Firenze, Italy

Part of writing these posts involve research. I start by reviewing our itinerary, looking where we have free time, mapping our hotel, and seeing what you can visit within walking or transit distance of our hotel.

So I search on the internet for the hotel that we are staying at in Florence, Italy.

Internet Browser Response: Firenze, Italy.

Me: "Stupid internet! Never works when you need it! Which IT reset tool should I go with?"

Internet Browser Response: Firenze, Italy

Me: "Aha! Firenze is Italian for Florence!"

Amazing, but you don't know what you don't know!

So here we go - we have some free time in Firenze (Florence) Italy, so what are your options? We will be arriving Thursday April 28 and leaving Saturday April 30. There is free time scheduled for both Thursday and Friday afternoons. What to do?

The first step may be to start looking at some websites. You can find some information both here and here. We will have a walking tour in this city on Thursday, and the city was first established by Julius Caesar in 59 BC. That's old!

Once you have your free time, you may want to consider the following options!

1. Giotto's Campanile (Bell Tower): "one of the four principal monuments on the Piazza del Duomo" (source)
2. Brunelleschi's Dome: The largest masonry dome ever built completed in 1461.
3. Basilica di Santa Croce: The principle Franciscan church in Firenze.
4. Pitti Palace: A palace which is the largest museum complex in Firenze.
5. Palazzo Vecchio (City Hall): I cannot honestly give the pictures credit here, so you will need to click on the link.
6. Palazzo Davanzati: The museum of the Old Florentine House.

But of course, you could always enjoy the local fare! Some suggestions are here and here and here. 

And shopping is also an option. One location of note is the Leather Market (San Lorenzo). From what I have seen of the website, there are some great prices for the products. Our own Bryan Hunt informed me that in the past students have gone there purposefully to make some terrific purchases. Just a note - brush up on your bartering skills. For some tips on bargaining you can try this website, or this website or this website.

Just keep this in mind - as the potential purchaser you can always walk away!