Florence, like most of the italian cities, is rich in churches and you will visit them with italianme, discovering their story and admiring the beautiful masterpieces inside. You will have a skilled and personal guide who will make you appreciate the artistic heritage of the Florentine worship.
Many of the wonderful works realized by some of the greater artists in the world have been commissioned to adorn the churches, the family’s chapels and the public places of worship. That’s why a visit to the churches is necessary to know the artistic heritage of Florence.
SOME CHURCHES IN FLORENCE
In Piazza del Duomo, the catholic heart of the city, it is possible to see the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, built on the same site of the ancient Santa Reparata Church, whose ruins are still visible in the crypt. If you want to face a physical challenge, try to reach the top of the Cupola del Brunelleschi: you will have a breathtaking view of Florence! But watch out, you have to go up 463 steps (there is no elevator!) through the inner part of the Cupola, but you will be able almost to touch the wonderful Giorgio Vasari frescoes. To enjoy another wonderful view of Florence, we strongly advise you to reach the top of Campanile di Giotto. Not to be missed a visit to the Battistero.
Santa Croce church is an artistic masterpiece, visited each day by hundreds of people. Inside there are many many tombs of famous Italians and Florentines. Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Rossini, Galileo Galilei who had a christian burial only in 1737 (95 years after his death) because of the Inquisition. There is also a Dante Alighieri’s monumental grave, but it is empty because the poet is buried in Ravenna. Every year in front of the church the Florentine Calcio Storico takes place, re-enactment in historical costume of a game considered the father of modern soccer. The church was strongly damaged during the flood in 1966.
San Miniato al Monte is in a dominant position in Florence, and from its churchyard you can embrace all the city, the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio, Santa Croce and the ruins of the city walls. Nearby you can visit the ancient monumental cemetery with many tombs of famous people, like Carlo Lorenzini (Collodi), Pinocchio’s writer.
The Cappelle Medicee are part of the San Lorenzo, the Medici’s church, monumental complex. They represent the Medici’s family grave.
