The Birthplace of the Renaissance
On the 26th of April, two weeks before the first Marillion gig we took a flight to Florence where our exploration of North-East Italy started. An immersion in the wonder and beauty of Italy’s Renaissance. A treasure trove of cultural, intellectual and historical riches.
On arrival in Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance we took the metro from the airport straight into the city centre from where it was only a 6 minute walk to our hotel. From the entrance we could see the famous duomo, which was only 100 metres away. Our hotel was at the perfect place in centre stories for our explorations.
After having left our luggage, we went straight to trattoria Pepó, which was recommended to me by my general practitioner, a tremendous start of our trip. We enjoyed a generous antipasti misti, followed by homemade pasta with fresh truffles. Magic does exist.
Although it was getting late, we could not resist a short walk where we passed Capella Di Medici and ended up by the famous Duomo. OMG, if love at first sight exists it must be Firenze. I was totally blown away and could only continue to say how beautiful it was!
Somehow, we ended up in a small vinoteca a for a final bottle of Valpolicella, the perfect ending of what is going to be an extraordinary journey.
After a short night the alarm went off and after a refreshing shower and small breakfast we headed straight into historic Florence. Our first goal was the Torre di Anolfo, the iconic clock tower of Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio, standing tall at 95 meters. Designed by Arnolfo di Cambio in the 13th century and is a symbol of Florence’s political power and artistic heritage. We had opted to start the day with climbing the tower, a trying exercise but definitely worth it. From the top we had a breathtaking view over historic Florence and beyond. We spotted all the famous landmarks and had a good view over the gardens in the hills at the other side of the Arno River. What a way to start the day.
Once down again we explored Piazza della Signoria, it is the political and cultural heart of Florence. The square features stunning sculptures, including a replica of Michelangelo’s David. It’s a vibrant symbol of the city’s Renaissance glory. It was still relatively quiet and as we still had some time before our next planned visit we made a stroll through the neighbouring vibrant streets.
Next was Palazzo Vecchio, Florence’s historic town hall. It’s a striking fortress-like palace overlooking Piazza della Signoria. It served as the seat of government and now houses a museum filled with Renaissance art and grand chambers, including works by Vasari and Michelangelo. Walking into the main hall my mouth dropped by seeing an overload of beauty. I had seen it before on films and documentaries but nothing could have prepared us for the sheer beauty of the place. The whole visit was simply overwhelming.
For a “light” lunch and a short break from an overdose of culture we went to antica porchetteria, a place we had we had spotted before. There we enjoyed a platter with several preparations of pork and a small salad.
Losing weight is going to be an issue on this trip as will be a restful mind. I can’t remember having seen so much beauty and splendour in such a short time.
As we had some time to kill we went for a stroll towards Ponte Vecchio, Florence’s iconic medieval bridge, famous for its charming shops lined with jewellery and goldsmiths. Spanning the Arno River, it has been a vital part of the city’s history since the 14th century.
By now the crowd had tremendously increased and we had to manoeuvre our way through ignorant tourists who seemed to be more occupied with their phones than the breathtaking environment.
We crossed the bridge and enjoyed the views over the Arno River, then we slowly headed back to Galleria degli Uffizie, one of the world’s most renowned art museums. Housed in a stunning Renaissance building, it boasts an exceptional collection of masterpieces by artists like Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Caravaggio.
There was so much to be seen, a true paradise for art lovers, loads of statues on the long corridors and several galleries with the most beautiful paintings.
We did not know where to start and not being knowledgable about what we saw our minds soon went into a complete overload. Also, our legs started protesting as we had done and considerable amount of walking, including countless stairs. Sometimes it was impossible to decide what to see and where to look as at times the ceilings were simply breathtaking and easily overlooked.
Still we decided the palazzo Vecchio was more for our liking, we had nothing seen like that before. Once outside the Galleria degli Uffizie we walked some more through the vibrant streets and decided we had deserved a treat. We passed an enoteca with over 750 different wines and ordered a chianti wine tasting, but not before we finished two bottles of sparkling water. We got three different wines, building up in maturity and complexity, which were accompanied by stuzzichini, small bites.
Then it was time to return to our hotel for an afternoon nap, a well-deserved afternoon nap we could say. We passed Piazza del Duomo, home to the city’s most famous landmarks, including the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Baptistery, and the Campanile. Surrounded by stunning Renaissance architecture that showcases the city’s artistic and architectural splendor. As we still had one more day in Firenze we just passed through.
After our nap, which took a bit longer than anticipated, we returned to the streets of Florence for an evening walk.
We did not feel like a long walk so simply headed towards il duomo and went to the same bar as the day before for a nice bottle of Tuscan red. Then we returned to the streets of Florence to enjoy the atmosphere and make some evening pictures. Close to our hotel we made another stop for a last glass of wine and then went to bed. Tired but extremely pleased after a busy but fulfilling day.
Next morning we decided for a bit of a sleep in as we did not want to ruin our holiday with overdoing things, We had already decided to come back to Florence one day so we did not feel the pressure to have to see everything.
We had already seen il duomo from the outside so we wanted to start our day by visiting the interior, on arrival though we saw that the queue was several hundred meters long so we quickly lost interest in doing so.
Instead, we went to Mercato Centrale, a vibrant central market, located in the historic San Lorenzo district. Established in 1874, the market features a striking iron and glass structure designed by Giuseppe Mengoni, also known for Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
On arrival the fire alarm was in full blow, normally an excuse to evacuate the building but not in Italy. Only the 2nd floor was closed, the ground floor could be visited as normal so as soon as most of the smoke had gone, we tried to ignore the irritating alarm and strolled past the numerous stalls selling typical Italian products. I absolutely loved it.
By now it was lunch time and we found a place where fresh pasta was made on the spot. In spite of having skipped breakfast we were not really hungry but finished our plates nevertheless.
Next stop was Basilica di Santa Croce, one of Florence’s most important churches, known for its stunning Gothic architecture and as the burial place of several renowned figures, including Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli. The basilica is adorned with beautiful frescoes by Giotto and other master artists. Also here was a long queue to enter so we skipped it as well and decided to have a break with an aperol spritz besides the Arno River.
Then we went to Farmacia SS. Annunziate dal 1561, one of Florence’s oldest and most historic pharmacies. Some of our favourite fragrances come from here so we simple had to visit it.
The only place we had booked for today was Capella Medici; a stunning complex of chapels located within the Basilica di San Lorenzo. Built to honour the powerful Medici family, the chapels are home to incredible art and architecture, including the Tomb of Lorenzo de’ Medici by Michelangelo.
We had extremely rare tickets (only 12 available per day) with a visit to La Stanza Segreta di Michelangelo (Michelangelo’s Secret Room), a true hidden gem. This small, private room was used by Michelangelo during his time in the city, and it is believed to have been a space for his personal reflections and creative work. The room is part of a rich historical setting, offering a glimpse into the life of one of the Renaissance’s greatest artists. As another couple with tickets did not show up in time Vladi and I got a private viewing of the place, which was strictly limited to 15 minutes in order to control the humidity in the room.
After this visit we took our time to explore the rest of the chapel which was mind blowing to say the least. What a fantastic place to finish our time in Florence. Probably we had only scratched the surface but there’s only a limited number of things one can absorbing our legs were hurting as well.
After a well-deserved nap we went out again for dinner. Somehow, we had a craving for steak and we found a nice place at one of the squares. Unfortunately, the famous steak fiorentino was out of bounds as Vladi doesn’t like his steak served raw, so we opted for a filet steak, which was cooked to both our liking. When I asked the waiter for the wine menu, he said he would present us 3 different local wines which would perfectly match our steak. No price mentioned but being Dutch I asked for the price. The cheapest bottle was 260 Euro, the most expensive one 350… Ok, two glasses of house wine please.
To be honest the steak was excellent, the atmosphere and service was excellent (If a bit pushy) but the place was definitely overpriced… We skipped desert and went to a gelateria for an excellent ice-cream. The Perfect way to finish of a really nice evening.
OMG, Florence, you have been amazing !