Florence, a magnificent city of arts

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Embark and departure with Tirrenia ferry

The travel group was formed by me, Stefania, my brother David and his friend by the name of Ignatius. Embark our white Fiat Punto in Cagliari, with the Tirrenia ferry to Civitavecchia, at 17:30. The ship leaves on time at 18:30, leaving the port of the capital and through the east coast around Villasimius where we can see a beautiful sunset over the sea. It 'always particular and intense emotion to leave the land looking away slowly! The night in the ferry is a little 'boring but the sea is calm. Ste and I dare a ticket to see the movie "Vertical Limit" (which I already saw a year ago in a film worthy to be called such). I knew that the film of these old Tirrenia ferries are not the greatest, but I never thought in terms so pitiful! The screen is split into 4:3 (and as the TV home and not the classic image of the elongated film), not very large, the images are mercy and the sound is bad, you barely hear the voices. All this experience is still fun, but we can not say that I really went to the cinema ...

Arrival i Civitavecchia; road to Florence; accomodation in a hostel; S.Maria Novella Church

The ferry arrives punctually at Civitavecchia, where landings and take the road to Grosseto, avoiding the highway. Pause for a break and a lunch half-way, already in Tuscany, where we can admire the beautiful countryside of green hills with the colors of spring.
Once in Florence, follow the directions to the Youth Hostel in Raphael Sanzio, found in a hostel booked via internet and fax. We are given a clean, comfortable room within a structure where they are performing the work in progress to completion. The room is more than fair to be an accommodation of this nature, services are only outside but shared with another room and are clean and new.
We leave the luggage and I do and Stefania us and accompanied by David Ignatius, who must go to 'ILP (Italian Lan Party), or a mega event where you meet the inveterate players of PC, bringing your computer and connect to others, creating a giant network to play games of last generation. David in particular, specializes in Couner Strike, Quake 3 Arena and Unreal Tournament.
Down near the church of Santa Maria Novella, which arrive after ten minutes' walk. The Gothic church was built between 1279 and 1357 by Dominican friars, and the facade was redone all year, facing a small green place with a beautiful fountain. Do not enter inside, even if it is a shame because there are very important works such as the Strozzi Chapel, with frescoes by Nardo di Cione, the Tornabuoni Chapel with the famous cycle of frescoes by Ghirlandaio, the Chapel of Filippo Strozzi with frescoes by Filippino Lippi and the Chapel of the Spaniards.
Pause a while 'on the square shooting some photos around the beautiful fountain, and continue the walk through the streets of Florence, until you return and the appointment with David Ignatius

Duomo Square, Giotto's belltower, Duomo, Baptistry, Ponte Vecchio, the Boboli Gardens

We go out to breakfast, since that is not included nell'ostello, and we head to the nearby bank of the bank, which runs along a mezz'oretta. We observe some people sunbathing on paved near the river, the beautiful view and also too warm spring day. Crossing one of the main bridges that give the center, and walking calmly reach the Piazza Duomo.
The city is full of tourists from all over and the impact is really strong, to see all these monuments and the architectural beauty concentrated in a few hundred meters! We start to visit the Bell Tower, designed by the same in 1334 and completed in 1359, twenty-two years after his death. Climb its 410 steps interminable made even more difficult dall'afa today, from which the top 85 meters high will admire a splendid panorama of almost all of Florence: a wonderful view over the Duomo and the mammoth dome of Brunelleschi (six meters high just more ), although unfortunately the bars give a sense of imprisonment and not allow you to take beautiful photos.
Once we dropped appended to the long line to visit the cathedral, next to the bell tower, where we enter after about half an hour of waiting. Prior to the Duomo of Florence (or Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore), the area was occupied by the church of Santa Reparata, demolished in 1296 just to make room for this masterpiece. The construction is very impressive and reflects the will of Florentine lead on everything. Work began on behalf of Arnolfo di Cambio and was completed in 1436, and its current façade was completed only in 1887. The outside leaves who observes ecstatic and breathless, while the interior is a little 'less impressive. A particularly striking immense dome of Brunelleschi with its paintings and its decorations. Even here a long climb stairs of 463 steps that clearly make the rounds of the spiral dome, where you can first see the frescoes of the Last Judgment of Vasari, to then reach the top with spectacular views of the city, finally without grilles. From here you look at all the major landmarks that make the famous magnificent Florence from Giotto's bell tower, the Baptistery, the Piazza Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio, the Boboli Gardens and Palazzo Pitti, the churches of Santa Croce and Santa Maria Novella.
Dropped from the Duomo we finish the visit of the square with the Baptistery, dating back to IV - V century, one of the oldest buildings in town. Famose its doors, particularly east of Paradise call, made by Ghiberti to celebrate the end of the plague in Florence in 1401 and was chosen after a competition where great artists participated including Brunelleschi and Donatello. Inside admire the magnificent mosaics of the vault of the Baptistery, which overlook the front where he was baptized octagonal even Dante Alighieri.
Stop for lunch at a fast food side of the square, which sells sandwiches and slices of pizza. We take some at random, dressed in a very different from our own pizzas sarde, and descend to the floor below in a table sedendoci fortunately free despite the influx of people.
We continue then to Ponte Vecchio, one of the symbols of the city, distinctive in its ancient buildings have become valuable and important today for jewelry stores. The cross in full along with a flood of tourists, coming from disparate parts of the planet, and take the path that leads to the Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens.
We come from the gardens of Palazzo Pitti. The gardens were created for the Medici family, after they bought Palazzo Pitti, and was open to the public in 1766. Renaissance splendid example, we completely lost within walking freely in any place and gives a different feeling, such as to make a deep dive into the past. First we meet the Amphitheater stage of the first performances of opera, then go up to the Fountain of Neptune Lorenzi, built between 1565 and 1568. Turning into the wonderful and long Vialottone cypress, dating back to 1638, flanked by statues. All'Isolotto arrived, we admire the spectacle of birds and ducks that populate the small pond, the statues of peasants around the garden surrounded by a moat and a cat that seems to pander themselves posing for the photos attached. At the center is finally the Fountain of the (1576) of Giambologna. Going back to the first tree we come into a park, and the Museum of Porcelain, has closed since the late hours. Fort Belvedere is closed for work, and then descend to the Kaffeehaus, a Rococo-style pavilion built in 1776 by the Red Zanobbi; opposite is the Fountain of Ganimede. Finally we come to the Grotto of the Good Talents of 1583, we find the cast of Michelangelo's Prisoners, Paris with Helen of Troy by Vincenzo de Rossi, and a fountain of Venus by Giambologna. Towards the exit of the gardens crossed the Fontana di Bacco of 1560, a copy of the original Cioli Valerio, who portrays Peter Barbin, the court dwarf of Cosimo I, in the likeness of Bacchus, god of wine riding a turtle.
We leave the gardens and all'ostello return on foot walking for another hour, admiring the beautiful green color that characterizes much and this city, tired after the long tour, the steps of the monuments and the climbs and descents of the park.

Visit to Palazzo Pitti; Signoria Square; Uffizi Gallery

Having failed yesterday to visit the Palazzo Pitti, the entrance of the Boboli Gardens, for problems of time, the first thought of this morning has turned its back again there and not miss this marvel. The palace was built for the banker Luca Pitti, probably to a design by Brunelleschi and begun in 1458 was approx. After the failure of the banker, the works were suspended and resumed after a century since then became the residence of the Medici and of all the governors. In the seventeenth century was added to the Palatine Gallery, with frescoed walls, Baroque and Renaissance works arranged for the will of the doctors themselves to the feelings that rise. Tantalizing, fascinating rooms of Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus and Apollo, where there is the magnificent "Venus Italica of Canava", commissioned by Napoleon to replace the Medici Venus in the Uffizi, which was to be brought to Paris. Are distinct then spoil some of the paintings such as La Bella e La Maddalena, and Raphael for The Veiled.
During the visit we see the splendor, luxury and wealth in which this family lived. Each room has a different color: red, green, yellow, white, etc.. Very beautiful room with walls of parrots covered with red upholstery and drawn bird.
After visiting we take the road to Piazza Signoria, where we arrive at lunchtime. Pause to eat a quick lunch and 15:00 to try to move closer to the Uffizi, hoping not to find a long row. In fact from the outside is not so much, but soon we realize that in fact the longer goes on in! We employ well over an hour before the official visit to the gallery, certainly one of the most sought and frequented by tourists who come here to admire the extraordinary works of art, built to designs by Vasari for the "Uffizi" of magistrature the new government of Cosimo I. Since 1581 the heirs of Cosimo I, Francesco I in particular, used the space to exhibit paintings in the collection of the family. His descendants continued to add works until, in 1737, Anna Maria Luisa de 'Medici, the last gave the Florentine people.
Visit the Uffizi is to make a real journey in art and in the past mixture of fantasy and reality, the pictures are there and speak for themselves while watching, each has a different history and a meaning that is lost in pleasant ' imagination. E 'room onto 10-14 chassis that Botticcelli his arrow and Stefania in love and remain impressed by its frescoes. Meet one after another the greatest painters of all time: Piero della Francesca, Michelangelo, Titian, Giotto, Filippo Lippi, Leonardo da Vinci. Suggestive is the tribune octagonal ceiling with mother of pearl, designed by Buontalenti for Francis I of exposing the works of the collection. Beautiful, without words is the Venus of Urbino by Titian 1538. The rooms of Rubens, Caravaggio Remembrandt and unfortunately in these days are closed to the public.
Stand several hours to visit the gallery, and then finally give up and to come, now late evening, to our hostel to rest.
We go out to 21.00 and with David Ignatius, who are almost always all'ILP all day, to go to dinner in a restaurant. They choose one of several in a small square that we meet up the main street of Raphael Sanzio, and I must say that it is very characteristic and an excellent value for money. I choose a major portion of the boscaiola pens, covered with a delicious sauce so complex they do not even know all the ingredients!

Dante's house; Holy Cross Church; Fiesole

We arrive in the city center on foot, and during our walk we remain curious about the Casa di Dante. Climb up the stairs and begin the tour, which allows you to retrace the key stages of the life of the great poet. In several rooms there are some interesting reconstructions which give an 'idea of how Florence was at the time of the artist (1265-1321): it was in those streets that he met Beatrice Patinari, love of his life and inspiration of his poetry, in the church of Santa Margherita de 'Cerchi dating to the eleventh century.
After visiting continue towards Piazza della Chiesa di Santa Croce (1294), Gothic Basilica where the tombs of the most famous men of past centuries. The tour ends inside for lunch and reopens at 15:00, so stop in a bar in the square (priced dear!) For lunch. 15:00 to begin to gather a large group of tourists on the stairs of the church, but fortunately we can now enter the opening of the doors. The interior is rich in frescoes painted in the chapels, such as those of Giotto in the Bardi Chapel of scenes that take the life of St. Francis, the crucifix by Donatello and the fresco of Gaddi in the Baroncelli Chapel. They are also the tomb of Michelangelo (designed by Vasari), the cenofilo dedicated to Dante (who died in Ravenna in 1321), the buried tomb of Machiavelli in 1527, one of Leonardo Bruno and Galileo Galilei. We continue with a visit to the Cloister Chapel de 'Pazzi of Brunelleschi of 1430, which is the first Italian Renaissance example, simple but very nice to agree with the museum where the Crucifix of Cimabue. Holy Cross is a pleasant place of peace where one breathes an air of tranquility that benefits the soul, a true music of serenity that incites you to stay all day.
All'ostello return soon enough and so we decide to use these last hours of light taking the car and heading to nearby Fiesole, a very touristy town a few kilometers from Florence. The street tree that comes is very pretty and goes up a hill where the town. Park your car and walk on foot, reaching a great scenic esplanade where you can admire a spectacular view of Florence that takes away your breath. You can see the Duomo and some monument, but mainly affects the green of the beautiful Tuscan countryside and relaxing. We continue climbing up even more to arrive at a small church nestled in a beautiful park, then dropped by a walk in the park and return to center. Unfortunately, the Duomo and the amphitheater are already closed for the time. Begins to darken and so before dark, we return to our hostel.
The last night here in Florence we go to dinner in a virtually opposite all'ostello, which is really special and nice. It 'a kind of pizza restaurant, with an evocative environment that evokes within the forest, with a simulation of waterfalls and animals, and we eat really well, as indeed everywhere in this city!

Bargello; Palazzo Vecchio; road Florence - Livorno

I have finished. L.P. and his legendary tournament, David is our today, and can spend the morning with me and Stefania coming to visit the center of Florence. We start with the Bargello, the oldest seat of government of the city, dating back to 1255 as town hall, and later became home of police chief until 1786 and based on executions. In 1878 he went to the gallows Bernardo Baroncelli, accused of having participated in the conspiracy of the Pazzi where he died his brother Giuliano di Lorenzo de 'Medici. The body was then hung in a window as a warning to other attacks, this was also one of the foul pieces of the film "Hannibal", continuation of faster and certainly more successful "The Silence of the innocent", where Hopkins kills throwing a poor wretch its inspiration from the balcony to this story. Became the seat of the Bargello National Museum in 1865 and are located here as the works of Michelangelo Bacchus, of Giambologna, the David di Donatello bronze. The tour begins in the courtyard outside, where the executions take place, then move up in the interesting collection of weapons and armor on the top floor.
Bargello after we move to the nearby Piazza della Signoria, to enter another symbol of the monuments of Florence: Palazzo Vecchio. Statue of Grand Duke Cosimo I by Giambologna that celebrates the man who unites Tuscany under the military, and the Fountain of Neptune, which celebrates the maritime ambitions of the Grand Duchy. David by Michelangelo of 1501.
It was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio and completed in 1322, when the bell was hoisted on top of the tower. In 1540 Cosimo I moved here with his family and for the most part was restored by Vasari, who also designed the courtyard was also the seat of the Italian Parliament from 1865 to 1871. On the right a wide staircase leads to the grand salon of 1500, decorated with huge frescoes and statues: here they met the leaders of the Florentine Republic. Following are other rooms, like that of Eleonora de Toledo, Pope Leo X, the neighborhood with allegories of the elements of earth, water, fire, air at the work of Vasari, then the hall of the lilies, which are the emblem of Florence. Finally, climb the top floor, outdoor, where you can admire the splendid Piazza della Signoria in its entirety.
Before we go one last round in Piazza Duomo and being caught by two artists who convinced me and David to make a beautiful portrait. We settled into a chair and within minutes we are immortalized in a curious and comic caricature: an interesting souvenir to take home!
In the afternoon we close the bags and leave the city heading to Livorno, where we await the shipment to the port for the ferry to Olbia Moby Lines. The departure is on time and the first thing you notice about the ship is the difference of the cabins than the old vessels of Tirrenia, the quad is big and spacious, with carpet on the ground, the radio on the table, clean all the services 'inside the cabin, with comfortable beds and beautiful finishes. And the price difference is not even so much!

Arrival in Olbia; back to Cagliari

Passing the night in the crossing of the Tyrrhenian Sea, landing at Olbia on time. We expect another three hours' drive to Cagliari, but the rest we had no choice given that today, May 1st, there was a free place in Tirrenia ferries to Civitavecchia-Cagliari.
So ends our trip to face the beautiful Florence, a city that speaks for itself, so rich in culture and art that push the notes to those who want to know and want to discover more about its history marked by great poets, painters and sculptors: of genes that were able to express here the better, and donate their precious art to the people of Florence and Italian.