MENU
FIVE questions
you should
ask ...
CALL US
Speak to one of our travel
experts within 5 rings
020·7962·9933

Which of these is important to you?

  • Concierge style service. Your own dedicated travel manager who'll look after you until you travel.
  • Better value. Exclusive fares you won't find online to save you money.
  • 24 hour helpline. A worldwide team just a phone call away if you need help while you're overseas.
  • 98% rate us excellent. More highly rated than our competitors with 98% saying they'd book again.
  • Risk free. Fully licensed with Client Trust Account to protect your money. ABTA, ATOL protected.

Your calls always answered within 5 rings.

x
Read the reviews? Call us now on 
020·7962·9933
Tell us what you need. We'll find you a solution
Italy Reviews 1286
Italy Offers 20
Italy Hotels 1217
Italy Villas 11
Culture capital

Florence in a flash

Italy's famous art capital wows with culture galore and delicious food

Florence is a feast for the eyes, with art and wonders at every turn. And when your brain is full of amazing images, you can find dozens of brilliant places to fill your stomach...

BACK TO THE FUTURE 
Opening a new gallery in Florence is a bit like adding an extra dish to a banquet. But the Museum of the Opera del Duomo (it opened in October) contains a real wonder. It's the actual-size reconstruction of the original facade of Florence Cathedral. They put back its original statues, in storage for centuries, following details on a 16th Century drawing. The facade was part of architect Arnolfo di Cambio's first, 1294, vision for the cathedral. Never properly finished, it was removed in 1587.


Michelangelo's David in the Galleria dell'Accademia


SUPER HUMAN 
Michelangelo sculpted the 14ft-high statue of biblical hero David between 1501 and 1504, while in his 20s. It is a supreme creation of the human mind, and hand. The plan had been to set the white marble statue high on the roofline of the cathedral, alongside other figures. Too massive to be lifted there, the colossus stood in Piazza della Signoria for 300 years, before being moved into the Galleria dell'Accademia in 1873 (a copy replaced it). It was restored in 2004.

MARKET LEADER 
Mercato Centrale, on the first floor of the iron and glass market built in 1874, is the city's liveliest place to eat. Walk there through the stalls of leather goods traders (Via dell'Ariento), and head to the first floor. Mercato Centrale opened in 2014 to revive this ancient quarter, as one big dining space. There are 12 sections, each serving a speciality Tuscan dish made with ingredients sourced from the market stalls below.

ART BEAT 
It's almost worth walking around the Uffizi at random, for that extra shiver of thrill when you unexpectedly come across Botticelli's Birth Of Venus and Leonardo's Annunciation. The other, equally majestic collection is in the vast Pitti Palace, on the south side of the Arno. There are many sublime paintings by Raphael, Titian, Lippi, Caravaggio and Rubens. You could spend a day in each.


The Ponte Vecchio spanning the Arno river


PHEW VIEW 
We crossed the Arno over the Ponte Vecchio, for the quietest walk in the city. Heading up the Via di San Leonardo, we saw no other pedestrians. After a coffee at the top of the hill, we circled back, down Viale Galileo, to a famous viewpoint of the city that we had all to ourselves. We curled around the Abbazia di San Miniato and the Chiesa di San Salvatore. Only then did we meet other people, puffing up the hill to the Piazzale Michelangelo, with its bronze replica of David.

WHEN TO GO 
Florence can be crowded, although new pedestrianisation schemes make walking the central squares much easier. (To avoid the crowds, October to March is a great time to visit.) Fancy a coffee to start the day in Piazza di Santa Maria Novella? Order at a cafe's counter for the lowest prices - pay when you leave. 



First published in the Mail on Sunday - April 2016

More articles below...

For more inspiration, read what travel writers have to say...

La Dolce Vita in Portofino

Sarah Turner discovers Hollywood's heyday at the Hotel Splendido

Florence and Milan

Make a long weekend in Italy twice the fun

Towering Tuscany

Take me back to my dream destination, says Mark Palmer

Seductive Sardinia

Why Sardinia was a dream worth waiting for, says Lisa Brady

Italy's heart and soul

Daisy Dunn finds it all in ravishing Verona

Honeymoon heaven

Adrian Lowery and his bride found romance on the Amalfi Coast

Milan glamour

Deirdre Fernand explores this treasure-house of culture

The da Vinci code

Philip Norman discovers Leonardo's secrets in Milan

Break for Rome

David Dillon and his sons discover the Italian capital

Sardinian road trip

Jenny Coad discovers another side to this beautiful island

Twin cities

Connect two fascinating cities by train on a European mini adventure

Not quite what you're looking for?
We can easily customise an offer to suit your exact requirements

x