.jpg) ITALY
Florence
: golfing in the Medici's gardens
 What
to see
As said by UNESCO, 30% of the world' most
important works of art are in Florence and the city itself
is an architectural jewel from the Renaissance time. It is
spectacular to oversee the city from Fiesole
and observe that none modern concrete, metal or glass building
spoils the skyline of harmonious slow sloped red tiled roofs.
The only signals are the cathedral's dome and campanile and
the crenellated tower of the Palazzio Vecchio. Thanks to all
decision makers who have protected during centuries the historical
environment of this city.
Mentioning all the countless important monuments and works
of artistic attraction is impossible. It takes pages in any
guidebook. So, however, limiting the list to the really outstanding,
Piazza del Duomo and Piazza della Signoria draw the attention
of all tourists.
Piazza del Duomo is the site of the principal
palaces of religious interest: the Baptistry, a Romanesque
building with beautiful bronze doors and mosaics; the Giotto
campanile and the Duomo, in Gothic style, surmounted by the
famous Brunelleschi cupola, housing works, among others, a
Pietà sculpture from Michelangelo. In Piazza della Signoria stand the Loggia
della Signoria decorated with statues and Palazzo Vecchio
dominated by the Torre d'Arnolfo. In between, stand the famous
Galleria dei Uffici
(offices gallery), one of the world most important
paintings museum.
Other monuments include palaces like Palazzo
Bargello and its exceptional collection of
sculptures of Donatello, Palazzo
Pitti, its gardens and Palatine Gallery of
paintings, churches like S. Lorenzo and the Sagrestia Vecchia
decorated by Donatello and the Sagrestia Nuova, housing the
Medici family tombs sculpted by Michelangelo, or Santa
Croce containing the tombs of Michelangelo,
Galilei, Machiavelli and other great men.
Further attractions are the stupendous Italian gardens at
Boboli, the Arno riverside and the inspiring Ponte
Vecchio and its jewelleries boutiques. And
for those who like to walk around, they will enjoy the labyrinth
of old Florence streets with their luxury boutiques or traditional
handicraft open shops: jewelries, leather production, iron
work...
But the traditional image of Tuscany, of gentle hilly slopes
covered with olive groves and vineyards, must be sought in
the heart of the Chianti region
(see our special page) out of Florence, for example, in the
upper Era basin, where one finds splendid Volterra,
of ancient Etruscan origin or in the upper Elsa valley, between
Florence and Siena, where lies another small town, nestling
in the peaceful green countryside, of equal environmental
and cultural interest:
San Gimignano
is famous for its "hundred towers", the Collegiata
with a fine interior, the Palazzo del Podestà and the Romanesque
Gothic church of S. Agostino.
In Siena, admire
the famous semi circular Piazza del Campo, the Palazzo Publico
surmounted by the Torre del Mangia (88m) and the 56 marble
panels of the cathedral groundfloor.
On the way to or from Florence, Pisa
and its cathedral with the famous leaning campanile tower
are worth a visit in the dense crowd of picturing tourists
from all over the world.
Think also of the Chianti vineyards
(next page) and don't forget to taste the wines.
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Cathedral and campanile
Palazzio Vecchio
La Loggia and the statues
Galleria Palatina at Palazzio Pitti
Ponte Vecchio over Arno
Pisa and Siena
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