63. Florence Part 2. Travel to Florence Italy. Come on a Oltrarno Tuscan food tour. Visit the Accademia Gallery, Uffizi Gallery, Piazza Della Republica, Piazalle Michelangelo
Have you wondered what is like to travel to the beautiful city of Florence and stand in front of some of the most famous art works in the world?
Well we share what that is like as we visit Michelangelo’s David, see Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and dozens more famous pieces. To say we were impressed is a massive understatement.
After visiting all the famous galleries we embark on a fantastic wine and food tour where our very passionate guide shares the secret of the dark side of Florence and takes us on a taste sensation tour of the Florence and Tuscan region through local authentic restaurants.
We also go to a place to drink wine that is totally unique and can only be found in Florence. I was so excited.
We tell you where you can find the best panoramic views of the city – and the best time to go there and how we ended up back in front of the Duomo late at night watching a football match between my English premier league team and Firenze football club.
This episode covers it all – food, wine, art, nature, football, history, food and wine – you get the idea. So please enjoy episode 63 – part two of our Florence series.
Oh and don’t forget if you know someone planning a trip to Italy – then please share our Italian series with them by sending them to www.beachtravelwine.com/italy
show notes and pictures below
Piazza Della Repubblica
This gorgeous large plaza marks the centre of Florence since Roman times. We walked through the plaza every day - sometimes a couple of times a day as it is on the main walking route to the important attractions of the city.
There is a carousel that has been an iconic attraction since it opened in 1871. It is really pretty when it is lit up at night.
Also in the plaza you will see many street artists after sunset. The plaza is lined with historic cafes and restaurants and some fancy hotels like the Savoy.
The Arcone Triumphal Arch was built in 1895 to celebrate the transformation of the plaza.
The Bardini Gardens
On the southern side of the river is an area called Lungarno. There are many restaurants here and it is a much quieter area. We had lunch here and then walked past the Bardini Gardens. The four hectare Renaissance gardens are famous for the wisteria tunnel, the baroque stairs and the views of the city.
Piazzale Michelangelo
Once you pass the Bardini Gardens you can see Piazzale Michelangelo which sits on the top of a 600 metre hill and it is here that you definitely see the most impressive views of the panorama of the whole city and of course the Duomo with its bell tower and dome.
This is the most famous observation point in the city and you can walk around the pathway and see views to each side of the city. It is a 25 minute walk from the historic centre of Florence. The most popular time to visit the Piazzale is at sunset. There are many tours that will take you at sunset if you don’t want to walk.
Food and Wine Tour
One of the things we like to do when we are in a new city, especially one with such a reputation for delicious food as Florence, is to do a food and wine tour with a local.
We did the Oltrarno (which is a suburb on the southern side of the Arno River) Sunset food and wine tour. You can see the tour here. Oltrarno Sunset Food and Wine Tour
Our tour guide was Lorenzo and he was an amazing, enthusiastic and fun guy. He told us all about what he calls the dark side of Florence. He took us to four different restaurants where we ate delicious food from the Tuscan region and drank very nice wine as well. Each stop was unique and we finished with the famous Florentine steak and of course a limoncello and gelato. It was a fabulous and enjoyable evening, and we would definitely recommend doing this tour.
Wine Windows of Florence
One of the main reasons I chose this tour was because it included having a wine at one of the famous wine windows that can only be found in Florence. The wine windows are centuries old and there used to be thousands of them. The home owners would sell their excess wine through the windows without having to pay tax on having a shop. Now many of the wine windows are gone or have been converted into mail boxes or decorations on the outside of the buildings. There are a small number still operating in Florence and as you can see from the pictures we did have a wine from a wine window. I was very excited as it is such a unique thing to do.
The Accademia Gallery
The Accademia Gallery is one of the most visited and famous in Florence because it is where the original statue of David is housed. It was established in 1784 and the statue of David has been there since 1873. I didn’t think I would be that impressed by David, but to see it up close was mesmerizing. The statue is 5.17 metres (17 feet) tall. It symbolises independence and strength in the perfect image of youthful beauty. Michelangelo made David’s skin look soft, not like hard marble at all. It was originally made to sit atop the Duomo, but luckily it didn’t get there and is now available for everyone to take selfies with.
Uffizi Gallery
Another world-famous gallery in Florence is the Uffizi Gallery. This gallery is spread over three floors with 45 halls. There is a semi-circle courtyard space between the two long galleries of the Uffizi and around the perimeter of the courtyard are 28 statues of famous Italian men, including Leonardo Da Vinci, Dante, Giotti and Donatello.
Some of the more famous artworks held here include The Birth of Venus by Boticelli painted in 1842. (picture 2 above) It is in the largest room and has other artworks by Boticelli as well.
There is room dedicated to Caravaggio and another to Leonardo Da Vinci. This gallery is bursting at the seams with famous artwork. You need a few hours to explore and make sure to go early when the crowds are smaller so you an get up close to the stunning masterpieces. Even if your not an art lover - you will be amazed by this gallery.
We had lots of time just to wander the streets and explore. The city is full of fashion shops, leather shops and lovely little hidden courtyards full of ceramics.
If you would like to know all the details and stories from these few days in Florence then click the podcast player above. If you would like to know more about our Italian podcast series then click the button below. We would really appreciate it if you know anyone planning a trip to Italy, if you would share our podcast, blog and information with them. They will thank you for it and so will we.