One of my favorite cities in the world—the place where my husband and I want to spend the rest of our life when I retire from academia is Florence, Italy. It is a magnificent, almost magical, city filled with art and history around every corner. With so many treasures packed into one city, there are many people who descend upon it every year which is why getting tickets to some of its most famed attractions can be a nightmare.
The Italian Renaissance was a time of optimism with hope that a new age marked by artistic expression, intellectualism, and innovation would emerge. For a Florentine family called the Medici, it was a very prosperous time. Banking made them a fortune and they came to dominate the city. With great appreciation for culture and the arts, Cosimo de’ Medici (the Elder) paid creative geniuses like Fra Angelico and Donatello to create gorgeous art. Medici’ patronage of the arts flourished on an even grander scale with Cosimo’s grandson, Lorenzo (the Magnificent), who hired Michelangelo, da Vinci, Botticelli, and other masters. He and his colleagues supported philosophers who emphasized humanism—putting critical and rational thinking over religious dogma and superstition. Humanists valued classical learning and study of the humanities. This classical revival is evident in the art and architecture of the time. Since the Italian Renaissance started in Florence, you can really immerse yourself in the era just walking through the historic center.
Florence is an open-air museum and much of its art and culture can wow you just from walking around, but to really take in all that Firenze (as it’s called in Italy) has to offer, you will want to check out Florence’s hot spots.
Top things to do
- Walk the Oltrarno (The Oltrarno is the other side of the Arno River from the historic center.)
- Take a food tour (Tuscany has some of the most delicious food in the world in my opinion.)
- Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria (This is Florence’s city hall and public square. The palace is gorgeous and there are many fabulous statues/fountains in the square. It’s a great place to be part of the merriment of Florence.)
- Duomo, Baptistery, Duomo Museum (The Duomo complex is amazing. If you can, climb Brunelleschi’s dome for fantastic views. The church itself isn’t that amazing, but the crypt inside is quite neat. The Baptistery has some of the finest mosaics I’ve seen. The museum is filled with…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Roaming Historian…