A DAY TRIP TO THE CAPITAL CITY OF TUSCANY REGION OF ITALY,FLORENCE.

 FLORENCE

 A DAY TRIP TO THE CAPITAL CITY OF TUSCANY REGION OF ITALY

If you ask me to describe Florence in a sentence i would say “it’s  poor David’s penis everywhere”. Everywhere in fact everywhere. Now you will be thinking who is that lucky man. It is none other than David of Michelangelo. Poor guy, his nude picture  is displaced everywhere in Florence. 

Whatever the season, Florence is a genuinely gorgeous location. It is the birthplace of amazing history, cuisine, and art! Actually, if you schedule your trip in advance, a weekend in Florence should be plenty of time. Make sure Florence is on your bucket list for Italy if you ever get the chance to travel there. It is situated in the center of Tuscany, one of the most picturesque areas in the nation. You'll experience the trip of a lifetime, from its gorgeous rolling hills to its superb wine. Despite the fact that Florence offers a plethora of activities that you won't want to miss, the city's size allows you to see a lot in a short period of time.

But for us it was just a day to explore Florence. I am a person who love to explore a single location or a country thoroughly . Things never worked as i wish because of my job and commitments. But i am grateful for what i have . This is what i actually meant by my page you don't have to be a nomad to visit and explore country. Work out through your annual leaves and budgets .Take it slow ,you can explore more. We took an early morning train from Roma Centrale to Florence. On reaching Florence we rent a locker for a day and store out luggage there. It was 15€ for a day. But it was worth spending the money rather than walking with luggage. 

PIAZZA SANTA MARIA NOVELLA

Our first stop was Piazza Santa Maria Novella. By royal mandate, the piazza was created in 1287 while the Dominican monastery and church of Santa Maria Novella were being renovated and expanded. The plaza was immediately used as a venue for festivals, competitions, and other events. "Goal areas" for the "Palio dei Cocchi" race on chariots resembling Roman two-horse chariots were the two marble obelisks, each perched atop four bronze turtles by Giambologna and crowned with a Florentine lily. The event began here in 1563.One of Florence's primary squares and one of its most exquisite, Piazza Santa Maria Novella is a popular tourist destination. The Santa Maria Novella quarter is centered on its square, and the historical core is split into four quarters. Usually the most striking feature on first glance is the exquisite splendor of the Renaissance exterior of the Dominican Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, but any tourist will soon find themselves spending time on the plaza at one of the various fairs and festivities held there throughout the year.

CATHEDRAL OF SANTA MARIA DEL FIORE

From the square we walk toward the Cathedral which its silhouette  can be visible from the square. Santa Maria del Fiore is among the biggest churches on Earth .The layout comprises a triple-nave basilica with the presbytery area nestled inside. The enormous dome's massive octagon is the focal point of the design, and three radial apses, or "tribunes," with five chapels apiece, surround it. The cathedral is ninety meters wide at the transept, ninety meters high from floor to base of the lantern, and measures 153 meters long by 90 meters broad. The phrase "Santa Maria del Fiore" (Lady of the flower) refers to the city of Florencia, which is named after the Florentine lily, which means "city of flowers" or "destined to bloom."

 To get to the pinnacle of the Duomo, tickets must be bought in advance. Since time admission tickets are sold, please arrive at least ten to fifteen minutes early to guarantee entry. As you prepare to ascend the 463 stairs, you will be admitted together with a group of others.The starting price to enter the cathedral is €18, and with that ticket, you can access the other attractions as well. Purchase your ticket here, or consider this guided tour with skip-the-line tickets if you'd rather to see the Dome with a local guide. Unfortunately is was very crowded and there was km long queue for it's entrance. We just walk around ,took pictures and headed towards the Ponte Vencchio bridge.

PONTE VENCCHIO

Up until 1218, Florence's Ponte Vecchio, often known as the Old Bridge, was the only span over the Arno. Following a flood in 1345, the present bridge was erected. It was the only Arno bridge that the Germans who were evacuating the country spared during World War II. Rather than allowing access, they destroyed the medieval structures on either side. The Arno broke its banks once more on November 4, 1966, but this time, the bridge managed to withstand the immense weight of mud and water. Since the thirteenth century, there have been stores on Ponte Vecchio. There were many different kinds of stores at first, such as fishmongers and butchers, and then tanners, whose "industrial waste" left the neighborhood smelling somewhat foul. To enhance everyone's well-being, including their own, as they crossed the bridge, Ferdinand I ordered in 1593 that only jewelers and goldsmiths could have their stores on it. 

There was a lot of people on the bridge. We go about, take in the scenery, and then proceed to the gelato to cool off. Our favorite gelato is Badiani, which has locations all around the world. We've tasted shakes and gelato from locations across London. We now have the opportunity to try the real gelato from Florence, which is where Badiani originated. We then stroll through Florence's streets. Unexpectedly, we noticed a small crowd stroking a statue's nose and inserting coins into its mouth. We stood in front of it, staring at it, completely oblivious to the fact that there was a line behind us, waiting for a chance to rub the statue's nose.

FONTANA DEL PORCELLINO

One of Florence's most visited tourist destinations is Fontana del Porcellino. It's actually a bronze statue of a wild boar that can be found near Ponte Vecchio at Mercato Nuovo, also called Mercato del Porcellino. Pietro Tacca created the sculpture of the boar based on a Hellenistic marble statue that Pope Pius IV of Rome sent to Cosimo I. On your second day in Florence, if you're interested in viewing the original marble figure, it's on display at the Uffizi Gallery.

 When visiting Fontana del Porcellino, there are two customs you can participate in. The first is inserting a coin into the boar's mouth and allowing it to fall, with the hope that it lands in the grate beneath the statue. Success indicates that you'll have a lot of luck! To guarantee your return to Florence, the second task is to rub the boar's nose. We stood there wondering what people are doing this for. From there we walked to Pallazo Vencchio.

PALLAZO VENCCHIO

The Florentines made the decision to construct a palace in 1299 to house the republic's governing bodies. The structure was also intended to serve as a symbol of the republic's and the people's might. On the remnants of the Palazzo dei Fanti and the Palazzo dell'Esecutore di Giustizia in Piazza della Signoria, Arnolfo di Cambio, the architect of the Florence Duomo and the church of Santa Croce, started this structure. Similar to the great constructions of the age, the work required the adaptation and extension of multiple generations to be finished. The palace has had many names over the course of its lengthy history. Palazzo della Signoria was its initial name, but when the Medici court relocated to the Pitti Palace, Palazzo Vecchio took its place. Currently housing the Museo dei Ragazzi, Palazzo Vecchio also houses the Town Hall's offices and the Cinquecento Hall, which is still in use today and hosts special audiences and events.

There are several noteworthy monuments in the Palazzo Vecchio's surrounding , an outdoor museum on the side of Palazzo Vecchio, the Loggia of the Lanzi, is also called Loggia della Signoria. Here, we may view a variety of artworks, including the Kidnapping of the Sabines and the Perseus with the head of Medusa. Additionally, on Cosimo I de Medici's instruction, the architect Giorgio Vasari constructed the Uffizi Gallery in 1560 to house the offices of thirteen artistic guilds and magistrates. The Medici family's private art treasures were housed on the upper floor of this structure.

FOOD

This was a budget friendly trip and utilizing maximum of our time without spending for entrance fees. So we intentionally skip  few of the touristy paid museums  and art galleries. But that doesn't mean it is not worth the try . It all depend upon your interest and time. We started to hunt for food. In and around the square there are plenty of shops and eateries. Freshly baked pizzas, Panini, Pasta ,Insalata ,Pastries, gelatos and many more .We saw a shop which had  a short queue and a crowd .

We tried Tacchino arrosto,pomodoro e insalata basically is it roast turkey ,tomato and salad insalata. To be fare i didn't like it. It looks delicious but taste basic. We also tried a small cup of  mulled wine which by stayed a long time to finish. Later we had pizza that evening to over come the previous flop. Later we again stroll through the street enjoying some of the Christmas markets which was still not taken out and bought some souvenirs .I forget to tell you some thing about David which i mentioned at the behind of the blog. Most of the souvenir in  Florence have David's nude pictures.

 DAVID OF MICHELANGELO 

From 1501 to 1504, this magnificent Renaissance sculpture was produced. The statue, which stands at 14.0 feet, is made of marble and shows the biblical figure David in a nude masculine posture. It was originally intended to be one of several enormous statues to be placed in the tribunes' niches in the Florence Cathedral, far up at a height of roughly 80 meters, by the Opera del Duomo. The consuls of the Board requested that Michelangelo finish a work that had been started in 1464 by Agostino di Duccio and continued in 1475 by Antonio Rossellino. An massive slab of marble that had too many "taroli," or faults, that might have jeopardized the stability of a statue of size was ultimately rejected by both sculptors. Because of its extraordinary size, this marble block in the Opera del Duomo courtyard was ignored for twenty-five years (Vestry Board).In 1501, Michelangelo was the most well-known and highly compensated artist of his time, despite being only 26 years old. He eagerly embraced the task of creating a large-scale sculpture. For more than two years, David and his team labored nonstop to craft one of his most stunning works of shining white marble. The religious theme for the statue had been decided upon by the Vestry Board, but no one anticipated such a radical retelling of the biblical hero.

So now we know about the poor man who's nude picture been displayed even on every single souvenir in Florence.  So with that we wind up our Florence day trip and collected our luggage from the store and hop to train to Milan.

 

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