Firenze

Florence

The Ponte Vecchio. It is the most famous bridge in Florece. It is lined with shops (mainly jewelry).

It was strange moving from Venice to Florence. You step into the street and suddenly a Fiat zooms past. You have to tell yourself there are cars here. Unlike Venice the mixture of past and present is much more noticeable Buildings that have stood the test of time tower over tiny curs buzzing through the narrow streets. These streets alone must be the reason why many Italian cars are so tiny. With they way they drove and the way people walked right out into the middle of the street, it was  no surprise you would hear an ambulance every ten minutes or so.

The view from out room looked right out over the Piazza Della Repubblica, which is one of the main squares in Florence since the medieval times.

An old castle which is now a hotel.

The Cathedral of Florence

Strangely enough, this was not the only couple I saw exchanging vows in the square near the cathedral.

The Baptistry doors known as the gates of paradise. They were designed by Ghiberti who was commissioned in 1425 and the doors were installed in 1452.

There is so much history when it comes to Florence. Its golden age was brought on by the Medici and their influence in the renaissance. Evidence of the family can be seen throughout the city. Their symbol can be seen throughout the city. It contains a shield and six balls. According to several people, no one is quite sure why they chose the six balls featured on the crest. I found that quite interesting.

This was originally built to one-up the Medici family. However, the rivals ran out of money and the building was later purchased by the Medici and used as their home.

Walkways like this were constructed so the upper class could travel without mixing with the people on the street.