The cultural and historical impact of Florence is overwhelming. Close up, however, the city is one of Italy’s most atmospheric and pleasant, retaining a strong resemblance to the small late-medieval centre that contributed so much to the cultural and political development of Europe. Unfortunately, it can be one of Italy’s most clogged tourist traps, with up to 2000 tourist buses arriving daily in the peak season.
Learn Italian in Florence
Where Rome is a historical hot-pot, Florence is like stepping back into a Fiat and Vespa-filled Renaissance: the shop-lined Ponte Vecchio, the trademark Duomo, the gem-filled Uffizi Gallery, the turreted Piazza della Signoria and the Medici Chapels. Thankfully, these unforgettables are all within walking distance of each other.
Population:461,000
Country: Italy
Time: GMT/UTC plus one hour (plus two hours in summer)
Telephone area code: 055
Orientation
Florence is the capital of the region of Tuscany, on Italy’s north-west coast. A good reference point for navigating your way around Florence is its central train station, Santa Maria Novella, although the Duomo is pretty hard to miss. The city has two airports – Amerigo Vespucci is a few kilometres north-west of the city centre, and Galileo Galilei (for international flights) is about 75km (46mi) west of the city. You can walk from one end of the city centre to the other in about 30 minutes.
Florence
Florence has hundreds of hotels, hostels and private rooms, and more than 150 budget hotels; even so, it’s best to book ahead. Hotels and pensions are concentrated near the train station and in the old section of the city, from the Duomo to the river. Tuscany is known for its fine culinary traditions – in particular, its olive oil, meat dishes and classic Chianti. Atmospheric trattorie abound, and there are clusters of lovely little eateries south of the Arno and near the central market in San Lorenzo.
Learn Italian in an Italian language school in Florence
Monuments in Florence
If you would like to learn Italian in Italy or improve your Italian language skills, one of the most interesting destinations is Florence, You will find quality and recognised Italian language schools in Florence, offering students a wide variety of language courses.
Would you like to learn Italian in a cultural and artistic atmosphere? Yes? You should take an intensive language course, and one of the best options is to choose a language school in Florence, giving you the opportunity to combine the learning of the Italian language with your passion of the arts.
Teachers in the schools in Florence give a special attention to students and their objective is that the students will be fluent in Italian in an easy and fast way.
You will fall in love with Florence; this magnificent city is famous for its fine art, culture, architecture and museums. Imagine your experience in a school in Florence, the capital of the arts. You will feel the art and culture just walking along the street.
Florence. Capital of the region of Tuscany, is considered the birthplace of Italian Renaissance, and it is said that, from the 13th to the 16th century, 350 of the 1000 most important European artist, lived or worked in Florence. Everybody knows who, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci are, but do you know where they are from? Yes, of course, these artists were born in Florence. You will have the opportunity to discover the city of these two geniuses, while learning Italian in one of the greatest schools in Florence.
These schools in Florence have always offered their students every opportunity to learn about Italian life and culture. Besides regular courses, the school has a series of extra-curricular activities available, both cultural and recreational, which help you to enjoy and appreciate, in the best way possible, your stay in Florence.
If you choose to learn or improve you knowledge of Italian in a school in Florence, you will also visit museums, art galleries, participate in concerts, conferences, and excursions in Tuscany. You will also have the opportunity to practice sports like gymnastics, fitness, yoga, swimming, jogging, tennis, squash, golf and horse-riding.
Florence is easily accessible from most major cities both in Italy and abroad. The Florence “Vespucci” airport, which houses both national and international airlines, is located 5Km. from the city centre. Most of the schools in Florence are situated in the heart of the old city.
The liveliness and authenticity of everyday life, the charm and the hospitality of its inhabitants, the purity of the language, (there are no dialects) make Florence the best destination for learning the Italian language and culture.
Choose a Italian language school in Florence!! This will be one of the best decisions in your life to be remembered forever.Learn Italian in an Italian language school in Florence
Monuments in Florence
If you would like to learn Italian in Italy or improve your Italian language skills, one of the most interesting destinations is Florence, You will find quality and recognised Italian language schools in Florence, offering students a wide variety of language courses.
Would you like to learn Italian in a cultural and artistic atmosphere? Yes? You should take an intensive language course, and one of the best options is to choose a language school in Florence, giving you the opportunity to combine the learning of the Italian language with your passion of the arts.
Teachers in the schools in Florence give a special attention to students and their objective is that the students will be fluent in Italian in an easy and fast way.
You will fall in love with Florence; this magnificent city is famous for its fine art, culture, architecture and museums. Imagine your experience in a school in Florence, the capital of the arts. You will feel the art and culture just walking along the street.
Florence. Capital of the region of Tuscany, is considered the birthplace of Italian Renaissance, and it is said that, from the 13th to the 16th century, 350 of the 1000 most important European artist, lived or worked in Florence. Everybody knows who, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci are, but do you know where they are from? Yes, of course, these artists were born in Florence. You will have the opportunity to discover the city of these two geniuses, while learning Italian in one of the greatest schools in Florence.
These schools in Florence have always offered their students every opportunity to learn about Italian life and culture. Besides regular courses, the school has a series of extra-curricular activities available, both cultural and recreational, which help you to enjoy and appreciate, in the best way possible, your stay in Florence.
If you choose to learn or improve you knowledge of Italian in a school in Florence, you will also visit museums, art galleries, participate in concerts, conferences, and excursions in Tuscany. You will also have the opportunity to practice sports like gymnastics, fitness, yoga, swimming, jogging, tennis, squash, golf and horse-riding.
Florence is easily accessible from most major cities both in Italy and abroad. The Florence “Vespucci” airport, which houses both national and international airlines, is located 5Km. from the city centre. Most of the schools in Florence are situated in the heart of the old city.
The liveliness and authenticity of everyday life, the charm and the hospitality of its inhabitants, the purity of the language, (there are no dialects) make Florence the best destination for learning the Italian language and culture.
Choose a Italian language school in Florence!! This will be one of the best decisions in your life to be remembered forever.
Attractions
The remarkable Duomo, with its pink, white and green marble façade and characteristic dome, dominates the city’s skyline. The building took almost two centuries to build (and even then the façade wasn’t completed until the 19th century), and is the fourth-largest cathedral in the world. The enormous dome was designed by Brunelleschi, and its interior features frescoes and stained-glass windows by some of the Renaissance-era’s best: Vasari, Zuccari, Donatello, Uccello and Ghiberti. Take a deep breath and climb up to take a closer look, and you’ll be rewarded by fantastic views of the city and an insight into how the dome was so cleverly constructed – without scaffolding (though there’s plenty of that propping the dome up now!). The dome still defines the scale of the city, and no building in town is taller.
Giotto designed the cathedral’s Campanile, and Pisano and della Robbia contributed bas-reliefs. It too is clad in white, pink and green marble. The Baptistry is adjacent – it’s one of the city’s oldest buildings, and was originally a pagan temple. The building is most famous for its gilded bronze doors. Those on the south are by Pisano, but it is the doors facing east (and in the direction of the cathedral) that are most talked about. Created by Ghiberti, they are known as the Gates of Paradise (a moniker believed to have been dubbed by Michelangelo). Created between 1424 and 1452, their beauty and sophistication mark them as one of the first products of the Renaissance. The Baptistry’s ceilings feature gory 13th-century mosaics of the Last Judgment.
Behind the cathedral is the Duomo Museum, which features original panels taken from the doors of the Baptistry, Brunelleschi’s death mask, equipment used to build the dome and an impressive sculpture collection, including pieces by Michelangelo.
Piazza della Signoria
The piazza was at the hub of Florence’s political life through the centuries, and is surrounded by some of the city’s most celebrated buildings. With its famous group of sculptures, the loggia looks a lot like an outdoor sculpture gallery; Cellini’s magnificent statue of Perseus and Giambologna’s Rape of a Sabine are particularly striking.
Guarding the Palazzo Vecchio is a copy of Michelangelo’s oh-so-strokeable David. The palazzo has been Florence’s town hall since 1322. Its characterful tower is another of Florence’s symbols, and the interior of the palazzo was lavishly redecorated by Vasari. An elevated corridor called Vasari’s Corridor leads from the palazzo, through the Uffizi, across the Arno by way of the Ponte Vecchio, and all the way down to the Palazzo Pitti. The private walkway was used by the Medici family as a way of visiting their scattered palaces without having to mingle with the masses. The walkway is lined, as if merely as an afterthought, with works of art.
Backing onto the loggia, and leading all the way down to the banks of the River Arno, is the famed Uffizi Gallery. The gallery’s wonderful collection is arranged to illustrate the evolving story of Florentine art. Some of the most famous pieces are in rooms 7-18; they include Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, Titian’s Venus of Urbino, Michelangelo’s Holy Family and Piero della Francesca’s Duke & Duchess of Urbino.
If you make it out of the Uffizi with any energy and concentration justify to spare, wander along the banks of the Arno towards the Ponte Vecchio. The famous 14th-century bridge is lined with shops selling gold and silver jewellery – a step up from the butcher shops that lined the bridge before Cosimo I decided glitter was better than gore. The bridge was the only one in the city to escape destruction during WWII.
Santa Croce
If you experience a peculiar giddy feeling after visiting the Church of Santa Croce, don’t despair. It’s probable that you’ve succumbed to Stendhal’s Disease, an illness diagnosed in about 12 visitors to Florence each year, and dating from the French writer’s own feelings of culture shock and bedazzlement when he visited the church in the early 19th century. Geometrically coloured marble decorates the building’s façade (added in the 19th century), but the real treats lie inside, where many famous Florentines lie in peace, hopefully immune to the tourist footfalls. The walls are lined with tombs, and 276 tombstones pave the floor. The church’s most famous inhabitants are Michelangelo, Macchiavelli, Galileo and Bardi. Its various chapels feature works of art by Giotto and della Robbia, and the serene cloisters were designed by Brunelleschi.
Santa Croce’s museum features a crucifix by Cimabue, which unfortunately was severely damaged by the 1966 floods. Other churches which shouldn’t be missed include the statue-filled Orsanmichele; Santa Trinità, featuring frescoes by Ghirlandaio; All Saints’, with frescoes by Botticelli and Ghirlandaio; Santa Maria Novella, which contains Masaccio’s groundbreaking Trinity, along with other significant artworks; the popular SS Annunziata; Giambologna’s San Marco; and the Church of the Holy Spirit, one of Brunelleschi’s last commissions, and featuring Filippino Lippi’s Madonna & Child.
Just around the corner from Santa Croce you’ll stumble across Casa Buonarroti, a house which Michelangelo owned but never lived in. Today, you’ll find a collection of copies of the master’s work. You’ll find the real thing, however, at the Accademia Gallery: David in all his glory.
Piazza San Lorenzo
This lovely area is redolent of Florence in its prime, when Cosimo was king and cultural creativity abounded. San Lorenzo Basilica was begun by Brunelleschi in 1425 and is regarded as one of the city’s purest Renaissance churches. The eastern façade is especially interesting, as it is completely bare of decoration and reveals the antique brickwork. It was the Medici family’s parish church, and many of the members of the family are buried here. Donatello designed the bronze pulpits, and he is buried in one of the chapels. Passing through the cloister, you reach the Laurenziana Library, commissioned to house the family’s huge collection of books and featuring a sublime staircase by Michelangelo. The Medici Chapels are sumptuously decorated with precious marble and semiprecious stones; the most powerful Medicis were buried here. The New Sacristy was designed by Michelangelo and contains his Night & Day, Dawn & Dusk sculptures.
Adjacent to the basilica are atmospheric palazzos, with interior courtyards glimpsed through ancient wooden gates, and the especially bustling central market – the place to find bargain woollens and leather goods, especially if you’re willing to bargain.
Pitti Palace
One of the most visited sites on the southern bank of the Arno, this palace was designed by the workaholic Brunelleschi for the Pitti family, rivals of the Medicis – who soon made it their own. It’s a huge and imposing building, and a treasure house of the Medici family’s massive art collection. Treasures include works by Raphael, Filippo Lippi, Tintoretto, Veronese and Rubens, all hung in lavishly decorated rooms. The restored apartments convey the extravagant lifestyles of the Medicis, and the Savoys who later usurped their position. The palace also houses a gallery of modern art and a costume collection. If you’re a palazzo addict, don’t miss the Strozzi Palace, one of the city’s most impressive Renaissance palaces; the Rucellai Palace, designed by Leon Battista Alberti, and today housing a photographic museum; and the Pazzi Palace, attributed to Brunelleschi.
Surrounding the rear of the Pitti Palace are some of Florence’s most precious and breathtaking parks: the Boboli Gardens. A perfect example of formal Renaissance landscaping, the gardens include pools, fountains, geometric borders, tree-lined vistas, a grotto and the star-shaped Forte di Belvedere. If you’ve got the energy, it’s worth heading down Via del Belvedere to reach Piazzale Michelangelo, which offers one of the most beautiful views of magical Florence.