What is it about Florence (or Firenze) and the Italian Renaissance that keeps calling us back?
Even when our travel agenda is not targeted on Italy, we still make it back to that country because we look forward to going to Florence.
Florence as viewed from the Michelangelo Piazza
Getting off the train at the Santa Maria Novella train station, we felt excited – like we were returning to our second home. Knowing the basic layout of this small city of about 400,000, we left the train station and headed towards the Piazza del Duomo.
We drug our suitcases over the rough cobbled streets, the wheels clacking over every inch, as we passed pedestrians, high-end Italian clothier stores, gelato stands, and leather shops.
This leather shop in located in Florence near the Arno River
Come to think of it, I guess that’s one of the first reasons we love Florence . . . we know where we’re going. With many of the famous museums and churches being within a centralized area, it’s easy to get to the Giotto’s Tower, or the Basilica di San Lorenzo, the Bargello Museum, or the loved Ponte Vecchio bridge that spans the Arno River. Just head towards the center of the city and signs will point you in the right direction.
Basilica of San Lorenzo is one of the largest and oldest churches in Florence; it was consecrated in 393
Yummy, we could smell the wonderful aromas of home cooking and, just a block or two from the train station, we past one of our favorite ristorantes, the Antiche Carrozze. My husband and I were commenting as we walked, “Remember when we ate here? Should we stop and grab a bite?”
Carrozze Trattoria is located in Florence, Italy
Yup, we remember because it’s one of the places we always go to when we’re in Florence. It was one of the restaurants we went to the first time we visited Florence during the summer of 2015. On that trip, we were traveling with our son and his wife and we had such a great time together. I guess the great food and fond travel memories are more reasons for our loving Florence.
We turn a corner and . . . . wow, there it is — the Florence Cathedral. With its iconic red dome, the Santa Maria del Fiori Cathedral is the fourth largest in the world.
Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is the heart of Florence, Italy
The exterior is stunning and ornately covered in pink, green, and white marble, statues and spires, rounded windows, and pointed tribunals – and the interior is just as impressive. Inside and out, this UNESCO World Heritage Site displays priceless masterpieces designed and created by Michelangelo, Brunelleschi, Donatello, and others who worked tirelessly for years on the project.
Even though Florence attract millions of tourists every year, researchers continue to find hidden treasures. One recent find discovered in the San Lorenzo Basilica is thought to be Michelangelo’s hiding place, a cramped little room filled with priceless chalk drawings.
One of a few charcoal drawings found in 1978 in a small basement room of the New Sacristy. Thought to be 16th century graphics by Michelangelo
One of a few charcoal drawings found in 1978 in a small basement room of the New Sacristy. Thought to be 16th century graphics by Michelangelo
Now, that would be worth planning another visit to Florence!
“When you come to a fork in the road…take it” –Yogi Berra
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