Italy Travel Tours

Posts Tagged ‘Piazza della Signoria’

For Easy Italy Tours consider viewing the country by car.  With a creative driver and eight hours of time, you can become an expert on the Florence region of Tuscany.

Nothing is easier than getting picked up at the hotel by your driver.  Ask her to take you to the Piazzale Michelangelo, a terrace named for the artist himself.  The drive alone is a marvel.  It’s called the Viale Dei  Colli and it takes you past ancient walls to the 1590 Forte Belvedere built by the Grand Duke Ferdinand.

As you descend the hill away from Belvedere, you’ll see the old gate to the city called the Porta Romana and in front of you will be the Pitti Palace by Filippo Brunelleschi.  It is the largest Palace in Florence and central to several museums and galleries such as the Costume Gallery, Royal Apartments, the Gallery of Modern Art, and the Silver and Porcelain museums.

Another Brunelleschi masterpiece is the Cathedral at Santa Maria del Fiore, built from 1420 to 1434.  From there you can take a short ride with your tour guide to Piazza della Signoria, another medieval landmark integral to the development of historic  Florence.  It was originally the seat of the “heads of Guilds” or the Priori delle Arti.

Your driver will sense you are hungry and she will recommend a popular trattoria in Florence for you to tempt your taste buds.  You have not experienced pasta from the Mother Land until you have had home made pasta from Tuscany.

If shopping is your hobby, the bargains are here and easy to pick up.  There are outlet shopping centers featuring Milan’s top designers.  Gucci, Prada, Ferragamo, Armani and Fendi are all represented in these Easy Italy Tours and are sure to please your loved ones when you arrive home again.