The Cradle of the Renaissance: Florence, Italy
I had the fortune to be on a business trip in Italy for a few months, and I took the opportunity to explore on the weekends. Florence, a place mentioned in middle school history and geography textbooks, was naturally a must-visit destination.
Florence is located in the central part of Italy, and in Italian, it means 'the city of flowers'. It once served as the temporary capital of Italy. As the cradle of the Renaissance, it is not only famous for its humanities, art, and history, but also for its beautiful natural environment. The city houses a wealth of exquisite art masterpieces and cultural relics, with numerous museums, art galleries, palaces, and various churches and squares. Its historic center is a World Cultural Heritage site.
The number of poets, painters, architects, philosophers, and politicians who were born or worked in Florence is immense. Dante, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Masaccio, Galileo, Raphael... each name is thunderously familiar!
Florence, a city sculpted by time, is like a living history. Every street, every ancient building, tells endless stories. Walking through it, reading the introductions, is like traveling through time, making it an essential destination for any trip to Italy!
such a lovely place, the duomo or cathedral is very big that I cannot take a picture of the whole cathedral. Even if I have seen it several times I always love to visit and see it again and again.
The Cathedral Square is estimated to be the most visited place in Florence. There are several buildings, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Flowers, the Gate of Paradise, the San Giotto Bell Tower, etc., which are very famous so they have been constantly visited. There will also be a lot of horses and carriages here, there are many people but a bit chaotic, there are many shops selling various products around.
The square in front of the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary has been seen here to tour. The locals will dress up as the people of Florence in the Middle Ages and wear the ancient poncho to tour. There are also many souvenir shops around here, but there is no exquisiteness of the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary. If it is the same souvenir, it would be cheaper to buy the store in the square.
Piazza del Duomo is a square in the very center of Milano. It is spacious and the view is focused on the Milan Cathedral in its magnificent form. The metro station is located directly on the square. The biggest problem is that the square is always crowded, in the afternoon even so much so that it is difficult to move (although I was there in March). There are also several souvenir shops on the square. There are several cafes overlooking the square and the cathedral, one of them is located at the top of Rinascene Milano (shopping mall), which is visited by everybody who is looking for a good photo and Aperol Spritz. All in all, this is a must-see in Milan.
Duomo di Firenze is definitely worth visit! I definitely recommend to visit the cupola and book it in advance!
The first stop to Florence is almost always here. All famous church sculptures can be found here. So it's always crowded here. It's a good choice to sit in the square and buy an ice cream and drink coffee.
Notre Dame's Cathedral of Hundred Flowers, Joto Bell Tower and the Golden Gate of the Baptist Hall are all on the square of the cathedral. The square area is not very large and the visitors are like knitting. Restaurants, cafes and suitable small shops stand beside the square, which is the most lively place in Florence.