Articles

Mannerist Florence

Florence may hold the world’s best concentration of Renaissance art, but the city also holds jewels of the often overlooked Mannerist movement that came shortly after. Mannerism is a term that comes from the Italian word maniera, meaning manner or style. Perhaps a reaction to the classical...
Florence for Free

Florence has the incredible job of looking after the world's best and most important collection of Renaissance art, and because of this most of the museums and even a handful of churches will request an entrance fee, often to pay for the works undergoing restoration, such as in the case of the...
Florence's beginnings

Although Florence is most famous for its Renaissance history, its beginnings go all the way back to the Roman times, and its medieval past also helped to define the city as it is today.Florence was founded in 59 BC by Julius Cesar, who named it Florentia, “the flourishing one.” It was intended...
Renaissance Florence

Florence is known as the cradle of the Renaissance and is still wonderfully preserved as a Renaissance city with a the wealth of Renaissance art and architecture that remain the city's unique treasures.But why Florence? This incredible cultural movement of the Renaissance transformed not only...
Gardens & Villas in Florence

If you are a little overwhelmed by the city, the churches and museums, the crowds and the heat, don't worry! In Florence you are never too far from some green, open space to get some air and relax.The Cascine The cascine park is a huge public space that starts from the edge of the historic...
Dante in Florence

Dante Alighieri, the hopeless romanticDante Alighieri is Italy's most beloved and most famous poet, thought of as the founder of modern Italian language and literature. Born around 1265 in Florence, Dante often used autobiographical references in his works and so actual streets and citizens of...
Meet the Medici

This political and banking family dynasty ruled Florence for four centuries. One of the wealthiest families in Florence in the 15th century, they became the unofficial rulers of the city under Cosimo the Elder, and fostered the birth of the Renaissance throughout this century under Lorenzo the...
Michelangelo Itinerary

Although he never lived in it, Michelangelo owned the property where the Casa Buonarroti museum is housed in Via Ghibellina 70, but it is a good starting point as it holds seven original drawings and five original sculptures by the artist, all of which come directly from the private collection...
Florence in One Day

Get to know Florence with the perfect balance of art, history, views and gelato in just one day.  So you're just here for the day, perhaps even on the spur of the moment, which is really a pity as you'll find you will want to stay longer, but if time is ticking and you must just spend one day...
Florence for Kids

If you have children to entertain during your visit to Florence you might like to consider these two colourful and historic places to capture their imagination.At the Palazzo Vecchio in the historic heart of Florence there is the Museo dei Ragazzi, or Family Museum. This imposing palace was...