We’ve just enjoyed a long weekend in Florence. It’s the fourth time I’ve been there but it’s the first time I’ve spent significant time in the city and although last time we did see Michelangelo’s David and visit the Basilica of Santa Croce which is home to the tombs of most of Florence’s great and good this time we did the lot: museums, galleries and basilicas.
If you’re going to visit Florence you’ve got to do this. I’d rank it as one of those places which you have to visit to fully appreciate. It’s simply not possible to imagine the intrigues of the Medici or just how much art there is there unless you’ve seen it. And as out guide pointed out it’s all local, it’s not the looted antiquities you see in the British Museum and other much lauded collections.
It’s not surprising therefore that when I reflect on the highlights of our visit that it’s the very essence of Florence that first comes to mind. In no specific order here’s my five highlights.
- the museums, galleries and their contents. We had three days and we probably only scratched the surface. We visited the Uffizi Gallery, the Basilicas of Santa Croce and San Lorenzo and the Palazzos del Popolo and Pitti and several other museums, churches and chapels. they are all rich in art and history. At the end of those three days my brain was full!
- our guide, Laura. Our appreciation of Florence would have not been possible without the incredible contribution of Laura who’s knowledge was vast. There was no detail she could not explain and no question she could not answer. And at the right times we had a cafe for morning coffee and recommendations of trattorias for lunch and dinner.
- Italian food. It goes without saying because it’s one of the reasons for visiting Italy but dare I say that we’ve had better? Florence is good for steak, there’s plenty of pasta of course but there’s no fish. But we had a super experience at the trattoria Ciabatini and finished off with a fine dinner at the restaurant Terrazza Rossini in our hotel. In both places and elsewhere service was exemplary.
- Italian beer. Yes I did say that. I enjoyed a beer with my lunch every day and a few in the evening as well and only once did I have a mainstream Italian beer. Every other time I have a local beer and some of these were excellent.
- the city itself. It’s small enough to walk around, there are lots of small shops (it’s not dominated by big chains), the municipal fabric is in good order and there appears to be excellent public transport. And at night there were lots of people on the street but no feeling that you were in any way unsafe walking about in darkness. A real pleasure.
We were blessed with good weather, no rain, plenty of sunshine and 20 degree temperatures, I took 550 photographs although that number is inflated by a few HDR shots in response to low light conditions, and I remembered to complete Wordle every day!
There’s an album of photographs at https://jdavidjenkins.org.uk/2024-florence
And for a diary view:
David Jenkins' weblog 
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