Any good Europe Holiday
package will include Italy and its many treasures like Florence, Rome and
more like the coast of Amalfi or the Peloponnese. The many attractions in
Florence, including climbing the Duomo and visiting the Uffizi make this one of
the best places to see in Europe.
Art and historical sites will
surround you in Florence and they’re all within easy walking distance, if you
have time. Wander through corridors, take photographs of galleries and
churches. Dine at some great cafés, restaurants, snack bars and wine bars.
Truly, Florence has something for everyone. If you like dining outdoors, visit
some open-air attractions that offer a respite from Botticelli and Brunelleschi
with some scenic and beautiful gardens.
Duomo is considered to be
Florence’s spiritual centre. Brunelleschi’s huge 15th-century terracotta-tiled
cupola is still the biggest masonry dome in the world. Built over six
centuries, some of the highlights include Paolo Uccello’s iconic fresco of
British mercenary commander Sir John Hawkwood.The top of its 414 steps offer
breathtaking views and Baptistery doors include copies of Lorenzo Ghiberti’s
intricately carved bronze.
Florence University’s natural
history museum may not feature in Europe packages but is definitely worth a
trip if you have a week to spend in Florence alone. The museum houses a
charmingly old-fashioned collection of botanical and zoological specimens,
including a hippo that was given as a present to Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo.
It is also home to a series of
increasingly gruesome wax anatomical models, sculpted in eye-popping detail
between 1775 and 1791 as teaching aids for trainee doctors. The collection’s
most gruesome artifacts are three grisly wax tableaux of plague victims and are
not for the weak at heart. However, this is what most visitors come for, in
addition to the old-fashioned collection of botanical and zoological specimens.
Ponte Vecchio, rebuilt in 1345,
after its wooden predecessor was washed away in a flood is the oldest bridge
across the River Arno and has been lined with shops ever since. Tourists
frequent this bridge for shopping. Piazza della Signoria, a wide square
dominated by the crenellated medieval town hall of Palazzo Vecchio is packed
with artworks designed to glorify the ruling Medici dynasty.
Any Europe Tour Package would be incomplete without a visit to Italy, but a visit to
Italy is incomplete without exploring all that the magical & historic city
of Florence has to offer.
P.S. : This is a sponsored post.