Today, the beautiful city of Florence was honored to receive a visit by Pope Francis. Despite the proximity to Rome and the Vatican City, this is an event that doesn't happen very often. We have to go back in history for almost thirty years to see another Pope in Florence, it was John Paul II in 1986, and another twenty years to see Paul VI, who celebrated the mass for Christmas in Florence after the devastating flood of the river Arno in 1966. … [Read more...] about Pope Francis in Florence – Photo Gallery
Blog
Florence off the beaten path
Your friends have been to Florence before, and they told you which are the top attractions to see: Uffizi, Duomo, David. I totally agree, but can't keep from telling you that there are many more attractions in Florence, so many that you could spend a month here without completing your tour. So many people, when they ask me to arrange a private tour with them, also ask to add some off the beaten path attraction. Of course, if you have limited time, focus on the top attractions. But if you have … [Read more...] about Florence off the beaten path
Vasari Corridor – The most exclusive attraction in Florence
UPDATE (July 2016): the Vasari Corridor is closed for restoration works. No reopening date has been announced. My daily bread and butter as a tourist guide in Florence is the Vasari Corridor Tour, inside one of the most inaccessible and exclusive attractions in Florence. Many tourists didn't even know the Vasari Corridor existed until recently when it became popular being part of Robert Langdon's itinerary in Dan Brown's Inferno. In this article, I would like to go through the history of this … [Read more...] about Vasari Corridor – The most exclusive attraction in Florence
Duomo in Florence
What is the Duomo in Florence? It is not just the greatest church of the city: it is a complex of monuments, all accessible with one single ticket, and it is the most important of the city attractions. All this complex is managed by a private institution, the Opera del Duomo, which exists since 1296. It was created to build the Cathedral, then took care of the maintaining the church and preserving the historical memory of how the building has changed over time. This included storing the statues … [Read more...] about Duomo in Florence
The Uffizi Gallery – Temple of the Renaissance
The Uffizi Gallery is one of the top Florence Italy attractions; it is the most famous museum in Florence and one of the most famous in the world. The Uffizi palace, whose construction was begun by Giorgio Vasari in 1560, by order of Cosimo I de Medici Grand Duke of Tuscany, was the seat of public offices. The palace is most famous for hosting one of the world's largest collections of works of art; Among the artists whose works are in the Uffizi : Botticelli (Birth of Venus, La Primavera), … [Read more...] about The Uffizi Gallery – Temple of the Renaissance
Accademia Gallery – Home of David
The Accademia was born in 1563 as the Art of Drawings Academy, founded by Cosimo de Medici Grand Duke of Tuscany. The first director of the Academy was Michelangelo Buonarroti. In 1784, the Grand Duke of Tuscany Pietro Leopoldo, in an effort to simplify the administration of the country, combined together the Art of Drawings Academy with more schools, originating the Academy of Fine Arts (Accademia di Belle Arti). In the same year, the base for the institution became a palace in via Ricasoli, … [Read more...] about Accademia Gallery – Home of David