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.

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

The gallery was so GOOD! They have lots and lots of statues of heads on the corridors and the…read moreexperience was generally a good thing!

Such a beautiful little shop with jewelry, notecards, art, all made by artists in Florence. We…read morebought some hammered gold plated earrings and a ring, some notecards, and plan to go back to purchase some art. The shop owner Elena is lovely and friendly, and shared some tips for local restaurants and sites here in Florence.

I just LOVE this store! Have been coming here for many years ...a must stop every time I visit…read moreFlorence. Has lovely gift items...all unique & made locally. Prices are very reasonable & the owner is very helpful & has great suggestions.

Such a charming shop!…read more This unique gift store in Oltrarno in Florence is packed with delightful curiosities and lifestyle objects. From espresso cups and saucers with drawings of Florence, to whimsical place mats and cushions, each item is crafted with panache. Great for one of a kind souvenirs from Florence, or distinct decorative item for one's own home. One of my new favourite places.

It's a curious shop owned by the renown calligrapher and packaging designer - Betty Soldi. It is…read moreone of the most interesting retail space / cross media studio to check out in the Oltrarno area. Betty's curated home decor items, jewelries and artisanal hand crafted gifts are as unique and whimsical as her calligraphy works. When I was walking through her paper cut filled store, I felt like I was entering Betty's creative mind. I found a lot of unique gifts designed by Betty for myself and friends in the store. Packaging was awesome. Betty personally put the item in the box and sprinkled with confetti for me. She is such a sweet person. All retail shops and art galleries on Via Maggio close between 1 to 3pm. If you got there after 3pm but it's still not open yet, hang around.... Betty or her husband may be just across the street chatting with friends.

As a general rule, I don't do a lot of touristy things when I'm traveling. In my older age, and…read moreinfinite wisdom, I've learned that I don't need to go into all the old churches in Europe (especially if there's a line). I'll be happier sipping wine in the sunshine outside a cafe. Having said that, I still highly recommend the Boboli Gardens. My friends all wanted to go and it was a winner that I'm glad they dragged me along to visit. The grounds are gorgeous, and Florence is oddly devoid of anything green, so it's a breath of fresh air (literally) to wander around, walk up the Bowling Green, and gawk at the flowers, the trees, and one of the biggest and best stone heads I've ever seen. As a bonus, after touring the gardens we were somehow able to bypass the lines to get into the Pitti Palace, and skipping lines is my favorite. Also, the palace is just room after room of incredible paintings, gorgeous ceilings, and (my wife's favorite) some of the most intricately beautiful tables you've ever seen.

We visited the Boboli Gardens and the Palazzo Pitti on our first afternoon in Florence, and what…read morewith the Duomo views and the Medici glamor, it was a nice introduction to the city. The palace was originally commissioned in 1458 by a Florentine banker named Pitti. The Medicis picked it up in 1549, and it remained a ruling class residence until 1919, when it was gifted to the nation and turned into a museum. It's a giant place, literally palatial, with a kind of forbidding, fortress-like aesthetic. Seems like a weird place to live, but what do I know. We walked in on a Wednesday afternoon, and neither the gardens nor the museum were crowded. We started with the Boboli Gardens, which were quite attractive, even in mid-November with nothing in bloom. It felt like a large, inclined park, pleasant to walk, with impressive fountains and tremendous views. There was an empty amphitheater and an ancient Egyptian obelisk. Tons of old statues, including a fenced-off 17th century work called "The Abundance," where we saw a weird lady sneak in to molest the base. We wandered up the garden's main axis and reached the Giardino del Cavaliere, an intricately landscaped walled garden with truly fantastic views. We spent about an hour in the gardens and another hour in the Palatine Gallery, Palazzo Pitti's primary museum space. The gallery contains over 500 paintings, most of them from the Renaissance, a collection that once belonged to the Medicis and their successors. I'm sure we would've gotten more out of the visit had we taken a guided tour, but we did pretty well walking through those endless rooms on our own. We had a good time at the Palazzo Pitti and would recommend it to anyone visiting Florence. Less mandatory than the Uffizi or the Accademia, but a great place to absorb the lavish splendor of the Medicis.

In ancient times, to know the time, people used the sundial, a measurement tool based on the…read moredetection of the position of the sun. Sundials had a gnomon, the bar whose shadow marked the time on the dial. Standing outside the Museo Galileo near the Uffizi Gallery at the Palazzo Castellani in Florence, my partner, our friends, family member, and I stumbled on the Monumental Sundial on our way to find an establishment for lunch in September. Originally built in 2007, a tall bronze obelisk constitutes the gnomon of a modern sundial, which casts its shadow on the lines of travertine marble and brass flanked by the signs of the zodiac in glass and marble placed on the ground, indicating time and date. It was visually stunning.

Florence is like the birthplace of STEM, so when visiting here, going to the Galileo Museum is a…read moreMUST! Learning of not only Galileo, but his followers who came after him and the benefactors - the Medici family, was inspirational. It made me realize how bravery is foundational to how science evolves a society, and how essential loyal benefactors are to helping with the change. Truly amazing.