Europe '81: Florence

September 7, 1981

If you only have one day to spend in Florence, birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, don't go on a Monday. The city's great art museums, like the Uffizi Gallery with Botticelli's Birth of Venus and the Accademia Gallery with Michelangelo's David, will be closed. But this was the day I arrived in Firenze in September of 1981.

Michelangelo's David, Accademia Gallery

My Bucket List: Firenze

I’m very fortunate to have visited the historic city of Florence, not once but three times, and it took me this many tries to accomplish the items on my Bucket List. I saw great works of art at the renowned Uffizi Gallery; toured locations featured in Dan Brown’s novel Inferno; and sampled unique Tuscan cuisine. But no visit to Florence is ever long enough.

Skyline of Firenze, or Florence

Ponte Vecchio, the ‘Old Bridge’ of Florence

Think of Florence, Italy and you probably picture the iconic image of the Ponte Vecchio as well. This bridge is the oldest of six in Florence and one of only four in the world lined with shops. It’s believed a bridge has spanned this section of the Arno River since Roman times and the current structure was built in 1345.  The Ponte Vecchio survived the destruction of World War II, the great flood of 1966 and was recently featured in a novel by Dan Brown.

Ponte Vecchio, Florence

The Top 5 Squares in Florence

In Italy, a public space is called a piazza and the top squares in Florence are found in the city’s historic centre. Some squares took their present form during the Middle Ages; others date back to Roman times. And a hilltop lookout named for a famous Renaissance artist offers panoramic views of the rooftops below. Today they all attract visitors seeking out the history, art and architecture of the great city of Florence.

Piazza della Signoria, Florence

Great Art Museums of Florence

Our tour of Italy last summer first took us to Rome and Capri. Then we said farewell to the beautiful island of the Sirens and ventured inland and north to the region of Tuscany, a land of sunflowers, hill towns and the birthplace of the Renaissance. We arrived in Florence mid-afternoon and started our visit on a high note, touring two of the world’s greatest art museums: the Accademia Gallery and the Uffizi Gallery.

Tuscan Field of Sunflowers

The Palazzo Vecchio, Florence

One of my favourite spots in Florence is Piazza della Signoria, a busy square dominated by the fortress-like Palazzo Vecchio. As a fan of Dan Brown's novel, Inferno, I toured the palazzo's museum to see some of the items mentioned in the book for myself, like the Hall of Five Hundred, the Mappa Mundi and Dante's Death Mask.

The Palazzo Vecchio, Florence

Dan Brown's Inferno: More Florence in Photos

My trip to Italy last month took me back to Florence and Venice, two major locations in Dan Brown's novel, Inferno. Earlier blog posts included photos of some of the sites in Florence and Venice featured in the story but after reading the book, I was eager to visit the sites I hadn't explored before. My first stop was Florence, centre of the Renaissance and birthplace of Dante Alighieri.

Dan Brown's Inferno: The Art

Dan Brown's latest bestseller, Inferno, centres on the writings of 14th century Florentine poet Dante Alighieri. The Divine Comedy details the journey of the departed as they descend through the various levels of Hell, Purgatory and Heaven, and the images conjured by Dante influenced artists for centuries to follow.

Portrait of Dante, Botticelli
(WikiPaintings)

Dan Brown's Inferno: Florence in Photos

Dan Brown's latest novel, Inferno, was released on May 14th, just in time for a rainy long weekend. It was hard to put the book down as I followed Robert Langdon on another thrilling chase through the streets of Florence and Venice. And it prompted me to look up my photos of some of the locations from the book.

Inferno opens with a mysterious character running north from the Arno River, behind a palazzo with a crenellated tower, through Piazza di San Firenze toward the spire of the Badia.

Palazzo Vecchio, Florence

Piazza di San Firenze and the Badia Spire

Dinner in Tuscany

It was our second day in Florence on Trafalgar's Contrasts of Europe train tour through England, France and Italy. The morning coffee on tour has been very good. And the coffee machine in the ornate breakfast room at the Boscolo Astoria was designed to dispense any number of variations on the standard cup of java - espresso, latte, cappuccino. It resembled a Las Vegas slot machine with its many lights and buttons.

Ceiling of the Boscolo  Astoria Breakfast Room

Renaissance Florence

Venezia, May 2010 - We were in Venice on Trafalgar's Contrasts of Europe train tour through England, France and Italy. And now we were headed to the rail station for our morning journey to that Renaissance jewel, Florence.

It was a short trip from Venice, and too early for check-in, so we dropped off our bags at the Boscolo Astoria  before embarking on a city orientation tour. After returning to the hotel, we ventured out in search of lunch. We didn't walk far before we found the Trattoria La Madia and settled into a sidewalk table with a couple of fellow Canadians from our group. The sun wasn't shining, but at least it wasn't raining. And I enjoyed the tagliatelle with crab and lemon. This restaurant would also be the site for our group dinner that evening.

Trattoria La Madia, Florence