Archive for May, 2009

Visiting Florence? Go See the Uffizi Gallery

Sunday, May 31st, 2009

Planning on visiting Florence? Or maybe you have thought about it and you’re not so sure about seeing the Renaissance capital of Italy.

Either way, the Uffizi Gallery enables you to travel back to the 13th century to see artwork done by the masters of Italy. You can stand within the auras of works created by Michelangelo, Raphael, Giotto, and Bernini. It is literally like traveling through time. It is very gothic and very medieval all at the same time, which is great. This just shows how Florence has stayed with its roots.

So what can you expect?

Expect to get up early. You may want to be at the gallery at around 8:30 on your first day in Florence. However, make sure you make a reservation because if you don’t you will not see what the gallery has to hold. You can expect the line to get into the Uffizi gallery to be a mile long and not everyone gets to go in. Without a reservation, being in the line can consume 2 to 3 hours of your day. With a reservation, you don’t have to mess with all of that. You could find yourself inside in less than 5 minutes.

So what makes the Uffizi Gallery special, other than the artwork? Well, this is a gallery that was established by the Medici in 1581. However, it was originally commissioned in 1560 by Cosimo I. The design was by Georgio Vasari. However, despite all of this, it wasn’t until 1765 that the gallery was opened to the public.

So when you step inside, you have to climb three staircases where you are greeted by the busts of the prominent members of the Medici family. This is your first taste of how influential the Medicis were in the Tuscan region. From there, you will begin your tour and your breath will be taken away. Even if you don’t have an appreciation for art, you will be amazed at how well this place takes you back in time and educates you on how incredibly amazing it is that you are there.

How is Florence Great for a Honeymoon?

Monday, May 25th, 2009

Florence is a city of history. It is somewhere that people love to go to when they want to become more educated.

The truth, however, is that Florence is also romantic. You can make this city into anything you want it to be. If you want it to be an educational hub, it can be. If you want it to be a place in which you can learn more about cooking excellent dishes, you can do that. If you want it to be a place where you can get drunk, it can do that too. And if you want it to be a romantic getaway, what better way to do that than go to the most beautiful city in Italy.

We all know that Italy is associated with romance. There is something about the remnants of the Renaissance that brings about this feeling of mystery and intrigue. Much romance has taken place within the confines of the city for centuries. We all know that the Renaissance possessed romance. Even the thought of it brings about warm feelings because of the deep thought and ingenuity that took place over the time. The premise of much of the artwork was romantic in some way. All you have to do is take a trip over to the Uffizi Gallery and the many museums in Florence and you will see that romance is at the center of this grand city.

You have the Boboli Gardens to take a stroll through and even have a picnic. You can also find a romantic hotel in Florence, which isn’t hard at all. Many of the rooms have an atmosphere that is automatically romantic. In Florence, it doesn’t take much to make a honeymoon absolutely fantastic.

And don’t forget all of the amazing restaurants that are in Florence. You will have no problem having a romantic dinner.