Florence- my favorite city!!

Aerial view of Florence

Glad to be back for my fourth visit to a favorite city!!

Lovely hill town with amazing architecture

Ponte Vecchio

After great flood in 60's, dams were build along the Arno River

Spectacular synagogue in Florence

Another view of the synangogue

David by Michelangelo at Galleria dell'Accademia

Florence is the capital city of Tuscany. It is the most populous city in Tuscany. Florence was a centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of that era. It is considered the birthplace of the  Renaissance and has been called "the Athens of the Middle Ages." A turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerful Medici  family and numerous religious and republican revolutions. From 1865 to 1871 the city was the capital of the recently established Kingdom of Italy.

The city attracts millions of tourists each year, and the historic center of Florence  was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. The city is noted for its culture, Renaissance art and architecture  and monuments. The city also contains numerous museums and art galleries, such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Pitti Palace, and still exerts an influence in the fields of art, culture and politics. Due to Florence's artistic and architectural heritage, it has been ranked by Forbes as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I agree!!

Returning to Tuscany

Walls of San Gimignano

Piazzo del Campo in Siena

Ponte Vecchio in Florence

Statue of David by Michelangelo at Galleria dell'Accademia

View of Pitigliano

Tuscany is a region in Central Italy with an area of about 8,900 square miles and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (Firenze). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, traditions, history, artistic legacy, and its influence on culture. It is regarded as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and has been home to many figures influential in the history of art and science, and contains well-known museums such as the Uffizi and the Pitti Palace. Tuscany produces  wines and olive oil. Having a strong linguistic and cultural identity, it is sometimes considered "a nation within a nation".

Tuscany is traditionally a popular destination in Italy and the main tourist destinations by number of tourist arrivals are Florence, Pisa, and Montecatini Terme.

Seven Tuscan localities have been designated World Heritage sites: the historic center of Florence (1982); the Cathedral square of Pisa (1987); the historical centre of San Gimignano (1990); the historical centre of Siena (1995); the historical centre of Pienza  (1996); the Val d'Orcia (2004), and the Medici Villas and Gardens (2013). Tuscany has over 120 protected nature reserves, making Tuscany and its capital Florence popular tourist destinations that attract millions of tourists every year. In 2012, the city of Florence was the world's 89th most visited city, with over 1.834 million arrivals.

I have been to Tuscany three times before, but visited some places I had not been and returned to others. This trip I visited San Gimignano,  Montecatini Terme, Monte San Sevino, Chianti, and Ferrara for the first time. I also returned to Florence, Siena, Pitigliano, Venice (not really in Tuscany but always worth a visit)

More details to follow in new posts. Stay tuned...

Tuscany, Italy

Tuscany is know for its exquisite landscapes, its rich legacy and its influence on high culture. It is regarded as the birth place of the Italian Renaissance and has been home to some of the most influential people in the history of arts and science such as Petrarch, Dante, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo Galilei, Amerigo Vespucci and Puccini. The region has major art museums such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Pitti Palace in Florence and other galleries in smaller towns and villages. The area also has a great culinary tradition and is famous for many wines, including Chianti, Vino Nobile de Montepulciano and Morelino de Scansano.

Six localities have been designated as World Heritage sites: the historic center of Florence, the historic center of Siena, the square of the Cathedral of Pisa, the historic center of Pienza and the Val d'Orcia. In addition, 120 natural preserves have been protected, making Tuscany and its capital Florence a very popular tourist destination with millions of tourists coming here every year.

In the next few posts, I will tell you about the towns I visited.

Florence- One of my favorite cities

Florence is a glorious city. Walkable, filled with history, amazing art, outstanding food, great shopping, it is a place to return to many times. This time we stayed in a wonderful pension Hotel Pendini founded in 1879, perfectly located between the Duomo and the Uffizi Gallery. We walked and walked, enjoying every minute of our stay. Since we were there during holiday time, we were surprised at many corners- a carousel, street concerts ( including Strauss waltzes on New Year's Eve,) people on stilts- magic everywhere. And the art!! Like nowhere else...here is a site for museums in Florence

But this time we are traveling through Tuscany and Umbria.