Italy Travel Tours

Posts Tagged ‘Pitti Palace’

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.

Consider your Italy Travel Tours to begin in Florence, with a full day of exploration of this marvelous region.  The best way to see it is by car on the scenic road called Viale Dei Colli.

From here you can view the Miniato al Monte church with its spectacular green and white marble façade.  Your tour guide will point out this is a fine example of Florentine Romanesque architecture.

High on a hill above the ancient city is Forte Belvedere, built by the Grand Duke Ferdinand in 1590.  The purpose of the facility was to safeguard the Medici Villas.  The drive to the Fort is spectacular with historic walls lining the narrow road.

After Forte Belvedere your guide might recommend the Pitti Palace and its collection of museums and galleries such as the Costume Gallery, Palatine Gallery, the Coach Museum, Royal Apartments, the Gallery of Modern Art and the Silver and Porcelain Museum.  They are all surrounded by the Boboli Gardens, a beautiful park of trees, flowers and shrubs.

If you enjoy the history of the Great Philosophers, venture over to the Piazza della Repubblica where the greatest minds of old Florence met for espresso and cappuccino.  The cafes that housed these conversations still stand today.

You can walk from there to the Piazza del Duomo and to the Piazza Signoria where you can take in the best of the Renaissance and the art of the period.

After that you’ll want to hop in the car so your tour guide can drive you to the Basilica of the Holy Cross, or the Santa Croce.  The largest Franciscan chapel in the world, it includes 16 chapels bearing frescoes by Giotto.

The Chapel was begun in the year 1294 and it was the replacement of an earlier church on the same site.  Your Italy Travel Tours will open your eyes to the beautiful and ancient history of Tuscany.

To schedule your own custom tour of Tuscany, contact Federica Merli at Tuscany With Me.  She will assist you in designing your tour to your exact requirements.

Click here to read our previous post on: Italy Trips to Remember.