nicoletta

Will be travelling to Florence after Rome in a week and a half and I am getting so bogged down with last minute things that it is getting real difficult to plan my trip..Can anyone suggest a definite 'to see list' in Florence...you would save me a big headache and I would love to hear about what you thought was worth seeing and what can be saved for teh next trip. <BR> <BR>I am leaving on the 23rd for Siciliy for two weeks for a family vist annd then off to Rome, Florence and Venice ..and hopefully Rimini.. with two other feamle friends. <BR> <BR>Any suggestions? <BR> <BR>P.s. sorry I get so excited on thsi forum taht I can't even type right!!! <BR> <BR>Nicoletta

catherine

Hi Nicoletta, a similar question came up last weekend.I am sure it will be in the next 150 questions somewhere.Florence is a beautiful city with outstanding architecture.Whatever you do you will enjoy. #1 for me was the Uffizi, <BR>#2 was Santa Croce, #3 was San Lorenzo. <BR>Just walking the streets is delightful. <BR>Enjoy your trip to Italy.Don't worry about your typing.No one is perfect

LORI

Don't miss the Accademie (Sp) where the David is - truly one of the great works of art. And the Duomo and the Baptistry - you can't miss them. Also gelati at Vivoli is the best ever!!! <BR>

Linda

The David is magnificent and the gelato at Vivoli's is a must-do. Ponte Vecchio (sp) is nice covered bridge with lots of little shops, Casa Guidi (home of Robert & Elizabeth Browning), Pitti Palace, and a trek to Fiesole (above Florence) are some other options. It is a great city with lots of good shopping--shoes, leather, jewelry. The Duomo is nice and the doors are awesome.

elaine

hi nicoleta <BR>You don't say how long you'll be in Florence, but assuming you'll have three days, at least,here are my personal favorites. <BR>First, order tickets in advance for the Uffizi and the Accademia so you don't have to wait in very long lines. <BR> <BR>In Florence, Firenze Musei phone 39 05 529 4883 offers a ticket service for the Uffizi, the Accademia, the Boboli Gardens, Vasari's corridor, the Archeological Museum, the museum <BR>of San Marco, the Bargello, the Medici Chapels, the <BR>Palatina Gallery at the Pitti Palace, and a couple of others. The service is available from 8:30 am-6:30 pm Mon-Fri and 8:30 am-12:30pm on Saturday. Set times are given for all <BR>the museum visits and tickets can be picked up 15-20 minutes before that time. About $1 service charge is added to the ticket price. <BR>Many Fodor's posters including myself have successfully ordered Florence museum tickets via <BR>www.waf.it/museires.htm <BR> <BR>In my opinion, the Accademia is the absolute must, "David" is breathtaking. <BR>I went twice, once on the day I arrived and once on the day I left.The museum is easily "done" in an hour, even a half hour in a pinch as it is small. The Uffizi has many masterpieces of great Renaissance art, but as a museum I found it an unpleasant experience. It was hot, there were many steep, long flights of stairs, there was no place to check a totebag, and there were almost no signs or captions or explanatory information on the paintings. <BR>I very much enjoyed the Bargello museum, <BR>there are wonderful sculptures on the first floor especially.After the Accademia my favorite site was San Marco, a former monastery, which has simple and beautiful frescoes by Fra Angelico. <BR>We also <BR>went to the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens which are quite beautiful. Gardens are a straight uphill walk behind the palace, so wear comfortable shoes and bring some water. At the Pitti Palace you have a choice of several musuems to tour; the most popular one is the Palatine. <BR>Among churches, my favorites were <BR>Santa Croce, especially to see the tombs of Michelangelo and Machiavelli, among others. And San Lorenzo with its Medici chapels and sculptures by Michelangelo is very memorable. <BR>There are many other places of course--The piazza della Signoria with its fountain and sculptures is a main gathering place. The Duomo dominates the center of Florence and is a marvel <BR>of early Renaissance architecture, a true landmark. <BR>I also valued my visit to the museum <BR>dell'Opera del Duomo which is small but has an unforgettable sculpture of Mary Magdalene by Donatello, and a late Pieta <BR>by Michelangelo. <BR>Among all this sightseeing, yes by all means have gelato at Vivoli, more than once. <BR>If you have extra time on your hands in Florence spend a day in Siena, you won't be sorry.

cheryl

Elaine is right, in saying that the Uffizi does not have many captions in English. However, you can purchase a guide book in English before visiting the Galleries. I strongly recommend that anyone visiting the Uffizi do this. In fact, on our first trip to Italy, we bought a guide book at each museum, and now we just take them back with us. These guides are not very expensive, have a lot of information, and make wonderful souvenirs as well. <BR> <BR>I agree with everyone else that Santa Croce is a must-see. Make sure that you see the Giotto frescos in the chapel to the right of the altar. These are one of my two favorite pieces of art in Florence. The other is the Prisoner statues at the Accademia. Too many people rush past these in their hurry to see the David, and miss a wonderful experience.

Pira

I was in Florence in late July. There were construction/renovation projects for the Giubileo around the city. Sorry to say that the Pazzi Chapel, and the Santa Maria Novella are closed, while the facades of Santa Croce, Pitti Palace, the Bargello, the Medici Chapel, and some other monuments were covered (partially at least) with scaffoldings. <BR>