Florence, heart of the Renaissance.
In the14 and15 hundreds, this is where it all started.
Home of Leonardo da Vinci, Dante, Michelangelo, I'm sure some other famous
people was more than forgotten and now very busy tourist resort a tourist place.
There is lots to do in Florence so earmark a day here if you like the crowds, if
you don't like the crowds, well you may not like it so much and if you want to go
into any of the museums or churches or see the Duomo
book in advance you can book a certain time, do it online and then you turn up
and avoid the queues I've just be looking at the queues, I wanted to go into the Duomo,
I didn't book. The queue is about 5 hours long for getting in.
So yeah, I won't be going in there today
I don't know if you can see over there, that's the queue
So I'm just wandering
around this day, I'm going to go over and have some lunch in Michelangelo
Plaza which is on the other side the river crossing the Vecchio bridge and it
is very pleasant to be able to despite the crowd to wander around such an
amazing place that had such a high impact on the history of Europe
I mean Europe as we know it was formed by the Renaissance which started right here.
Now the main tram stops at a place called Santa Maria Novella. Santa
Maria Novella so that's where the tram ends and you're right on the edge of the
city of Florence and you walk right up to La the Santa Maria Novella Church and
cloisters ah very peaceful and beautiful. You pay seven euros 50 to come
inside. Again best to pre-book if you want to come
in there is often queues I didn't pre book but today short queues
because I was early.
But let me show you around Santa Maria Novella.
Next you will probably notice and come to Piazza del Duomo. Duomo is the dome
over the cathedral church of Santa Maria. Next to it is the baptistry which is
separate to the church because you weren't allowed to enter the church
unless you were baptized so the baptistry which is actually older than the
cathedral and the dome is right here the cathedral with a big dome on it is
behind. The dome is a remarkable feat of engineering, unique in its time and I
still think the biggest brick built dome in the world is quite amazing this is
where the Renaissance of Europe started in the 1400s 14 and 15 and for 200 years
the renaissance went on turning art and culture and science and religion mixing
them all together and providing us with what we have a lot of Europe today
Paintings turned to realism rather than surrealism and buildings like this were
created.
Let's go and have a look around.
Now at the center of Florence, quite un-usually is not based around a
church. It's based around a merchant's house from the Medici family because it
was the Medici family that basically built up and made the most prosperity
and ran the merchant family that ran Florence during the Renaissance years or
a part of the renaissance years. So
you've got this great big plazza, the piazza here I think that's one of the
original Medici family members on his horse this was the house outside you can
see that there is a statue, a statue of David and he slays Goliath that's
actually just a copy the original is in the museum over here but there is an
outside statue museum as well so I'll take you around to show you that and
show you a bit around the plaza
Battling with them crowds, and I've come off the main Duomo square and I'm trying
to head to Ponte Vecchio. Ponte Vecchio which is
a shopping bridge.
A very famous bridge in, er, where am I?
in Florence. I think it's down
here somewhere
I thought I'd go down there and escape
the crowds a little bit
as you can see that is not happening
there is so many people I dread
to think what it's like here in the middle of summer oh I made it at last ponte
Vecchio one of the oldest, I think the oldest bridge in Florence
across the river, can't remember the name of the river. It became famous
particularly for the high quality silversmiths, goldsmith's and leather
work that used to be sold along the bridge it's been replaced with slightly
more touristy stuff now it even survived the bombing in the world wars
so here we are let's have a quick look across Florence's
oldest and most famous bridge the Ponte Vecchio
No idea what this is
there are lots of these things going on tdoay
that I have no idea
well it seems like it's all happening today
parades, Harry Krishna happy clappy group
trying to sell things I think
and of course the crowds
and the sunshine, welcome to Florence!
No idea what this is
we've got a band marching, let's go see
That's what I love about traveling
you just find things you've no idea what they are
let's go through the crowd
Well, I've just find out what the parade was about it's a
cultural event held every second weekend
on the Sunday in June and on the 24th of July to celebrate the culture and the
history and the popularity and fame of Florence and tonight there's gonna be a
firework display oh no you know that means I have to find somewhere to set up
to do fireworks. I've no idea where they're gonna be so I'll see if I can find out
about them and show you in the meantime I'm going to Ponte Vecchio and going
to get something to eat.
I got diverted and I have no idea where I am
I just followed them around a little bit
oh well let's go back this way