Day 1 in Florence
Florence is certainly a paradise for the ones who are fond of culture. But, from the start, we come with a piece of advice: in order your head not to explode of too much artistic ‘hangover’, better alternate the visit of cultural spots with silent walks on the local piazzas or piazettas to recreate you mind. No matter how quickly you will move, you will not succeed to see everything. Besides, the rush can spoil the magic, so do not hurry and enjoy everything in slow motion.
Discover the history of Florence
Visit Palazzo Medici Riccardi – a Renaissance palace designed by Michelozzo di Bartolomeo for Cosimo de Medici, built in 1445-1460. The Medici family is known as one of the most important competitors in the fight for political power, wealth and prestige, governing Florence for more than a century.
Also, as you observe, the name of the palazzo hints us that Gabbriello Riccardi, the Marquis of Chianni, is connected to this place, too. The fact is that he bought the palace in 1659, but, in the end, the sumptuous building was sold to the Tuscan state by the Ricardi. Not all the palace is exposed for visits, but the part of the construction which you are allowed to see will give you the chance to retrace over four centuries and feel on yourself how the dynasties mentioned above lived.
In order to relax a little bit and calm down your ecstasy after exploring the Medici Riccardi Palazzo, take a walk through the narrow streets of the city and stop at the Ponte Vecchio. It is a bridge over the Arno river, and is remarked for the fact that it has shops built along it. Nowadays, you can find there sellers of jewelry, paintings, as well as artisanship. You can buy some souvenirs there, walk along the Arno river, or take a gelato and relish with it while looking how the Florentine life flows on the Ponte Vecchio.
Leonardo da Vinci Museum is a must-see destination for the ones who are fond of not only history, but also science. The museum from the heart of Florence will offer you a unique experience to get to know, or to better understand, Leonardo’s inventions that served as basis for many machines that we use today. The museum is divided into five sections: mechanisms, Earth, water, air and fire. If you travel with kids, this place will be a good educational platform for them. However, do not expect that the models are manufactured by da Vinci himself. The works are executed with detail by the staff of the WNA World Wide Museum Activities that made these machines more resistible, running like Leonardo planned them to.
In the evening, when the museums and palazzos close, spend a couple of hours in the marvelous Giardino delle Rose. The garden represents one hectare of terraced land which offers a panoramic view over the city. The garden features a great collection of different species of roses. You can see in this sea of roses sculptures dotted from here to there, too.
Before heading to the place where you stay, hop into one of the famous Florentine trattorias and take you portion of proteins by tasting the beef steak cooked after special Italian recipe, to recover all the calories you lost during a whole day of wandering.