De' Lanzi, Florence

Advantages: Beauty. History, Culture. Good food and wine
Disadvantages: Expensive. Crowded with tourists.

...the de' Medici Villa in Rome to the Uffizi. You will discover some of the finest Renaissance art in the world in the Uffizi gallery. There is one huge room which houses the work of Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) including his much admired Birth of Venus, The Magnificat Madonna, Portrait of Lucrezia and Primavera. Besides the works of Botticelli, the Gallery has halls devoted to the likes of Giotto and the Tuscan primitives, to the Sienese School of the 14th century and to Antonio and Pietro Pollaiolo. The National Museum of the Bargello houses a priceless collection of Tuscan Renaissance sculptures by Cellini, Giambologna and Verrocchio as well as some of Michelangelo's early works such as his bust of Brutus (1504). You could spend days touring the art galleries and museums of Florence but you must reserve some time for visiting... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Well laid out city, absolutely tons to see, incredible art, great shops, GELATO!
Disadvantages: One day is nowhere near enough

...I first went to Italy the summer of my A Levels, but since I spent my stay working and not holidaying, I didn’t get much chance to see the country. Ever since, I’ve vowed to go back, and since Ryanair were offering free flights from Frankfurt Hahn to Pisa, now seemed the perfect opportunity. I only had 3 days there, but I managed to see a lot, including parts, although not all, of Pisa, Florence and Lucca. I’m not going to tell you absolutely everything about everything in Florence with this op for a number of reasons. Firstly if you wanted that you can read a guide book, and secondly, I didn’t do or see absolutely everything. What I will do though, is take you on a walk through the city. It’s the route I took, and it takes you past a lot of important sites and monuments. The details in brackets after... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: A must-see when in Italy.
Disadvantages: Other tourists know that, too.

...Are you really crazy about the art from the 13th to the 17th century? Must you see Gothic altar pieces, world famous Renaissance pictures, Flemish, French and German masters of the Baroque? If so, you *must* go to the Uffizi, of course. But certainly you don’t want to wait half a day to get in, you’ve got better things to do! Call the following number (from abroad): 0039/055294883, every day except Monday (on Mondays ALL museums are closed!) from 8.30 am to 9 pm, you’ll get the Florence museum service and can order a ticket in advance. When you’re there you can go to a special entrance for pre-booked tickets. If you haven’t been to Florence yet, you don’t know how valuable that advice is! The last time I was there, I was at the entrance at 9 am expecting a handful of tourists. Who wants to get... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful