most important noble families. Florentine navigator, Amerigo Vespucci, gave his name to two continents (South America and North America).
From 1865 to 1871 the city served as the capital of the Kingdom of Italy (established in 1861).
The entire historic city center of Florence was inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List in 1982. Florence is my personal favorite, the most beautiful city I visited in Italy. Few cities are so compact in size and so packed with extraordinary art and architecture masterpieces at every turn.
Pictures below are from our couple of days of walking around the old city of Florence.
Welcome to beautiful city of Florence, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A beautiful Manhole Cover with Florence’s Coat of Arms. Santa Maria del Fiore, also known as the Duomo di Firenze is the city’s beautiful cathedral, the symbol of the city. It’s huge dome was an engineering feat of the Renaissance. Its construction was begun in 1296 and was structurally completed by 1436, with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi. The basilica is one of Italy’s largest churches, and until the development of new structural materials in the modern era, the dome was the largest in the world. It remains the largest brick dome ever constructed.Giotto’s Campanile, a free-standing campanile (Bell Tower) that is part of the complex of buildings that make up Florence Cathedral on the Piazza del Duomo. Standing adjacent to the Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore and the Baptistry of St. John, the tower is one of the showpieces of Florentine Gothic architecture.Admiring the Piazza del Duomo.One of the side street near the Duomo di Firenze.The Duomo di Firenze after Dark.The Palazzo Vecchio, the town hall of Florence that overlooks the Piazza della Signoria, which holds a copy of Michelangelo’s David statue, and the gallery of statues in the adjacent Loggia dei Lanzi. The solid fortress constructed in 1299, Palazzo Vecchio is the main symbol of civil power for the city of Florence.Ponte Vecchio the oldest and most famous bridge over the Arno; the only Florentine bridge to survive WW2. The Ponte Vecchio is lined with shops, traditionally mostly jewelers since the days of the Medici.Another view of Ponte Vecchio the oldest and most famous bridge over the Arno.Covered walkway next to Ponte Vecchio.Walking near the Arno river.Residential neighborhood in the old town. Best view of Florence from the Piazzale Michelangelo.Bridges of Florence from the Piazzale Michelangelo.Florence from the Piazzale Michelangelo: Palazzo Vecchio, The Duomo, and The basilica of Santa Maria NovellaWedding celebration at the Piazzale Michelangelo.Breakfast with the best view of FlorenceMy friend from Shanghai who was working in Rome at that time and joined me on this road trip.Must have Gelato while in Italy.Italian Coffee at the Caffe Rivoire, one of the oldest cafe in Florence.Italian Coffee at the Caffe Rivoire, one of the oldest cafe in Florence.Enjoying Birra Moretti La Rossa after a day of exploring a beautiful city of Florence.Got to have Chilled Sambuca while visiting Italy! one of my favorite after dinner anise-flavored liqueur.
After couple of days in UNESCO World Heritage City of Florence, we drove to visit Cinque Terre, a string of centuries-old seaside villages on the rugged Italian Riviera coastline.
In May 2017, 23 days before I was going to complete 50 years, grabbed an opportunity and took an early retirement.. Picked up a backpack and traveling ever since.. Love to travel around the world, experience different culture, local cuisine & drinks .. and take pictures.. so far been to 108 countries and still counting...
Window on the World 