For our time around Florence, we booked a Tuscan villa about 20 km from the city. The villa was located on a hilltop, not far from the small town of Capraia e Limite, in a fantastic setting, where we could really relax after all the walking and hiking we had been doing during those days.
During our days in Florence, we walked the cobblestone streets almost without rest, as every corner of the city center is a work of art. Walking among the fantastic buildings and squares, we completely lost ourselves in the Renaissance atmosphere. One evening, we had a special experience, as a local friend of ours invited us to a great restaurant, where we could taste real Tuscan flavors during a pleasant dinner.
The history of Florence began in Roman times, when it was founded as a settlement of veterans on the banks of the Arno River under the name Florentia. The real rise of the city began in the Middle Ages, when it became one of the richest cities in Europe thanks to the wool trade and banking houses. From the 15th century, the Medici family took control, who spent their huge fortune supporting the arts. Their patronage made Florence the cradle of the Renaissance, where the most outstanding minds of the era could create.
One of the city’s most famous natives is Dante Alighieri, the poet prince, who is revered as the father of the Italian language. His masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, is not only a literary masterpiece, but also a summary of medieval thought. Although he was exiled from his hometown for political reasons, Florence still proudly preserves his memory, and his house and statue are important pilgrimage sites in the city.
Leonardo da Vinci, the universal genius who was ahead of his time in the fields of anatomy and military technology in addition to painting, was also born and worked here. Although he spent a significant part of his career in Milan and France, he laid his artistic foundations in the workshop of Verrocchio in Florence. His talent, which is closely linked to the city, continues to inspire the world to this day.
Michelangelo Buonarroti, although not born directly in the city, but in nearby Caprese, considered Florence his true home. He was raised at the Medici court and created several of his defining works here. Without his genius, the landscape of Florence would be unimaginable, as his handprints are found in the most important churches and squares.
Among the city’s sculptures, the David, Michelangelo’s monumental work, stands out, symbolizing the perfection of the human body and the fight against tyranny. It originally stood in Piazza della Signoria, where a copy can be seen today, while the original is kept in the Accademia Gallery. In the same square is the Loggia dei Lanzi, where masterpieces such as Cellini’s Perseus with the Head of Medusa and Giambologna’s The Rape of the Sabine Women are lined up, among the most beautiful examples of open-air sculpture.
