Piazza del Duomo
by Kodi01
Piazza del Duomo
The remarkable Duomo, with its pink, white and green marble façade and characteristic dome, dominates the city's skyline. The building took almost two centuries to build (and even then the façade wasn't completed until the 19th century), and is the fourth-largest cathedral in the world. The enormous dome was designed by Brunelleschi, and its interior features frescoes and stained-glass windows by some of the Renaissance-era's best: Vasari, Zuccari, Donatello, Uccello and Ghiberti. Take a deep breath and climb up to take a closer look, and you'll be rewarded by fantastic views of the city and an insight into how the dome was so cleverly constructed - without scaffolding (though there's plenty of that propping the dome up now!). The dome still defines the scale of the city, and no building in town is taller. They were filming a movie...looked for Bruce Willis, but did not find him....
Packing...
by CandS
Take a comfortable backpack and a daypack too...you will probably need to carry a bottle of water, camera etc so it's handy to have a small pack... Good walking shoes are a must because you will walk a lot!
Leather Goods
by newsphotogirl about Mercato Nuovo
Florence is a great place for leather. Shoes, purses, jackets...basically anything you could want. The outdoor markets definately have some great deals. Just don't go for the original price on the tag. Always try to bargain down. And definately shop around. Most vendors have the exact same item as the vendor three stalls down. And hey you can always come back right? Most places will offer lower prices for cash.
Santa Maria Novella
by Jmill42
Florence's main train station is called Santa Maria Novella. It is about a 10 minute walk to the Duomo from here with no luggage, just for you to be able for you to judge whether or not you need to get a taxi. It is an efficient and clean train station, as Italian stations go. The ubiquitous McDonalds is there, as well as a helpful travel agency to the left of the platforms.
Food Heaven
by ExGuyParis about Alla Vecchia Bettola
Once a butcher’s shop, now a restaurant that serves traditional Florentine food. Not too touristy, this family-style place has one key attraction: superb, reasonably-priced food. The ambiance is warm, friendly, informal. Located close to the Roman Gate and the statue of the lady with the rock on her head (that’s what we call it, anyway). I really love this place. For appetizers, we simply said “bring food, “ and the most remarkable things began to appear. The waiters are charming, the food superb, the prices inexpensive—what more could you ask for? Gnocchi, crostini toscani; pasta with white truffles… and everything else.
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Michaelangelo's "David" replica
Bisteca alla fiorentina
hams at the butcher shop
Florence, Duomo, facade
