Welcome to Part 2 of my entries about Florence - one of the most amazing cities on the planet. After writing my last post, I once again found myself trying to figure out how to take my wife to this awesome Italian city ; ) Today, I will continue with some of the great sights in, and around, Firenze (that's "Florence" in Italian, just so you can sound cool when you say it..give it a try).
The Pitti Palace (Palazzo Pitti) is located on the other side of the Arno River from the center of town. There, you'll find a late-Renaissance palace that was built by a rich Florentine merchant. Originally, it was pretty small, but when the Medici family bought it in the 1500s - they expanded it to it's grand state. I think the best part of the Pitti is the Boboli Gardens, located on the grounds of the palace.
One of the most-crowded attractions in Florence, is the famous Uffizi Gallery. Located right next to Uffizi Palace, the gallery holds the prestigious collection of art and sculpture for the Medici family. The gallery contains works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Botticelli's Birth of Venus:
The Uffizi Gallery at night...wish this was my picture...
Another beautiful piece of Italian architecture is the Basilica di Santa Maria Novello. Ever since the Middle Ages, the square in front of the basilica has been used for feasts, tournaments and other events. The basilica itself has the most amazing facade - a Renaissance art masterpiece:
That's it for Part 2. Join me next time - when I finally reveal the reason why I love that Florence is a WALKING city, in Part 3..
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