There is just something so special about Florence, Italy. It is surprisingly more romantic than I imagined! It is a wonderful place to wander and soak up the Renaissance and Medieval architecture and culture the regional capital of Tuscany has to offer.
Landmarks to Explore
Ponte Vecchio
Nearby the piazza is the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge. So many tourists gather on the bridge as if to ignore the fact that all the retail stores are already closed. Yet, it is still lively, with musicians, families, lovers, and friends alike, gathering to snap photos north and south of the waters to capture their moment in time here.
Piazza della Signoria
This is an open-air plaza where the Palazzo Vecchio, the town hall is situated with its museum. In this plaza, we see a large open square lined with open-air restaurants and sculptures. One of the sculptures is the replica of David by Michelangelo. It looks so festive with everyone wandering and enjoying their day.
Come back in the evening during the summer and it becomes even more lively! It is such a romantic scene. If you are lucky, you can catch a symphony playing in the plaza with diners in the lined restaurants around the plaza enjoying their meal to the music. My poor soul cannot take any more of how charming Florence surprised me to be!
Basilica di Santa Croce
The eye-catching Basilica di Santa Croce cannot be ignored as it stands tall and stately. This is the largest Franciscan church in Florence. It houses the burial place for famous Italians such as Michelangelo and Galileo.
Museums
Uffizi Gallery
The Uffizi Gallery is a memorable and large art museum worth visiting. There is so much to see and it is recommended to book your ticket in advance to make the most of your time. It houses famous paintings such as The Birth of Venus by Botticelli and Annunciation by Leonardo da Vinci and Andrea del Verrocchio among other great displays.
Il Grande Museo del Duomo
The Il Grande Museo del Duomo is also worth visiting next to the duomo when you make a timed entry.
I particularly enjoy the ornate and gold displays that are the large wooden doors that were once the entrances of basilicas or cathedrals. What is most impressive to me is that in addition, each frame of the door had its own scene encrusted in gold.
It is fascinating to see how the Duomo was built and all the architectural choices that came about. There are also many artistic artifacts and artwork seen here as well.
Breathtaking views
Florence’s Cathedral and the Duomo
Do not miss Florence’s magnificent Renaissance dome, the Duomo. Make sure you reserve your tickets in advance with a time slot to make it to the top of the dome and bell tower.
If you aren’t afraid of heights and cramped spaces, go to the very top for breathtaking views of Florence 360 degrees.
Piazzale Michelangelo
Make it in time for the romantic view of Florence during sunset at the Piazzale Michelangelo. We climb up and down hills and then up again the steep steps up into the piazzale. We hear groups of tourists yell below when they discover how many more steep steps it is to get to the top. So funny…I can relate.
We come up from the top and veer left to find large crowds of people sitting on the steps and along the walls of the entire plaza, enjoying the beautiful views. There is a keyboardist playing romantic light piano pieces to accompany the view. Many of us snap photos to hold on to the scenery forever. The city lights begin to twinkle and the sky turns warm colors of orange-yellow and red to a sheer darker blue.
Delicious Food Options
Mercato Centrale Firenze
For dinner, we go to Mercato Centrale Firenze, which is a fascinating market hall building that hosts local vendors on the first floor and food vendors on the second floor. It is neatly laid out and very difficult for us to decide what we want to eat. There are many vendors and choices. What is interesting is that we need to find a cashier in the center of the floor to tell them and pay for what we want first, and then take the receipt to the vendor for them to give us the food we purchased for.
We try the tripe sandwich, which is a Florentine specialty sandwich. The sandwich has a gamey flavor with a kick to it. It was moist since he also dipped the bun into the au jus before he put it together and gave it to us.
Cucina Torcicoda
For dinner, we come across a restaurant that is Michelin Guide recommended called Cucina Torcicoda. It has two sides to the restaurant-one fine dining and the other a pizza joint.
We went with the casual pizza joint. We ordered the Caprese and Margherita. Both were amazing! They even split the pizzas for us since we told them we were sharing them. This is probably the first “Mmm” I am able to get out of Verna since she is also very particular about the food. This is a good sign! I dig in and I agree with my “Mmm” that the pizzas were crispy and doughy where they need to be, the ingredients fresh and tasty. In Italy, they eat pizza with a fork and knife. I want to just plant my face into it and get more of it in my mouth, but restrained myself.
For dessert, we decided to try the Florentine dessert, Zuccotto. It has a strong alcohol flavor that is soaked into the sponge cake, but inside it, there is surprise mousse with chocolate bits. It has currants on top and fresh berry sauce swirled around. We leave with a happy tummy and satisfied foodie soul.
Affordable Accommodation
Hotel Santa Croce
For an authentic and affordable experience of what it is like to live how Michaelangelo and Italians lived, stay at the historical and modest Hotel Santa Croce in the historic art district. Very friendly service and a great location that is close to major attractions. Stay here and you are staying next to where the famous Michelangelo had grown up in. Down the street, we can see Basilica di Santa Croce which is where Michelangelo, Galileo, and other notable Italians rest.
