Florence City of Art

The list in the binder for Florence was very long. As usual we would not be able to do everything on the list. We narrowed it down to 5 things, and we knew even that would be a stretch. There are tons of museums in Florence—Gucci, Galileo, Dante, Cathedrals, Medici, Uffizi, and the Galleria dell' Academia. We selected the Galleria to see the David and the Uffizi to see every artist ever (or so it seemed). Also on our list were the Basilica di Santa Croce, the Duomo, and the Ponte Vecchio.

The biggest obstacles we faced in completing our list were the museums, as we didn’t have advance tickets. I’d read “horror” stories about people waiting in line for hours to get in, and I had memories of that line we jumped at the Louvre. I wanted to buy advance tickets, but we were on a scheduled group tour, and I was unsure how much free time we would have, and where it would fall in the course of the day. Even though we didn’t book advance tickets, every travel site recommends buying before you arrive.  There are lots of websites claiming to sell tickets in advance and offering deals to get your purchase. Ignore them. There is only one official museum site  and only tickets sold by them will be accepted. There will be a booking fee of €4 for using the online service. Now, it’s possible the tickets bought from other online retailers will work, but I don’t think it’s work the risk. If they don’t work you’ll have spent money on a fraudulent ticket, and you’ll have to wait in a long line to get a legitimate one. That said, the day we showed up there was no line at the Galleria. We walked right in. This is a rarity, and I believe it occurred because we were traveling in the off-season, and over Thanksgiving. The Italians may not celebrate it, but all the Americans do, and therefore fewer will be traveling that week in November.

View of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo

The First David we Encountered

When we seized the opportunity to see the David, we opted to leave our tour group and guide behind. We had just picked her up an hour before, right after arriving in Florence. During the brief time we spent with her, she seemed knowledgeable and friendly. In fact, she encouraged those of us who wanted to see the David to break with the group immediately, because no lines never happens. Her first act of guidance was to direct the bus back across the river from the city and up a hill to the Piazzale Michelangelo, where we could see the entirety of the city laid out below us. The Piazzale Michelangelo is park atop the hill, built in the late 19^th century during Florence’s “rebirth” and it offers panoramic views of the city, as well as reproductions of some of Michelangelo’s works. Here we saw our first David of the day. He was a 15 foot tall, naked, green (due to the Patina on the bronze) replica. We didn’t know it at the time, but tall, naked men were to become the theme of our day.

 The prevalence of nudity in Florence is actually a topic we discussed at length over dinner, with other members of our tour group. If, in the present day, you were to have a statue commissioned of a naked man, Biblical or otherwise, would a city display it prominently? Most US cities have generals on horseback around town, but I don’t remember too many guys in the buff. Furthermore, what would people say if you put such a statue in your home or place of business? It is interesting to observe how times have changed, and to wonder where the line is. What is a masterpiece and what is crass? 

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Pictures from Our Trip

Museums of Florence

Online Ticketing for Museums of Florence
Florence City Card We weren't in the city long enough to get full use out of the card, but if you are staying more than a few hours, city cards are usually worth buying