25th Wedding Anniversary trip alert (European vacation)…read more.. The Uffizi Gallery is housed in a long, elegant structure designed in the 16th century by Giorgio Vasari for the powerful Medici family, the gallery retains an air of purpose and grandeur, its corridors opening toward views of the Arno River and the city's historic skyline. The Uffizi collection is widely considered one of the finest in the world, particularly for Italian Renaissance painting, and includes works by masters such as Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. Iconic paintings like Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera feel both familiar and astonishing when encountered in person. Their scale are beyond belief. The depth and breadth of the gallery is a bit overwhelming, with dozens of rooms and hundreds of masterpieces, creating moments where wonderment converges with a bit of tiredness. What lingers most is the sense of continuity: the Medici legacy encapsulated every wall, and the feeling that one is walking through the very cradle of Renaissance thought. The building itself is stunning...frescoed ceilings, eye-catching statues, and glimpses toward Florence's landmarks. Uffizi Gallery reinforces the idea that art, history, and city are intricately connected. Prepare to take adequate time to view the exhibits

November 6, 2024 3:45-6:45PM…read more We initially didn't plan to visit but was told this is a must do in Florence. I'm glad we did. I love art museums and thought this was more religious artifacts but glad to see some of my new favorite paintings in person. Silly me! Upon entering the museum, there a lot of stairs to climb. Get your exercise in for sure! I did see a very tiny elevator a little bit hidden to the side, so they definitely can accommodate those needing accessibility but plan accordingly as the elevator was tiny, probably one stroller/wheelchair at a time. The Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Spring are both so amazing to see in person. The works of Caravaggio were very powerfully presented. The da Vinci, the Michelangelo, the Raphael... so many great artist and their works are housed here. Lots of Sweet Baby Jesus and the Madonna, various Adam and Eve paintings.. My favorite besides Botticelli's, was from Pietro Perugino's a Portrait of a young man.. the eyes, the emotions, almost the sadness... what a great painting. The various views from the Uffizi Galleries of Florence was also pretty amazing, from Ponte Vecchio, along the Arno River and the view of the city... so glad we went during sunset as I caught some pretty great shots with just my iPhone. I definitely think this is worth the stop and glad to have this as an impromptu visit. Got in pretty quickly without a reservation either, we were very lucky.

The building is nice and cool and the walkways make it easy to have a close overview of all of the…read moreruins without directly stepping on them. Sunday's offer free tickets to the city museums. So, we were able to get into the ruins for free. The mosaics are amazing and worth taking a few minutes to come check out.

Very good. Your visit will be 1+ hour. You learn a lot about…read morebikes, frame, engines, fluid dynamics. €26 Ridotto for 2

Sweet side trip if you're in Bologna! The Ducati museum and the Ducati factory are one and the…read moresame. I was lucky enough to have a friend book this for me and when I arrived in Bologna I made sure to grab a bus ticket and figure out how to get out there. I was told the ride time should be about 20 minutes. I hopped on the bus and headed down here. The bus comes often so you don't have to worry about the bus times. After about 20 minutes I wasn't near the Ducati factory. 25 minutes and still nothing! I was a little worried I had missed my stop. I want to give everyone a heads up but it can take up to 45 minutes. I didn't experience any traffic and it took that long to get out here. No matter which stop you get off at you're still going to have to walk a little bit to get to the museum. Upon arrival at the Ducati factory I had to check in and leave a piece of ID. Sure no problem. They walked me through the gates and to the front desk. There is a small Ducati souvenir store which I wish had more items. I'm not sure why it's not stocked up as there are some items from Ducati that were not available here. The museum itself is really not that large. It's a small showroom with a Ducati from each generation including the very first Ducati which was a pedal bicycle. Walking through the showroom I enjoyed each of the Ducati's they had on show. There is also a movie screen shaped like a motorcycle helmet. Very cool! Unfortunately that's it! I had a chance to see the production floor as well and found that pretty awesome! Unfortunately for me nothing was going on as they hit a target for the month. It was still awesome being there and seeing everything. If you're a motorcycle fan you should definitely come by the Ducati museum. Just set some time aside as the factory is just outside Bologna. Also sample the fantastic food in Bologna!

This museum is off the beaten path and a fun alternative to the very touristy packed places. They…read moreoffer an audio tour and the whole package is well worth the price.

During our tour of Tuscany, we went trough the Museum of Leonardo da Vinci, nestled in the heart…read moreof Vince where he was born. Depending on your interests in da Vinci, will determine your love for what you see. I have always been fascinated by his work and when you go through the museum, you will see some models of his inventions, from a machine to make domes to his flying machines. If you are as fascinated by his work as I am, stop in. It will not take too long to go through the place!

The Accademia Gallery in Florence offers a focused, more intimate, and ultimately defined by a…read moresingle, overwhelming masterpiece, Michelangelo's David. Founded in the late 18th century as a teaching collection, it evolved into one of Italy's most important art institutions You slowly move through the gallery of Renaissance paintings and plaster models. You curiosity begins to build as you anticipate viewing this famous David. Quite impressive...the statue's size, precision details, and sculpture expertise lives you in awe. The Accademia's smaller size allows for a more intimate experience. It highlights Michelangelo's works as well as adding meaningful context.

You cannot visit Florence without visiting Galleria dell'Accademia to see Michelangelo's David…read more Though I had a tour guide, I felt like the pace was too slow. It's a great museum, don't get me wrong, but I'd rather beat the crowds to see David, and then take my time strolling through all the other works of art. Seeing 17' of David in person is unreal-- a human made this out of rejected marble. The magnitude of David's height and attention to detail is incredible and the lighting under a skylight highlights every vein and definition of muscle even more so. If you're looking for a deep dive art history lesson, I'd recommend using AI. Note: try to book skip-the-line tickets in advance. If you're unable to, you can try to book through a third party booking system such as Viator, but you'll be paying more.

Absolutely gorgeous place to visit. Please go inside if you have the chance but if you don't, the…read moreexterior is absolutely gorgeous. The areas has a lot of hotels (pretty obviously, since the train station is right across the street, on the back side of the church) and quite a few places to eat and drink. Two wine windows are in the area and my best friends favorite gelato shop, you can see from the square.

This review is merely for the exterior and a bit of the surrounding area. I read that they offer…read moretours inside, but we did not have time for one. This church was near our hotel and I wanted to at least see it as I'd taken an architecture course once in college that covered it. The back of the church is close to the front of the main Florence train station, separated by a wide street with multiple light rail tracks. You need to walk around to the far side (from the station) to see the façade, which is the famous view. There are businesses flanking one side of the church (hotels, restaurants, and other shops). There was some booth set up where people attempted to flag down passing pedestrians (I'm not sure if it was some political thing or they were eventually asking for donations, etc.; we escaped without hearing their pitch). Also around the front of the church there were African guys selling trinkets or attempting to engage tourists to sell something. These guys were fairly common throughout downtown Florence, actually. In front of the church is a large plaza which provides good longer-range unobstructed views for photos. The front of the church is sort of a 'late Gothic transitioning into the Renaissance' style. It is quite striking and worth a short detour on your way to the city center. The best lighting for photos seemed to be in the mid to late afternoon.