The happiness to be an Italian # Florence

Renaissance idyll – Part Two

In today’s publication I will tell you about two of the most symbolic sights of Florence. Spots which contribute largely to the unity and charm of the Tuscan capital.

Uffizi Gallery

The first landmark is the magnificent Uffizi Gallery (Art Museum).

It can be said that this is one of the most remarkable galleries in the world. What distinguishes it from all other art museums is the incredible wealth of collections of Renaissance works belonging to masters from Italy and Europe. The gallery consists of over 45 halls, exhibiting more than 2000 exhibits. Each of them presents a specific period of art development.

From the 3th to the 6th hall present the lessons of Giotto;
From the 7th to the 8th hall, the Renaissance, the so-called Early Renaissance period, is also seen.
From the 10th to the 14th hall are home to the incredible works of Botticelli, such as La Primavera and La Nascita Di Venera, which fully represent the meaning of Renaissance art;

From the 15th to the 29th hall, you can witness the rapid progress and success of Florence;
30th to 35th are dedicated to artists from Northern Italy, Venice and others;

The rest of the halls feature the works of other artists outside the borders of Italy such as Anthony van Dyck and Peter Paul Rubens;
Uffizi is a place that should not be missed in any way. Even if you are not interested in such  type of museums, it’s worth every minute spent in this building, full of artistic, splendid and purest form of the Renaissance spirit.

Curious facts:
Uffizi was built in the 1560s and the first purpose of the complex was to house the so-called Ruffi (where the name of the museum comes from), which means the offices of Duke Cosimo I;
The Medici family itself (who were rulers of the kingdom at that time) has collected the belonging collection over the centuries;
The most important thing is to understand that Anna Maria Louisa, the sister of the last grand derby from the Medici dynasty, bequeaths the building with a collection of masterpieces. With the only condition – the accessories of the gallery never leave its boundaries;

Useful information:
Work time:
We strongly recommend buying tickets via the Internet, making it easier for you, but it will not save you from waiting to get in. Because once you book your tickets for a certain date and time, you need to go ahead with your ID cards and pick up your tickets from the online booking;
Closed – Monday, January 1st, May 1st, December 25th;
Works from Tuesday to Sunday from 8.15 am until 6.50 pm;
The ticket desk is open until 6.05 pm, and the closing of the Gallery begins at 6.35 pm;
Library: Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9.30 am until 1.30 pm; Thursday and Friday from 9.00 am until 13.00 pm

Prices:
Adult – 6.50 Euro; If there are additional exhibitions, the price is – 11 Euros;
Audioguide (Italian, English, French, Spanish, German, Japanese) for one – 6 euros, for two – 10 euros;
For young people under 18 – free of charge; For adults over 65 years – free of charge

As a person who is not impressed by this kind of museums and art I can promise you wholeheartedly that you will not be disappointed and it deserves every minute you waited for entry as well as the time spent in the museum!
And, ultimately, your visit here will only positively contribute to your attitude towards art and a significant enrichment of your culture;

Ponte Vecchio

The next landmark I will focus on is Ponte Vecchio (it means “Old Bridge”).

A majestic bridge that has survived for seven centuries. It was built on the narrowest part of the Arno River in 1345. The distinction that distinguishes it from other architectural buildings is that it is closed and has numerous shops.

These stores nowadays feature luxurious jewellery shops  with a variety of jewels. Another intriguing part of the bridge is Corridor Vazariano. A corridor that connects Uffizi and Palazio Pitti directly. Nowadays Renaissance paintings are featured in the corridor.

Curious facts:
There are only four covered bridges in Europe. One of them is Ponte Vecchio. We are lucky to have one in the Bulgarian town of Lovech and the other two are located in Lucerne, Switzerland and Erfurt in Germany.
This is the only bridge which survived the Nazis’ attacks during the Second World War. As they strategically destroy all other bridges in the city to make it impossible for hostile troops to reach it;

Useful information:
The bridge can be visited at any time. There is no specific time to recommend you to visit it. For the simple reason that it never looses its charm!
It is under constant video control and  police is circulating in the area;
Personal advice – do not hang a padlock on the fence of the bridge because it undermines the architectural heritage of the bridge and the city. Fees up to 160 euros are in place for law offenders

Coming soon- Part Three