Monday in Florence - what to do?
 

I'm in desperate need of some help - I'm going on a cruise that stops in Livorno (w/ trips to Florence) on Monday, November 5th, and from what I've read, the Uffizi and Accademia Gallery are closed Mondays. What would be my best alternative? Walking/Access are not a problem, my wife and I are in good physical shape & we enjoy museums and historical stuff. THANKS!!!

The churches will be open so check your guidebook for ideas on which to visit. If you have time, you might want to visit the Boboli Gardens behind the Pitti Palace across the Ponte Vecchio. Great views of the city and surrounding countryside from high up.

Hi<BR>I'm so sorry you're not going to see the Uffizi and Accademia Galleries, but there are many other things to see.<BR>There is a copy of the David statue<BR>in the Piazza della Signoria, it's the center of Florence, and there are cafes to make a stop in.<BR>Museums that are open include:<BR>the Bargello, which has Michelangelo sculptures among other treasures<BR>(I love that museum); the Museo dell' Opera del Duomo, quite small, has<BR>a version of the Pieta, again by M., that is quite different from the one in Rome, and it was done near the end of Michelangelo's life. THe figure<BR>of the old man (Nicodemus) is supposed to be a self-portrait. Finally, another favorite of mine is the Convent of San Marco which has many frescoes by<BR>Fra Angelico, and a glorious<BR>"Annunciation."<BR>To see the tombs of Michelangelo and<BR>Machiavelli, among others, go to Santa Croce church.

I should have added, that the Bargello is closed on some Mondays, but it is said to be open on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th (?) Monday of each month

Hi George,<BR><BR>Don't worry if museums are closed - many of Florence's treasures aren't inside buildings anyway. Try some of the following:<BR><BR>Ice cream at Vivoli (Via delle Isole delle Stinche) - get yourself some and stroll 1 block to Piazza Santa Croce. By the time you're done with the gelato, you can stop inside and see just about everybody who's anybody's tomb.<BR><BR>Piazzale Michelangelo - on the oltrarno (south bank). Hike up the hill and marvel at the postcard views. While you're there, walk another 50 meters up the hill to San Miniato (church). Marvel some more.<BR><BR>Ponte Vecchio - window shop the goldsmiths' wares while giving some amount of thanks to the German army for not bombing it.<BR><BR>Piazza del Duomo - stand in the middle of it, look up, and try to figure out how Brunoleschi got that darn dome up there.<BR><BR>Piazza Signoria - walk through the fantastically-restored loggia and look at Cellini's gorgeous Perseus - only some 500 years old and no admission required.<BR><BR>If you're dying for indoor experiences:<BR><BR>Try to get into the Medici Chapels (at San Lorenzo) and be sure to ask for the no-extra-cost but often overlooked ticket to see Michelangelo's graffiti.<BR><BR>Head to the topografical museum (Firenze Com'Era) on Via dell'oriuolo a few blocks east-southeast of the duomo. Lots of great maps and ciy information, usually not a soul in there. Only drawback is that all text (and there's a lot of it) is in Italiano.<BR><BR>History of Science Museum - on the lungarno just east of Ponte Vecchio. A must if you're into the difference between sextants, quadrants and octants, old astromical equipment and timepieces, or a preserved finger of Galileo himself.<BR><BR>That should be enough for a day. And you just might come back not being very sorry the Uffizi was closed...<BR><BR>Buon viaggio!<BR>Christina

Get a personal tour guide thru Firenze Antica (firenzeantica.com). Not cheap, but worth every penny, especially if you do not have a lot of time in Florence or do not have time to really study-up on Renaissance art and architecture.

I can only tell you what I'm going to be doing on a Monday in Firenze. <BR>I am going to tour the wine country and have lunch in the Tuscan countryside. <BR>Buon Viaggio! <BR>pam

As someone said, the churches are open. You can pop into the Duomo & I think you may be able to climb the belltower (Camanille (sp?) to get a bird's eye view of the city. <BR> <BR>Or one of my favorite churches in Florence is the Santa Croce. AND, when after you go thru it, you can then cross the street (think it's Via Guiseppe Verdi --- anyhow just stand with your back to church & cross whatever that road is --- look for a teeny little street called Via Torte --- walk a short block up Via Torte and turn right onto Via Della Stinche --- about 5 store fronts in & on the left side of this street is VIVOLI's --- mmmmmmmmm, an excellent gelateria! <BR> <BR>Hmmmmm, except I'm trying to remember if Vivoli's is open on Mondays. Surely someone else will know. If not, there are a couple other good gelaterias. I know that at least one is open on Mondays.