Florence Pass

Description:

Designed by Giotto, the bell tower to the right of Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral was begun by the artist in 1334 but continued by Andrea Pisano (who modified part of the design) following Giotto's death in 1337. Francesco Talenti finally completed it in 1359. Originally the tower was linked to the Duomo via a passageway situated at the level of the first cornice but this was demolished before 1437. Reliefs carved on the side where the passageway once existed are later works by Luca della Robbia; Andrea Pisano's original stone reliefs can be seen in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo. The concepts of universal order and redemption are recurrent themes; hexagonal tiles on the tower's lower level (now replaced by copies) portray scenes from daily human life whilst diamond-shaped reliefs on the upper level illustrate more ethereal subjects in the form of the Planets, Virtue, Liberal Arts and the Sacraments. There's no lift, but climbing the 414 steps to the top of the 85m tower is well worth the effort!

Description:

This Palazzo was commissioned by Filippo Strozzi and the job was undertaken by Benedetto Da Maiano, who began work in 1489. He enlisted the help of Cronaca, who made the splendid jutting cornice in 1502, and who finished the large internal courtyard with porticos on all sides. Even though it was inhabited from 1504 the building was never fully completed, leaving the cornice and the southern facade unfinished. The rustication is present on three sides of the façade, which features many iron embellishments, including torch holders, hooks for horses or standard bearers. Some of these were substituted in the 19th century with exact copies of the designs by Benedetto da Maiano. Today the Palazzo is a famous site for temporary exhibitions which take place in the first floor rooms, while in other rooms accessible from the courtyard are based certain cultural organisations such as the Gabinetto Vieusseux, and the Instituto Nazionale di Studi sul Rinascimento.

Description:

The Loggia dei Lanzi or Loggia della Signoria is a wide-open gallery of great works of art and sculpture. It brings together the piazza with the Uffizi Gallery flowing down into the Arno River. As the Florentines adored this masterpiece, Michelangelo suggested having loggia encompass the whole Piazza della Signoria. The artist or designer of the Loggia dei Lanzi was Orcagna. He built it between 1376 and 1382 when Benci di Cione and Simone Talenti took over. The name Loggia dei Lanzi came from the years the Grand Duke Cosimo I was in power, it was used to keep his Lanzichenecchi(Italian) or Landsknechts(German). Shortening it to Lanzi, these were German mercenary pikemen. As the Uffizi was nearly complete, the Loggia's roof was constructed as a terrace for the Medici so they could watch ceremonies in the piazza away from the peasants. The Loggia's roof was designed by Bernardo Buontalenti. Today, the sculptures of divine beauty that are located inside are Benvenuto Cellini's Perseus, Giambologna's Rape of the Sabine Woman and the Rape of Polyxena by Pio Fedi. Loggia dei Lanzi is gorgeous at night. Take a stroll after dinner... read more

Description:

The Badia Fiorentina is an Benedictine abbey and church home to the Fraternity of Jerusalem.
Located in Via del Proconsolo, Dante was said to have grown up across the street in "Casa di Dante' rebuilt in 1910 as a museum to Dante(it wasn't where he really lived). The Abbey was founded in 978 as a Benedictine institution by Willa, Countess of Tuscany, in rememberence of her late husband Hubert and was one of the chief buildings of medieval Florence. The church's most amazing view is of Filippino Lippi's Madonna Appearing to St. Bernard completed in 1485. Between 1284 and 1310 the church was rebuilt into Gothic style, but in 1307 part of the church was demolished to punish the monks for non-payment of taxes. The church was renovated in a Baroque style between 1627 and 1631. The prominent campanile was completed between 1310 and 1330, is Romanesque at its base and Gothic in its upper stages.

Our Local Expert Says:

"The jewelry is superb and really expensive on the Ponte Vecchio. Grab your camera and catch the Tuscan Hills alive and rolling beyond the city center."

Description:

You can't miss the most recognizable landmark of Florence, the Ponte Vecchio. Constructed in 1345, the Ponte Vecchio is the oldest bridge still standing in Florence, hence the name. The multicolored structure bridge was first home to butcher shops. As the noble bankers would cross the Arno river to their offices, there was a rancid smell of pigs blood and rotted meat which extremely offended them. In an effort to improve the area, the Medici stepped in and ordered the lower class shopkeepers out and moved goldsmiths and diamond-cutters in. Ponte Vecchio is the only bridge that escaped the bombing by the Germans in WWII. Today, now a pedestrian bridge, the shops shimmer and shine with necklaces, rings and charms of the most expensive kind. Tourists can enjoy an early morning walk over the bridge before the shops open or at sunset where lovers stare at the horizon as musicians sing and be merry.

Description:

Of all Florence's major churches, the home of the Dominicans is the only one with an original facade that matches its era of greatest importance. The lower Romanesque half was started in the 14th century by architect Fra' Jacopo Talenti, who had just finished building the church itself (started in 1246). Leon Battista Alberti finished the facade, adding a classically inspired Renaissance top that not only went seamlessly with the lower half but also created a Cartesian plane of perfect geometry.

The church's interior underwent a massive restoration in the late 1990s, returning Giotto's restored Crucifix to pride of place, hanging in the nave's center -- and becoming the first church in Florence to charge admission. Against the second pillar on the left of the nave is the pulpit from which Galileo was denounced for his heretical theory that Earth revolved around the sun. Just past the pulpit, on the left wall, is Masaccio's Trinità (ca. 1428), the first painting ever to use perfect linear mathematical perspective. Florentine citizens and artists flooded in to see the fresco when it was unveiled, many remarking in awe that the coffered ceiling seemed to punch a hole back into space, creating...

Description:

The small temple of San Sepolcro is at the centre of the 14th-century chapel which is annexed to the church of S. Pancrazio, the current home of the museum Marino Marini. It was designed by Giovan Battista Alberti, the architect who was also commissioned to build the family palace. The harmonious proportions of the temple and its antique style make it one of the most important examples of Florentine renaissance architecture. The work was finished in 1467, and was based on the size of the Santo Sepolcro in the Holy Land. The interior frescoes represent the Death and Resurrection of Christ, and Alberti, inspired by the writings that covered the ancient Roman monuments, has inscribed a verse from the Evangelism of St. Mark, dedicated to the Virgin.

Our Local Expert Says:

The lobby is just a prelude to the tastefully appointed rooms.

Description:

Carolus Hotel is located on Via 27 Aprile 3 right near Piazza San Marco. It holds 53 rooms with views that are in an area very residential with churches and monuments in Florence.
Carolus Hotel has an ideal location to enjoy city's culture. All rooms are equipped with modern ammenties like free Wi-Fi internet, satellite TV and soundproofed windows. A neo-classic palazzo which dates back to 1865, Carolus Hotel offers guests a warm and charming atmosphere with a location very close to the city center.

Description:

This is one of Florence's best-loved restaurants. After 65 years of history it still has the reputation with which it began: good Tuscan cooking with few allowances for current fashion. It has all the classic dishes as well as some gems like the controfiletto with balsamic vinegar or the fisherman's scampi. The wine cellar has all the big labels of Tuscany and aged wines from good years. In the simple and elegant room guests quickly feel at ease thanks to the friendly and professional staff.