Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants, expanding to over 1,520,000 in the metropolitan area.
Florence was a centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of that era. It is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, and has been called "the Athens of the Middle Ages". A turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerful Medici family and numerous religious and republican revolutions. Maybe this is where The Donald got his pointers? From 1865 to 1871 the city was the capital of the recently established Kingdom of Italy. The Florentine dialect forms the base of Standard Italian and it became the language of culture throughout Italy due to the prestige of the masterpieces by Dante Alighieri, Petrarch, Giovanni Boccaccio, Niccolò Machiavelli and Francesco Guicciardini. Who new artists would have so much sway?
The city attracts millions of tourists each year, and the Historic Centre of Florence was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. The city is noted for its culture, Renaissance art and architecture and monuments. The city also contains numerous museums and art galleries, such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Palazzo Pitti, and still exerts an influence in the fields of art, culture and politics. Due to Florence's artistic and architectural heritage, it has been ranked by Forbes as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Not sure how that happened??
Florence was liberated by the New Zealand Army (2nd New Zealand Division) and South African troops on 4 August 1944. Leave it to the Brits to send in their tough guys to do the hard work!
At the end of World War II in Europe, in May 1945, the US Army's Information and Educational Branch was ordered to establish an overseas university campus for demobilized American service men and women in Florence, Italy. The first American University for service personnel was established in June 1945 at the School of Aeronautics in Florence, Italy. Some 7,500 soldier-students were to pass through the University during its four one-month sessions. Huh? Why in Florence? The most recent design was Leonardo DaVinci with his arms flapping,
The Academy Museum...we have early tickets to see the stunning David- hey Bubs, do you think he's grown old like us? Our two team mates lead the charge.
Two men, one women- it's a start.
Yup, same old David.
And nice to have those early tickets, so not crowded. Amen.
Boca is looking for some cool busts for her office as opposed to Santa and all his reindeer still up there since December.
not kidding...
Towering over the cityscape, the Duomo—officially, Santa Maria del Fiore (known as the Virgin of the Flower, an allusion to the lily, the symbol of Florence)—as it appears today took centuries to complete. The first stone was laid in 1296, and the new façade by Emilio De Fabris was completed in 1884. Today it's one of the largest churches in the world.
A more intimate look at the dome—an architectural feat built without scaffolding—requires climbing 463 steps and will set you back 10 euros, a price that includes access to the bell tower, the baptistery, and the crypt within the Duomo complex. You also get to bask in Giorgio Vasari's "Last Judgment" frescoes and get a bird’s-eye peek at Florence. Pleep made the trek up!
Until the 19th century, all Catholic Florentines were baptized at the Baptistery of St. John. The octagonal monument is distinguished by its geometric, colored-marble exterior and detailed interior mosaics. Admission is 5 euros but admiring its famous bronze doors (with replica panels), carved with scenes from the Bible, is free.
Tourism is the most significant industry in central Florence. From April to October, tourists outnumber local population. Tickets to the Uffizi and Accademia museums are regularly sold out and large groups regularly fill the basilicas of Santa Croce and Santa Maria Novella, both of which charge for entry. Tickets for The Uffizi and Accademia can be purchased online prior to visiting. Florence is believed to have the greatest concentration of art (in proportion to its size) in the world. Thus, cultural tourism is particularly strong, with world-renowned museums such as the Uffizi selling over 1.93 million tickets in 2014.
Tourism brings revenue to Florence, but it creates certain problems. The Ponte Vecchio, The San Lorenzo Market and Santa Maria Novella are plagued by pickpockets. The province of Florence receives roughly 13 million visitors per year and in peak seasons, that can lead to over crowding at popular locations.
Some tourists are less than respectful of the city's cultural heritage, according to Nardella. In June 2017, he instituted a program of spraying church steps with water to prevent tourists from using such areas as picnic spots. While he values the benefits of tourism, there has been "an increase among those who sit down on church steps, eat their food and leave rubbish strewn on them," he explained. To boost the sale of traditional foods, the mayor had introduced legislation (enacted in 2016) that requires restaurants to use typical Tuscan products and rejected McDonald's application to open a location in the Piazza del Duomo. Rejected the Big Mac?!
In November 1966, the Arno flooded parts of the center, damaging many art treasures. Around the city there are tiny placards on the walls noting where the flood waters reached at their highest point. Our tour guide points out the mark-see that rectangular white marker? That's how how the water rose up!
Lots and lots of Asian tourists.
I guess she wanted her dress to match her tat?
Another hot hot day, with lots and lots of tourists. Boca thinks they are better cruisers than trekkers.
A shop named after the Boca?
The Italians have a serious sweet tooth. Maybe Bubs was Italiano in another life time?
Oh boy another wedding! Dress was cheesy but this hot babe would look good in a gunny sack.
And Boca had all of the boys strike a pose. Congratulations!
Hey, wait, there's another bride!
This must be the pre wedding shots....
Boca calls this shot "Love Is Blind".
Uh oh, see what I see?
One of our fellow tourees went missing so we combed the square, called the po-po, and waited in the heat. Where in the heck is she?
And while searching and waiting another fellow touree trips and falls down, breaks her arm, lump on the head and off to the hospital which made 2 firsts for Boca and Bubs. MIA and ER.
Yes Bubs they named a street just for you.
After a long, hot and stressing day it was time for our evening chow down. Lots of wine helped soothe our psyche's and nerves. Salud!
