Florence: when it comes to Renaissance art, there’s probably no better city in the world
to soak it all in!
Our time here was spent viewing works by Italian masters both in museums and public spaces,
marvelling at the architecture - in particular Florence Cathedral and its massive dome, going
in search of the best lookout points, and in true Italian spirit, eating plenty of pizza
and gelato.
In this video we’re going to share with you some of the best things to do in Florence
(Firenze) on your visit, so let’s get started!
I'm quickly going to tell you the plan for today.
Basically we left our apartment at 7:45 in the morning which is pretty early especially
for me.
But that is because we wanted to be here at the duomo by 8 in the morning to get in line
so that we can visit both the Bell Tower and the Dome on top of the Church.
We saw the lines yesterday and they were wrapping around the whole building.
It was crazy how many people were here.
So we've come early before they even open the doors.
Sam and his family are already standing in line and the ticketing booth should open in
like 15 more minutes.
So yeah that is the plan.
We're going to get some amazing views of Florence today.
Speaking of tickets, we paid 15 Euros per person for a ticket that gave us access to
5 attractions associated with Florence Cathedral (Il Duomo di Firenze).
These included: the bell tower, the baptistry, Museum of the Works of the Cathedral, the
crypt, and the dome itself which also requires making a reservation for a specified time
slot.
But right now, let’s begin with the bell tower.
(Stepping noises)
So we are climbing.
So far so good.
I would say the staircase isn't quite as narrow as some other Bell Towers we've climbed so
yeah but oh man it is steep though.
Oh man it is steep.
And we are the very first people in this morning.
Woah.
Also known as Giotto’s Campanile, the bell tower stands 84.7 metres tall and it’s 414
steps to the top.
The good thing is that there are a few floors in between, meaning you can take a break along
the way and enjoy the views as you slowly make your way up.
After climbing the bell tower, we made our way over to our next attraction: the Baptistry.
Known as both the Florence Baptistry (Battistero di San Giovanni) and the Baptistry of Saint
John, this octagonal structure is a sight to behold!
The interior is dimly lit, but this only makes your eyes travel up and admire the glowing
mosaic ceiling.
There are even a few benches inside the Baptistry if you feel like sitting down and soaking
it all in.
From there, we continued to Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, which is a museum dedicated to
conserving artworks relating to Florence Cathedral and the Baptistry.
One of the main artworks inside this museum are the original Gates of Paradise from the
Baptistry which were recently restored.
Next, we went inside Florence Cathedral, and took the stairs down to the crypt to see the
ruins of the former cathedral which once stood here: Santa Reparata.
(Beep noise)
And last but not least, it was time to do the final activity on our pass: climb the
dome of Florence Cathedral, which to this day remains the largest brick dome ever constructed.
If you’re willing to brave tight passages and narrow staircases, you will be rewarded
with panoramic views of Florence (Firenze) as far as the eye can see.
And now that we have gone up the dome and come back again we have stopped at a gelato
shop because I feel like we deserve a little treat.
Woah.
That is awesome.
Haha.
We ate our gelato at Grom since it was located right around the corner from our apartment
and it was seriously some of the best gelato we had in Italy!
Okay we've got our gelato.
Let's talk about flavors here.
I got the grand cone.
I love this it has got chocolate around the rim with nuts.
And I got pistachio and caramel.
It looks good.
I've had a couple of bites.
It is so good.
Mmmm.
As for me I went for the mango here.
Oh my gosh.
Looking good.
Delish.
Alright guys so this morning we are visiting the Uffizi Gallery which would be the most
famous art gallery in all of Florence (Firenze).
And I have to say the artwork is impressive but also the ceilings.
Check this out.
The Uffizi Gallery is considered one of the best museums in the world focusing on the
Italian Renaissance.
Most of the art collection you see today was gifted to the city of Florence by Anna Maria
Luisa, the last Medici heiress, before the ruling house of Medici died out.
Another cool thing about the Uffizi Gallery is that you get some pretty cool views of
Ponte Vecchio and the Arno River from a higher vantage point.
Okay so we just finished visiting the Uffizi Gallery (Galleria degli Uffizi) and now it
is time for one of the biggest tips for your time in Florence.
Well the biggest tip is every single day you should wake up early and go to one of the
major museums or attractions because if you get in line right before it opens.
Yes.
You're going to be the first in.
You're going to get your ticket quickly and you're also going to be able to enjoy the
place without all of the crowds.
Without the crowds.
This was incredible.
This was by far the biggest museum that we've visited here.
Yeah.
And we had sections like almost to ourselves.
Mmmhmm.
And I've seen video of what it looks like let's say in the peak season in the summer.
During the middle of the day.
Oh yeah.
It looks insane.
So for us to be able to have that kind of experience here was quite impressive.
Yes.
Oh and I should mention the price.
It was 8 Euros per person.
Mmmhmm.
And um you can book it online in advance and pay an additional 4 Euros and you get a specified
time and then you skip the lines.
But to be honest if you're visiting in the off-season like us and you're here first thing
in the morning the line isn't bad at all.
Yeah.
Like we were right near the front.
And we arrived like what five or ten minutes before it opened.
Exactly.
So that was awesome.
Alright guys.
So we are back at the apartment for lunch.
We were out sightseeing all morning and we've worked up a bit of an appetite.
So we went to this local pizza place that we've been to now 4 times.
Yeah.
In 4 days.
This is basically we haven't been cooking as much.
Tada.
Look at that.
So yeah this place is called Pizzeria Toto.
They make really good pizzas and today we got the Napoli.
Yeah.
With tomato sauce, mozzarella, anchovies, capers.
Did I say oregano already?
Nope.
Um so yeah it looks pretty good.
It only came to 21 Euros and you can get some even cheaper ones.
If you just get mozzarella only it is 18 Euros.
Yeah.
So yeah.
It is pretty good for 4 people.
And we got Nutella calzones.
Calzones.
So yeah this is going to be our dessert.
But now let's dig in.
Another place we visited in Florence was Piazza della Signoria, an L-shaped square right in
the heart of the city.
One of the main landmarks in this square is Palazzo Vecchio or the Town Hall.
And just to the right of this building, you have the Loggia dei Lanzi, an open gallery,
where you can view many marble and bronze statues - kind of like a taster of what’s
to come inside Florence’s art galleries.
So we are currently visiting Piazza dei lanzi.
Yeah.
What do you think so far?
Well, I think it is pretty impressive.
There is a lot of sculptures to visit.
It is basically a bit like an outdoor museum.
Yes.
And we got here early in the morning and it is already starting to get crowded in this
square so my tip would be to come early for sure.
And also if you come here you can see a copy of the famous statue of David by Michelangelo.
Yep.
And the original is housed in a museum you know because David would get a little cold
out here.
Haha.
But yeah we're going to show you the replica and hopefully we'll see the real deal.
Exactly.
Somewhere during our visit.
Exactly.
And speaking of David, we did find him, over at Galleria dell’Accademia (Galleria dell'Accademia
di Firenze).
This gallery houses sculptures and paintings from the 1300s to 1600s, but most people are
here to see one guy.
Alright so this morning we are inside Galleria Accademia.
Who are we visiting?
The real David.
Over there.
Michelangelo’s David depicts the Biblical David carved out of a single block of marble.
Originally, this statue was commissioned to adorn the roofline of the Cathedral, however,
upon its completion, Michelangelo's patrons found the statue so beautiful that they decided
to place it where it could be admired up close.
So we are now inside a gallery where it is all busts and sculptures made out of plaster.
All of these different studies.
It is so cool.
We have found our favorite sculpture so far.
Yours.
Boy with dog.
That is your favorite sculpture.
Okay fine.
I'm waiting for boy with cat.
Boy with cat.
Yes.
Let's see.
Boy with cat in here.
Where are we now?
We've made it to the river.
It is not far from our apartment at all.
The Arno River.
Yeah, we're going to be crossing the Ponte Vecchio bridge right now.
Yes, which just means the old bridge.
The old bridge.
It is pretty cool if you can see it over there.
It is a covered bridge and apparently a lot of the buildings you see there are jewelry
shops and this is a tradition that dates back from the days of Medici.
So a long time.
Though today you see rows of jewelry shops, Ponte Vecchio was once lined with butcher
shops who would toss unwanted leftovers into the river.
It was during the 16th century that one of the Medici ordered for the butcher shops to
be replaced with jewellers, and that’s a tradition we see to this day.
When it comes to catching sunset in Florence, there are no better views than from Piazzale
Michelangelo.
This square sits on on a hill just south of the historic center on the other side of the
Arno River.
Even though it was looking like a pretty grey day, the sun burst through the clouds and
we had a magical sunset.
Now let’s talk food and take a trip to the Central Market!
This indoor market is foodie central and we ended up visiting on more than once occasion.
The second floor of the market is filled with eateries where you can sample delicious italian
dishes.
Here’s a little taste of what we got up to.
This is called Trapezio and it looks amazing.
Basically this is pizza dough in the form of a triangle and then it has been stuffed
with a filling so yeah I'm just going to dig right in now.
How is it?
Is it good?
It is so tasty.
So tasty.
Especially with the pesto on top and the cheese.
Man they had some good looking gelato and it was hard to choose but when I saw the rum
and raisins there were so many raisins coated over this.
Yeah.
I was like I've got to get rum and raisin.
And this one is called Malaga.
I'm going to try it here with the little wafer cookie.
You can already see that I'm getting a raisin on here.
Oh!
Mmmm.
Oh wow.
Wow.
That is delicious.
Oh and the delayed onset of the rum.
Oh my goodness.
However, if you’re looking for a low-key meal at home, the Central Market is a great
place to pick up ingredients to bring back to your kitchen.
We bought some fresh ravioli and pesto that we prepared back in the apartment.
Check out this hunk of cheese.
Is it the first time we've done that.
Is it the first time we've got a proper block of parmesan.
It looks so good.
Because before we had just got it pre-grated.
This is so good.
This is the real deal.
And you can even see the name.
This is like from a real cheese wheel.
Parmigiano Reggiano.
Oh yeah.
It is time for the plating of the meal.
Our meal is ready.
Followed by the eating.
Oh ho ho.
Two different colors.
Pesto sauce.
What should we do vegetables on top or on the side?
Let's put them on the side.
On the side.
Veggies and meat on the side.
Yes.
Yep.
The pasta is Italian, the side vegetables I feel like it is our own creation.
Haha.
This is a hodgepodge of a whole bunch of different ingredients.
Italians would be offended if they saw this.
Probably I've gotta say guys it tastes good so that is all we're say.
And the Parmigiano-Reggiano.
The best part.
Oh la lah.
It is done.
And that’s a wrap for our visit!
As always we hope you enjoyed this travel guide and that it gave you a few ideas of
things to do in Florence on your own visit.
If you have any other suggestions of things to see, do, or experience, feel free to share
those with fellow travellers in the comments below.
Wishing you happy travels, and we’ll see you in the next video as we continue our travels
through Italy.