Archive for 'Museums & Galleries'

The Uffizi, the Accademia and the Duomo are probably the biggest artistic centers that most people head for right away upon finding a luxury villa in Florence. However, the Bargello is one of the best and most important art museums in Florence and should not be missed! Dating back to 1255, it was originally the headquarters of the Capitano del Popolo and later of the Podestà. In the sixteenth century, it became the residence of the Bargello (head of the police) and was used as prison during the whole 18th century. The building became a National Museum as of the mid-19th century and today it is an excellent sculpture museum, especially for early works by great masters of the Renaissance such as Donatello and Michelangelo.

1. Donatello's David

Donatello's name is one of the most enduringly famous of all Italian Renaissance artists.

Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was born on the 22nd of December 1858 and would go on to become an opera composer that would be labelled "the greatest composer of Italian opera after Verdi". Many of his works are very famous. In fact, among his ouevre are some of the best known operas of all time, amongst them are “La Bohème” (1896), “Tosca” (1900), and “Madama Butterfly” (1904). These are the operatic works that tour most often and have become standards of the genre of music.

In the final post in this series, here are the last of Google's suggestions for what to do with just a day in Florence. Having just left the Piazza della Signoria, we now move on to the Duomo.

7. Florence Cathedral (Travel: 10 minutes by foot. Approx. time to spend here: 1 hour)

The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, or the Duomo, is Florence's cathedral and main church. It was begun in 1296, according to the designs of Arnolfo di Cambio, and was completed in 1436 with the addition of a soaring dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi.

The exterior is expressed in polychromatic marble panels and an elaborate 19th century Gothic Revival façade by Emilio De Fabris. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is one of the city's must-see attractions and the view from the top is unrivaled.

Continuing on from our last post, we are still following along Google's automatically generated itinerary for a day in Florence. Having just crossed the Ponte alle Grazie, a quieter bridge over the Arno, just a stone's throw from the busier and more famous Ponte Vecchio, we were on our way to the next attraction…

4. Santa Croce (Travel: Less than 5 minutes by foot. Approx. time to spend here: 1 hour)

This stunning Gothic church is a lovely polychromatic 13th century Franciscan basilica that is the final resting place of the likes of Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli among others. Packed to the rafters with incredible frescoes, stained glass, sculptures and other objets d'art, there is plenty to see and do. In fact, there is too much to take it all in entirely in a single visit but the experience of stepping inside this jewel box of culture and history is worth the minor sensory overload.

Google seems to have the answers to all of life's questions, right? Whether you are looking for directions or somewhere good to eat, want to know when a museum closes or when to avoid peak crowds, having the internet at your fingertips takes the work out of holiday-making and makes your life a hell of a lot easier.

In fact, they've gone a step further now and Google has even compiled all of their data to generate automatic itineraries of destinations based on the post popular attractions, their locations and the distances between them. Based on the amount of days you will be in the place you have chosen, there are a variety of itineraries to choose from and one can't help but wonder at how well an algorithm might plan a trip.

So, here is Google's suggestion for what to do with 24 hours in Florence. Just find a luxury villa in Florence and see for yourself how suitable it might be.