Florence--A few last Recommendations

7:01:00 PM Out And About Global 2 Comments


I thought I'd finish off the week by leaving a few last recommendations.  There are so many 4 star museums and churches to visit while in Florence, but not nearly enough time especially when traveling with children who aren't quite as interested in all things Renaissance.  When you tire of art head over to the St. Lorenza outdoor market.  The specialty seemed to be leather goods, but you can find all sorts of affordable souvenirs as well.  

On the recommendation of a local we stopped in at Nerbone for lunch.  Come to find out this local hotspot is Trip Advisor recommended and clearly word is out with the tour buses as well.  There were loads of people--tourists and locals all vying for seats at the local eatery.  To be honest, I wasn't all that  impressed.  They offered two dishes; noodles and a roast beef sandwich.  The girls and I  had noodles and Bob ate the meat.  The noodles were fine, but somewhat tasteless and Bob's meat sandwich was barely edible it was so rare.  I would skip lunch at Nerbone and grab lunchables from the the market vendors and eat lunch in the piazza.  

Everyone has heard of Michalangelo's David, "the masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture," who stands majestically  in his very own alcove in the Accademia.  What many don't know is that the statue representing the Bible's most famous underdog,  became the symbol   of  those fighting for civil liberties against the dominant Medici family.  Interesting then, that he originally stood right in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, home of the Medici's. 

Notice the fleur de lis pattern in the pediment behind David, it is the emblem of the city.  Florence is said to have been founded by the Roman goddess Flora, hence the name Florence. The lily represents purity and is often associated with Mary, the mother of Christ.  The lion represents the strength of the city and serves as its protector. 

                           
Bob and I took toured the Palazzo Vecchio and while it has some beautifully painted ceilings, perhaps most interesting was imaging the scenes, described by Dan Brown in his latest book Inferno, which take place in the Palazzo.  Be sure to notice the sculpted wrestlers.  If you've seen them, you know what I am referring to.  If you haven't, when you do, you'll know why I singled them out.
Palazzo Vecchio
Address: Piazza della Signoria
Hours:  most days 9-7pm
Cost: €10
 I  forgot to mention in my post yesterday, the style of building and color of the stones in the Duomo were reserved for religious buildings.  The white stone represented purity and green, hope.
 Galileo Museum
I read this was super kid friendly, so while I was taking my second walking tour my husband took the girls to the Galileo Museum. My youngest is really into astronomy right now so she really enjoyed the telescopes and globes. My husband was a little less impressed and felt it was a bit expensive.

The Details
Address: Piazza dei Giudici 1
Hours: M-Sunday 9:30-6pm, T 9:30-1pm
Cost: €9 adults, €5.50 children

We stayed at the Residence San Niccolo.  The location was good, the price was reasonable and they offered secure onsite parking. On the downside the furnishings are very outdated and the sofa bed my daughters slept on was horribly uncomfortable. The breakfast was pre-packaged croissants, boxed milk and juice. Honestly, I wouldn't stay here again.



2 comments:

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)