In Florence: Uffizi view in the evening.
November 18, 2009
Yesterday evening I took this picture from Palazzo Vecchio (Signoria Square) looking to the Uffizi piazza.
Uffizi museum is the most important museum in Florence (in Italy?), and you can’t miss it! In addiction, it is less than 20 minutes walk from your bed and breakfast Mr My Resort…
Florence sightseeing: relax and fun
August 20, 2009
The red open top bus offers an excellent point of view to observe the city of Florence and relax.
In about 1 hour you will enjoy the best panoramic view of our streets, the bridges, the monuments, cathedrals… Just sit back and let the driver take you to discover Florence.
The ticket is euros 22,00 per person (discounted tariffs for children and family), and it is valid 24h, and it includes a multilingual commentary (Italian, English, French, Spanish, German, Russian, Japanese and Chinese).
There are 15 stops, and you can join tour at any stop. The closest bus stop to our B&B Mr My Resort and Relais Grand Tour is located in San Marco square, but there is one close to the Duomo, too.
The frequenzy is 30 minutes, from 9.00am to 7.00pm.
From 7.00 pm to 10pm (last departure) the frequenzy is 60 minutes.
There are 2 different lines:
LINE A (main stops): Duomo – S. Croce – S. Marco – Michelangelo sq. – Via Tornabuoni – Train Station SMN
LINE B (main stops): Fiesole – San Domenico – Pitti sq. – Ponte Vecchio Old Bridge – S. Spirito – San Frediano(this tour is about 2 hours, 24 stops).
For more details, timetables, special offers: Florence Sightseeing
You will enjoy it.
Signoria sq. and Palazzo Vecchio
July 31, 2009
This is a partial view of the magnificent Palazzo Vecchio.
Located less than 20 min. walk from Mr My Resort B&B , it’s a few meters far from the main cathedral Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio (Old bridge).
It was built as the seat of city governement between 1299 and 1322; passing the copy of the David, you can enter in the courtyard which was designed by Michelangelo and frescoed also by Vasari.
At the second floor you can admire the vaste room of Salone de’ Cinquecento, completely covered by Vasari’s frescoes celebrating the military victories Cosimo de’ Medici and the city of Florence, together with the Genio della Vittoria by Michelangelo, and statues of Vncenzo de’ Rossi and Giambologna.
Dont’ miss the Sala dei Gigli, with walls covered by lilys (gold), symbol of Florence: here there is the orginal Giuditta e Oloferne by Donatello (1460), originally placed in Piazza della Signoria.
The room of Sala delle Carte Geografiche hosts an enormous earth globe and more than fifty panels showing the known world in the 50 cent.
Palazzo Vecchio
in Piazza della Signoria,
Mon-Sat. 9.00 am – 7.00 pm (Thur. 9.00am-2.00pm)
Closed: dec. 31, may 1, aug. 15, dec. 25, Easter.
Piazza della Signoria square
July 26, 2009
Here we are!
Piazza della Signoria is the most important square in the city center, and it’s located between the Duomo square and the Uffizi Gallery, a couple of steps from the Old bridge (Ponte Vecchio) on the river Arno.
Located at a walking distance from our B&B Mr My Resort and Relais Grand Tour (15-20 minutes by feet), the Signoria sq. is an open museum: here you can admire the facade and campanile of Palazzo Vecchio, the copy of the David, the Neptune Fountain (half of the 500 cent.) also called Il Biancone (the Big White) for the big white Neptune and its licentious nymphs.
The Hercules of Bandinelli is simply spectacular…
On the right you can admire the Loggia de’ Lanzi (lancers were the bodyguard of Cosimo I), with the famous Rape of the Sabine women by Giambologna, the marvellous Perseus of Benvenuto Cellini, and other important sculptures.
A couple of things about Palazzo Vecchio will coming soon…
Santa Croce cathedral in Florence
May 25, 2009
As I told you in my diary, this Church has 16 chapels, and it’s very vast; the name means The Holy Cross, and it is of the 13th cent. started my Arnolfo di Cambio, even of the legend wants St. Francis as its foundator. The façade is Gothic, like the Duomo, but it was rebuilt in the 19th cent.
The church worth a visit, and it’s located about 20 minutes walk from our bed&breakfasts MR My Resort and Relais Grand Tour. In addiction the area is full of good places to eat and leather shops.
The Santa Croce cathedral is famous also for its funerary monuments, but you can’t skip the frescoes of Giotto and pupils (frescoes in Cappella Pazzi and Cappella Bardi), the decorations of Andrea della Robbia, works of Donatello, Cimabue, Vasari…
And here you can stay in front of our Renaissance celebrities… well, I mean in front of their skeletons.
The tomb of Michelangelo is located on the right at the front of the basilica, and he choosed this spot personally. Vasari in person worked on this monument, he was his friend and follower.
Then you can admire the tomb of Vittorio Alfieri (poet and dramatist) by Antonio Canova, and the tomb of Niccolò Machiavelli, with the allegorical figure of Diplomacy.
Ugo Foscolo, another important italian poet (I sepolcri - The tombs, where he celebrated the funeral monuments of the powerful right in this church, and the values of compassion and remembrance), is here.
The tomb of Galileo Galilei is on the left wall, made in polychrome marbels; his bust is between the Astronomy and Geometry allegories.
You can’t miss the Cloister and the Museo dell’Opera di Santa Croce.
San Miniato Church
April 22, 2009
Everyone loves to go above Piazzale Michelangelo and have Florence at its own feet, it is marvelous!
But, there is a place I love at the Piazzale, San Miniato church far from the noise of cars, bus and motor scooter, not very far away from the Iris garden.
You can reach it in a few minutes from the fake David, after have climbed a double stone stair; once you get over there you will soon realize that I was right: the view is more natural and not so postcard view like.
The church is one of the most beautiful we do have in Tuscany and it hosts gold mosaics and masterpieces of 1300; inside the church the floor is completely decorated in marble with the Zodiac signs; I also suggest to give a look to the crypt that is dated back to the XI century: a very suggestive and mysterious place.
If you like the Gregorian chorus this is the right place: in winter at 4,30pm, in summer at 5,30pm.
Church of San Miniato al Monte
Via delle Porte Sante 34
+39 055 2342731
Free entrance
Bus 12 or 13 from the Railway station
Walk about 1 hour 30 minutes from the B&B
1 day itinerary in San Lorenzo
March 1, 2009
A one day itinerary discovering the treasures of Florence:undiscovered places, roads and path in the San Marco-San Lorenzo area.
The area of Mr My resort B&B offers incredible discovers.
Going out from the B&B with a few minutes’ walk you are in Via Cavour and you can already stop at Chiostro dello Scalzo (entrance free), frescoes by Andrea del Sarto with a technique called grisaille; from here, you can go to San Marco church, in San Marco square.
The church hosts also a convent which today is the San Marco museum with frescoes by Beato Angelico. Among his masterpieces: the Annunciation, the Tabernacolo and the Deposition.
Entering in the small Franciscan cellars frescoed as always by Beato Angelico is an experience!
This is one of the most moving place of Florence and you will be amazed in seen the mocked Christ, strangest more than a surrealist paint.
If you proceed in Via Cavour towards the Duomo you will meet Palazzo Medici Riccardi, a stone and massive palace where the Grand-dukes of Florence, the powerful Medici family, showed all their power. You can admire two things here: my favorite place is the garden of the palace full of lemon trees, but the masterpiece is the Chapel of the Magi by Benozzo Gozzoli.
Going out the palace you are very close to the San Lorenzo area and the famous open air market.
If you love churches you cannot miss the San Lorenzo Church full of 1500 artworks especially by an artist who I personally like, Rosso Fiorentino, but if you like shopping, the market is your place especially if you are looking for leather goods, Florentine art crafts and small souvenirs. Bargain, always!
Being in the San Lorenzo area you cannot miss a stop in the Central market which is open until 2pm. This is the market where Florentines go for shopping and where there are a lot of stands where you can do a gastronomic shopping: extra virgin olive oil, cheese, wine. If it is lunch time and you have the patience to wait, a stop is at Nerbone, the best panino in town filled with typical Tuscan delicatessen such as boiled lampredotto or pork with various sauces and vegetables.
After lunch you can go to see the Medici Chapels, just behind the San Lorenzo church open until 5pm. They are built by Michelangelo on the same structure of the Baptistery of Saint John (In front f the Duomo) and in particular the Chapel of the Princes it is believed that has the same design of the Saint Sepulcher in Jerusalem.
If you are tired you can walk up to Via Santa Reparata (where we live and where we have the other B&B, the Relais Grand Tour).
At the corner of Via XXVII Aprile there is another hidden jewel, the Cenacolo of Sant’Apollonia, entrance free and open until 1,30pm.
There is one the most beautiful Last Supper of the town, frescoed by Andrea del Castagno.
Then if you fancy a cappuccino, in front of the Cenacolo there is Caffé Nabucco, nice people, nice aperitifs in the evening and nice cappuccino. I go there every morning!
Your day is over so far and your private spa is waiting for you…