last minute advice-Florence next week!
 

We leave on Wed for 2 glorious weeks in Florence. We have a very loose itinerary, an overnight to Venice, a cooking class, but that's about it. Our 8 and 9 year old daughters will be with us. Any must sees (besides the usual, David, Ufizzi, etc), or last minute advice? Grazie!

To avoid the crowds:

-Cenacolo di Saint Apollonia (Benedictine refrectory)
-Disctricts of Saint Spirito and San Fredanio (do a bit of a walk around)
-Giardino del Semplici (exotic plants! A sweet smelling haven)
-Santa Maria Maddelena de Pazzi (tough to find but you can see Pergunino's luminous fresco 'Crucifixion and saints' from 1493)
- The village of Settignano outside Fiesole is great if you are planning day trips

for bizzarre atefacts:

- Museo Stibbert housing the bizarre collection of Fredrick Stibbert
- La Specola observatory

for frescoes:

- Brancacci Chapel
- Chapels of the Palace Vecchio
- Santa Croce
- Santa Maria Novella

for city views:

-Top of the campanile
- Piazzale Michalangelo
- San Miniato al Monte

for river views:

-Ponte Santa Trinita
-Ponte Vecchio

Hope that helps! have a brilliant time!

It's probably already on your list, but don't miss the Baptistry. That ceiling of 13th C mosaics is amazing!

I loved Palazzo Vecchio for its frescoes. Most of them are by Vasari. Vasari isn't very highly rated, but I like his work.

The ufizzi can give one art overload. Try to do some research and figure out what it is you really want to see. Also, if at all possible, tour it in reverse, i.e. from the highest room# to the front. I always find that nicer in any chronologically arranged rennaisance musem - so it applies to the Accademia in Venice as well. The reason for this is that, the post rennaisance and high rennaisance paintings are lovelier than the more primitive early rennaisance and pre rennaisance work. I like to give my attention to the things I like when I'm not yet tired.

If the weather is pleasant, take a trip to the Boboli gardens and an evening in Fiesole or Piazza Michaelangelo for the views.

How about some day trips? Lucca and Orvieto are easy to do by train and are definitely worth it.
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Topping!

Siena makes for a great daytrip too. I took the bus from Florence and found it very easy.

Have a great trip! We spent a week in Florence in March and loved every minute of it. Leather shopping is a must.
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