Florence was sadly just a fleeting visit on the way from Rome to Venice, as this was a whirlwind tasting visit of Europe – 11 cities in 27 days. The bonus was that we were able to visit an old Italian friend from when we were both expats in Tokyo.
I love this photo from the Uffizi, looking over the Ponte. Vecchio. Wandering alone through the maze of corridors in the Uffizi there was suddenly a glimpse of the river – this photo was taken through an open part of the window. It’s so calm, I never tire of it.
Michelangelo’s statue of David is a key reason to visit Florence and the Uffizi. The Uffizi Gallery is the renowned art museum next to the Piazza della Signoria in Florence, famous for its outstanding collection of ancient sculpture and paintings, including Michelangelo, Piero della Francesca, Caravaggio, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Durer and more. Art was one of my best subjects for the HSC, strangely getting me into an IT degree.
The original David is inside the Galleria dell’Accademia, but there is a full-sized replica in the Piazza della Signoria in front of the Palazzo Vecchio.
Botticelli’s Birth of Venus is one of the most recognisable paintings in the world. (Apologies for the angle – trying to get a direct photo in a crowded room can be challenging). It’s not like visiting an art gallery in Australia – you’re one of a mass of people moving through the halls at a steady pace.
It’s hard to choose a favourite between Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo – both so multi-disciplinary. Leonardo painted the Mona Lisa (now in the Louvre), but also drew Vitruvian Man (in the Galleria dell’Accademi0 and as an inventor made sketches of flying machines. Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, whilst also sculpting David and the Pieta.
Here is Michelangelo’s Doni Tondo, a circular panel painting inside the Uffizi.
We arranged to meet up with Silvia at the Piazzale Michelangelo, the hill above the Arno river with stupendous views over Florence. Here we were introduced to our first Aperol Spritz, which became our signature drink for the rest of the trip. Imagine our pleasure when we returned to Australia and then moved near Mullumbimby, to discover the Wandana Brewery with Aperol Spritz on tap…
We descended the hill and had a lovely meal at a restaurant with views of the Ponte Vecchio. Thank you for introducing us to these pleasures Silvia!
When you’re on a tightly-planned holiday, it’s often not until you arrive in a city that you discover other places you’d like to visit, but haven’t allocated time for. I only visited the Uffizi, not the Galleria dell’Accademi. You can buy a double ticket with entry to both museums if you have time. The Uffizi has the larger range and is more painting-focused. Definitely allocate at least a couple of hours to wander through.
