Archive for 'Museums & Galleries'

Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was born on the 22nd of December 1858 and would go on to become an opera composer that would be labelled "the greatest composer of Italian opera after Verdi". Many of his works are very famous. In fact, among his ouevre are some of the best known operas of all time, amongst them are “La Bohème” (1896), “Tosca” (1900), and “Madama Butterfly” (1904). These are the operatic works that tour most often and have become standards of the genre of music.

In the final post in this series, here are the last of Google's suggestions for what to do with just a day in Florence. Having just left the Piazza della Signoria, we now move on to the Duomo.

7. Florence Cathedral (Travel: 10 minutes by foot. Approx. time to spend here: 1 hour)

The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, or the Duomo, is Florence's cathedral and main church. It was begun in 1296, according to the designs of Arnolfo di Cambio, and was completed in 1436 with the addition of a soaring dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi.

The exterior is expressed in polychromatic marble panels and an elaborate 19th century Gothic Revival façade by Emilio De Fabris. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is one of the city's must-see attractions and the view from the top is unrivaled.

Continuing on from our last post, we are still following along Google's automatically generated itinerary for a day in Florence. Having just crossed the Ponte alle Grazie, a quieter bridge over the Arno, just a stone's throw from the busier and more famous Ponte Vecchio, we were on our way to the next attraction…

4. Santa Croce (Travel: Less than 5 minutes by foot. Approx. time to spend here: 1 hour)

This stunning Gothic church is a lovely polychromatic 13th century Franciscan basilica that is the final resting place of the likes of Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli among others. Packed to the rafters with incredible frescoes, stained glass, sculptures and other objets d'art, there is plenty to see and do. In fact, there is too much to take it all in entirely in a single visit but the experience of stepping inside this jewel box of culture and history is worth the minor sensory overload.

Google seems to have the answers to all of life's questions, right? Whether you are looking for directions or somewhere good to eat, want to know when a museum closes or when to avoid peak crowds, having the internet at your fingertips takes the work out of holiday-making and makes your life a hell of a lot easier.

In fact, they've gone a step further now and Google has even compiled all of their data to generate automatic itineraries of destinations based on the post popular attractions, their locations and the distances between them. Based on the amount of days you will be in the place you have chosen, there are a variety of itineraries to choose from and one can't help but wonder at how well an algorithm might plan a trip.

So, here is Google's suggestion for what to do with 24 hours in Florence. Just find a luxury villa in Florence and see for yourself how suitable it might be.

If you are planning a visit to the Uffizi Gallery, or Galleria degli Uffizi, in Piazza della Signoria, we suggest that you seek out the works of Botticelli in the gallery, in particular.

The collection is home to some of his most famous and beautiful works that he ever produced and, as such, is a particularly good place to visit for both Botticelli fans and those with a casual interest alike. Just find a wonderful holiday rental in Florence and drop by.

The Uffizi is one of the oldest and most famous art museums in Europe and was originally begun under Vasari for Cosimo I de' Medici in 1560. The name comes from the Italian word for “offices” which is what the building was intended to house when it was first constructed. More and more space was dedicated to the display of artworks over time until that became its primary function and, in 1765, it was officially opened to the public.