At the entrance to Florence, we stop at the checkpoint with the bus and we learn that Italy you have to pay at the entrances of important touristic cities. This application, which we have not seen in any other European country, surprises us.. The entrance of 1 tourist bus is around 230 Euros.
Florence and the Medici Family
Florence, by the Arno river, BC. Established in 30 years. Thanks to the Medici family, it became a great cultural and economic center in the medieval period.. 13 – 17. The Medici family, which ruled for 4 centuries from the 16th century onwards, was a very wealthy family engaged in banking and trade.. In the meantime, they gave great importance to art and culture.. Great painters and sculptors such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti have made their works for this family.
Florence, It is known as the largest cathedral and sculpture city of the Renaissance.
Places to Visit in Florence:
1. Piazza della Signaria
The most impressive square of the city, Piazza della Signaria, that is, Senior’s Square.
In the Middle Ages, this square was the heart of the city, still is so is it. On one side of the square is the Palace of the Medici family. The upper part of the walls of the palace and its tower are lily-shaped. The symbol of Florence is the lily.
We come to this square in front of the building used as the justice office after the 1600s.. We see an impressive statue on a horse in the square. This statue is a statue of the small Casimo made by Giovanni Bologna for the Medici family.
2. Neptune Fountain and statue
Just ahead of it, we see Neptune, the Posaidon fountain. fountain 2 here. statues in the background 1. in plan. This fountain, which was built in 1576, is completely made of marble.. In the middle is the Neptune statue made of marble and around it are marble horse heads and mermaids.
3. Piazza Vecchio
We see the Piazza Vecchio in the section called Medici’s lodge on the left side of the Medici Palace or the Medici’s administration building, and in the section that hosts the shows and concerts in this square. Inside the platform here, there are 3 marble carved human figures, called the abduction statue, and 3 of them are naked.. All the muscles and lines of the bodies of these sculptures are perfect.. On the other corner of the platform, there is a bronze statue holding the severed head of Medusa, symbolizing the power of the Medici family, as well as a lion statue, symbolizing power, and many other statues on this platform.. This is an open-air museum.
In front of the Medici Palace, there is a replica of Michaelangelo’s David statue. The original is on display in the museum.. The sculptures here are all naked and the importance and respect given to art is very impressive.
4. 3 of the world. Its great cathedral: Duomo
We come to Santa Maria del Fiore, passing through the streets with famous shops from the square. This is Piazza del Duomo (Dom Square) and World’s 3rd.
Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral is simply a magnificent cathedral.. Made of a white-green-pink marble and worked like lace. The construction of the exterior was completed in 150 years.. The octagonal dome with a diameter of 54 meters is called a marvel of architecture. The inside of the cathedral is simpler than the outside.
This cathedral was built by Architect Arnolfo Di Cambio. The construction of the cathedral, which began in 1296, took 4 years.. However, its dome was completed by Brunelleschi in 1434 and the Cathedral was opened for worship in 1436.. Next to the cathedral is a tall, narrow bell tower made of colored marble.. Construction of the Bell Tower began in 1334 by Giotto. Two years later, Pietto passed away, so the tower was only 14 years old.. It was completed in the 19th century.
Next to the cathedral is the Baptistery with a round octagonal corner.. According to Christians, the baby comes into the world as a sinner.. They attribute that the person born to the world is also a sinner to Adam and Eve. This is why newborn babies need to be baptized and cleansed of their sins.. The exterior of the baptistery is made of green and white marble, while the interior of the baptistery is made of black and white marble.. There are symbols of 12 zodiac signs on the floor tiles.. Its dome is 13. adorned with magnificent mosaics of the 19th century. One of the most important parts of the baptistery is its doors.
The south door, made of bronze, is original.. San Giovanni Batista’s life on the reliefs on this bronze door made by Andrea Pisano, depicts 8 Christian virtues in the reliefs below. There is no depth in these 2-dimensional reliefs.
There is also a gate called the Gate of Heaven.. The original of this door is exhibited in the museum. Here we see the replica. This fully gold-plated door was made by Lorenzo Gilbert over 25 years. Scenes taken from the old testament at the door were processed in 3D on 10 panels.. The artists did not neglect to make their own portraits inside the medallions on the doors.
The gate of heaven was badly damaged in the great flood of 1966.. Some of the 10 plates on it fell off and were glued back in place.
5. Piazzale Degli Uffizi
Then we come to Piazzale Degli Uffizi. This is an open air museum.. The Medici family got richer and richer when they ruled the whole country, and they started to build office buildings next to the palace.. Office buildings built at that time have become the Uffizi Art Museum today.. It is possible to see the paintings of many famous artists in the museum.. The most prominent are Leonardo, Boticelli and Rafael… This is a renaissance art piece, but prior reservation is required to visit this place.. There are sculptures of important painters, sculptors, architects and men of letters in the niches inside the columns on both sides of the Uffizi gallery road.. Some sculptures are clothed, every detail is magnificent, down to the fabric folds on them.. all white marble. This is a U-shaped open-air museum and street painters and mime artists have taken their places on the street.
6. Arno River and Ponte Vecchio
At the exit of the Uffizi, we come to the banks of the Arno river. Here we watch the Ponte Vecchio Bridge. This bridge has been connecting the two sides of the river for 5 centuries.. The Medici Family built a covered 1,200-meter-long road in the form of a corridor to go to their summer palace called “Pitti” on the opposite bank of the Arno river.. In spite of that wealth and power, they could not buy a building, they had to pass this corridor around the building.
Ponte Vecciho (Old Bridge) in the Middle Ages, butchers, poultry sellers, fishermen, vegetables. and fruit sellers.
All narrow streets in Florence lead to wide squares.. Some buildings have signs showing the water level when the Arno river flooded in 1966.. At that time, the water level rose from 3 meters to 7 meters.
The Medici family used to walk this road on their way to their summer and winter palaces.. But since there are animal dealers or something here, it causes bad smells.. The Medici family, who were disturbed by these smells, therefore, all tradesmen were removed.. He placed jewelers and jewelers in the shops.
The top of the bazaar on the bridge was a covered road used during the Medici period.. Now it’s an art gallery. On the bridge is a statue of Cellini, a goldsmith. There are a lot of padlocks hanging from the anchors around this statue. That means lock magic.. Newly married couples write their names on the lock, put the lock on the irons, lock it and throw the key into the river.. Thus, the marriage was locked.. There are many ceramic and porcelain galleries on the other side of the river.. It was very enjoyable to even watch.
Florence is one of the most important Renaissance cities worth seeing, with its cathedrals, narrow streets and wide squares, sculptures, museums and the Ponte Vecchio bridge that you see every time you look at it.
Florence Hotel Recommendations
Hotel Spadai can be one of the quality choices among the recommended hotels in Florence. Located in the center of Florence, the hotel is just a 2-minute walk from the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral and the San LorenzoBasilica. Florence Art Apartments, which is also one of the hotels located in the city center, stands out with its good location and prices.. Although it is 3 minutes away from Florence Cathedral, it also offers many opportunities with the architecture and museums around it.. When all these are combined, Florence Art Apartments can be one of the hotels you should consider.
Rinascimento Palace, located in the historical center of Florence and 250 meters from Ponte Vecchio Bridge, offers the most beautiful views of the city. The hotel has rooms overlooking the Amo River and the Ponte Vecchio Bridge.. It is also a 5-minute walk from the Pitti Palace and the Piazza della Signoria Square. Among the nearby hotels, Canto degli Scali and Palazzo Guicciardini are among the hotels that can be preferred..
