Exploring Florence

Previous post: Exploring Rome

Today’s List:

• Santa Maria Novella
• Duomo di Firenze
• Palazzo Vecchio
• Galleria degli Uffizi
• Ponte Vecchio

Leaving Rome is not an easy thing but it is time to go. In the next two hours, we will begin another adventure in Florence, aka Firenze (Italian) aka Fiorentia (Latin). The city is also the home for the soccer club Fiorentina. Out of Stazione Santa Maria Novella, the central station, we try to find our hotel, Feretti Hotel, that is within the walking distance from there.

Truthfully, the hotel is average, not too good and the worst of that, our room is in 4th fl. It is because of my remark when reserving the hotel. I request for a room with view and to get the view, we have to climb to the highest floor. The hotel keeper told me: You asked for a room with a view and this is the view, that’s the Duomo. (Just the small part of the Duomo since it is hidden under another building).

Walking around Firenze will need your feet only. It takes only 10 minutes for us to reach The Duomo, the domed cathedral of the city or aka Santa Maria del Fiore.

The magnificent dome was built by Filippo Brunelleschi, architects and engineers of the Italian Renaissance. The dome, 600 years after its completion, is still the largest dome built in brick and mortar in the world. The entrance to the church is free and as the other church in Italy, there will be a lot of masterpieces to be enjoyed inside.

Then, there is Piazza San Giovanni, with lots of dove in the yard and where  you could find a lot of gelato bars and restaurants. I could say that this is the tourism city since we could not find an office building here.

Keep walking, in the next 5 minutes, you could find Piazza della Signoria, the L-shaped square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. You could also find Galleria Uffizi and Museo di Storia della scienza. At the entrance, there are a lot of various eye-catching statues in this square, but the most interesting one would be a copy of David. The original by Michelangelo is being kept at the Gallery of the Academy of Fine Arts. Lack of time, we decided that we are not visiting the museum.

To the end of the road, where the Arno River cuts through the old part of the city, you could see The Ponte Vecchio (Italian for Old Bridge). Although there are several similar bridges, Ponte Vecchio is the most famous spot since it is believed that a bridge was first built in Roman times. Another unique fact is Ponte Vecchio still stands during World War II, unlike all other bridges in Florence. This was allegedly because of an express order by Hitler. The view of Goldsmith shop is occupied the bridge and also in love couple.
Keep walking, you could find the branded store such as Salvatore Ferragamo, Burberry, and Bata. What?? Bata?? FYI, Bata is considered as mid level shoes in Indonesia while in here, it is considered as branded shoes.

It’s late in the evening now and what would you feel when you see something like this?

Next post : Exploring Venice