A Walk in Florence

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Sun, 29 Mar 2015 - 01:36 GMT

BY

Sun, 29 Mar 2015 - 01:36 GMT

Planning an off-season trip to Florence can save you money and give you more time to visit lesser-frequented attractions By  Frank E. Bartscheck II Located in the northern Tuscan region of Italy, Florence is renowned for its art, culture, architecture and cuisine. The city that gave birth to the Renaissance was also home to numerous historical luminaries such as Leonard da Vinci, Dante Alighieri, Filippo Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, the Medici family and many others. Surprisingly, this quaint and influential city, with its plethora of remarkable art, architecture and history, is only the eighth-largest in Italy. During peak tourism months in summer, the city feels like an overrun amusement park, making sightseeing a workout as you fight through the crowds and wait in long lines. When you do get in to any attraction, you will often be elbow to elbow with other tourists, making it difficult to enjoy the experience. But Florence’s smaller size can be an advantage if you book your travel off season. First off, the cost of accommodations is less than during peak seasons when almost all lodgings are completely booked. Second, walking around Florence is an exceptional experience, especially when there aren’t as many people filling the street. Everything that Florence has to offer is easily accessible because there are often no lines to enter attractions. You can walk right up to some of the most famous pieces of art in the world and stand as long as you like to soak in the brilliance, uninterrupted by pushy sightseer elbows. One of my favorite experiences was lazily sitting in the shadow of Michelangelo’s statue of David in the Accademia Gallery Museum. In summer this area is mobbed, which makes it challenging to even get near the statue, much less a clear view of it. I went directly up to the statue’s barricade and was able to walk around the monument several times, stopping periodically to admire its brilliance and eventually took a seat in David’s shadow to continue viewing it. Getting to Italy is a short plane trip from Egypt—typically, it is easiest and least expensive to fly into one of the larger Italian cities. My wife and I flew into Rome and took the train (trenitalia.com) to Florence. The train system in Italy is extensive and provides an inexpensive and enjoyable way to travel. The trains are very comfortable and during non-peak tourist months there are plenty of empty seats. The trip from Rome to Florence is about an hour and a half and offers a delightful voyage through the Italian countryside. Along the way the Italian coastline bobs in and out of view and provides picturesque vistas of crystal blue Mediterranean seawater for as far as your eye can see. To the east are rolling hills of green countryside with long stretches of farmland intermittently dotted with small Italian towns. The summits of some of the higher emerald peaks are sporadically dotted by grey stone medieval towns. As the sun splashes on the weather-worn grey stone structures, you can see the ancient city walls and fortifications. Toward the end of the journey, on a clear day, you can see the island of Corsica and Sardinia off in the distance to the west. There are numerous well-known Florentine attractions on every tourist’s list and the time we saved by not waiting in line allowed us to visit some off-the-beaten-path attractions in Florence. For lovers of Renaissance art, a unique spot that should not be missed is the Convent of San Marco. This museum is often overlooked in favor of the much larger and better-known galleries despite being home to many wonderful examples of pre-Renaissance and Renaissance art. What makes this venue so exceptional and distinctive is its collection of audacious frescos produced by early Renaissance painter and friar Fra Angelico. A precursor to the more famous Renaissance painters such as Michelangelo and Raphael, Fra Angelico is widely recognized for his superior skill as an artist and had numerous commissions by the Vatican during his lifetime. His use of color and technical aptitude for capturing human motion, expression and gestures in a natural way are seemingly unequalled. If you are in the mood for a more outdoorsy experience, walk up the southern hills to Piazza Michelangelo. There are a few different routes that will get you up to the piazza, all of them with wonderful views of the Tuscan countryside. Be forewarned that the hill can be steep, which makes it a bit of a workout, but the exertion is worth it—the Piazza Michelangelo affords a spectacular panoramic view of the city and its architecture in the valley below. I highly recommend going during late afternoon and watching the sun go down as the evening lights of the city come up. A bottle of wine and a few Tuscan snacks can make it a once-in-a-lifetime romantic experience with your loved one. History buffs should consider ascending further up the hill to San Miniato al Monte, a basilica whose history dates back to the fourth century. The current building was erected in 1018 and is cavernous inside. The numerous medieval arches that support the ceiling seem to go on forever. The interior is all marble in unique hues of green, white, beige and black laid out in wonderful geometric patterns. As you arrive at the main altar and look up at the bowl shaped vaulted apse, there is a magnificent Byzantine-inspired mosaic dating from 1260 AD. And for a unique musical experience, the monks who reside at this basilica perform daily Gregorian chants, which are free to enjoy. The hauntingly beautiful vocal chanting echoes and interplays throughout the voluminous space, throwing listeners back to medieval times. The largest structure in the Piazza del Duomo, the cathedral, was designed by famous Italian architect and engineer Filippo Brunelleschi—with assistance from Donatello—and is an ingeniously constructed structure that has adorned the Florentine landscape ever since its construction in 1469. While it is one of the main attractions in Florence, many tourists are unaware that you can climb 463 steps to the very top of the dome and step onto an outdoor observation deck. The view from this location is an unparalleled breathtaking 360-degree vista of Florence and the surrounding hills. Feel like a little shopping? Off-season is the best time to pick up Italian-made goods because there are sales on all items, including fine Florentine Italian handmade leather products. Almost all merchandise prices are reduced by up to 50 percent between mid-January through May. To make these wonderful purchases you will need to exchange money and I highly recommend staying away from all of the brightly lit and well-located exchange booths that thrive by charging a fee on top of giving you a less than ideal exchange rate. However, there is an extremely small office where they have been exchanging money for over 40 years on Via della Ninna just behind the Uffizi museum. They offer the best rates in town by charging a flat percentage and no fee or hidden charges. et For more information on what to do and see in Florence, visit the city’s official tourist site at www.firenzeturismo.it/en/

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