I never thought I’d be posting these videos a year late, but I guess that’s just how the cookie crumbles. I randomly got the urge to post a travel vlog today, so hopefully a positive response on this one will persuade me to upload weekly travel vlogs! There are 10 more videos to post! Anyways, on September 7, 2014, we took a walking tour through Florence to get our bearings and learn a bit more about the city. I didn’t vlog every landmark we went to, but here’s a selection of them:
1 month since I left 🇮🇹 #tbt #oliviagoesabroad A photo posted by Olivia Frescura (@oliviafrescura) on
Basilica di Santa Croce will always be my favorite landmark in Florence, it’s the one that’s closest to my school and I saw it nearly every day. I actually have a necklace with the coordinates to remember my time studying abroad! More on that to come…
The Santa Croce is cool because not only is it a beautiful church, it contains the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Rossini, and more… Piazza della Signoria is probably the piazza I frequented most, as we always met up here for field trips while I was studying abroad. This piazza has the fake of Michelangelo’s David, and is in front of Palazzo Vecchio and neighbors the Uffizi museum.
Fit for a queen 💁👑🇮🇹 #oliviagoesabroad A photo posted by Olivia Frescura (@oliviafrescura) on
Palazzo Vecchio is Florence’s town hall. It was once a palace that house Duke Cosimo I de Medici. I love the elaborate gold ceilings here. This is also the only place to get free fresh water in Florence. On the side of the building, behind the neptune fountain. There you will see two spouts on the wall, grab either naturale (still) or frizzante (sparkling).
The Duomo di Firenze, or Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, is a must see in Florence. I’d say it’s the most famous duomo in Italy due to the impressive dome that Brunelleschi built. It’s the largest brick dome ever constructed! And, the green, pink, and marble façade is everything.
Carousel at Piazza Della Repubblica ✨🇮🇹 |#oliviagoesabroad A photo posted by Olivia Frescura (@oliviafrescura) on
I had a soft spot for Piazza della Repubblica because I thought it was so cute with the carousel. Here, you are right by the arch, which looks pretty cool. It’s also close to some great shopping, we went to the H&M around here a lot. Also, a great place to grab a cappuccino or other espresso drink is Gilli. Just be careful of all of the gypsies out here!
I don’t remember much about the Orsanmichele Church, but the interior is gorgeous. I remember at first it was a grain market, and they stored the grain in the top floors, and had these hollow columns to move it to the ground floor. On the exterior there are small vignette statue type things that represent different guilds, like butchers, stone workers, etc.
The Ponte Vecchio is the most famous bridge in Florence, as well as the oldest (hence the name). There are a lot of jewelry shops on this bridge, and across the Arno River, there are some great spots to go to: Gelateria della Passera, Golden View Restaurant, and Piazza Santo Spirito.
A gelato a day keeps the doctor away 🍦🇮🇹 #oliviagoesabroad A photo posted by Olivia Frescura (@oliviafrescura) on
On the way home I grabbed gelato at Cantino del Gelato, which is pretty good, but definitely not the best Gelato you can find in Florence, although it isn’t a tourist trap and isn’t overpriced. I think it would be fun to do a post about the best gelato in Florence because I have tons of gelato pictures and places to recommend!
Make sure to comment that you liked this post so I know to do more!