Travel with Joy

Florence is the capital of Tuscany, Italy. Tourism is the city’s major industry, thanks to its array of tourist attractions and its proximity to Pisa, home of the famous Leaning Tower. This article will focus on three of Florence, Italy’s most famous tourism destinations.

A Tourism Guide to Florence, Italy: The Uffizi Gallery

Florence was the cradle of the Renaissance, and the Uffizi Gallery’s collection allows visitors to witness its birth. Works of art are arranged chronologically, starting in the Classical era, so walking around the gallery, you can trace the development of Florentine art from its pre-Renaissance origins in the 13th century, through masters such as Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Caravaggio and Botticelli and so on up to the 18th century.

The gallery is closed on Mondays and on some public holidays (Christmas, New Year’s Day and May Day). Be warned that the Uffizi is an extremely popular tourist destination, and so visitors in peak seasons can wait anything up to five hours to be admitted. Also, staff shortages can lead to rooms being closed without notice. If you don’t have kids, you are probably better off going when school is in session.

A Tourism Guide to Florence, Italy: The Boboli Gardens and Pitti Palace

The Boboli Gardens are a series of pleasure gardens designed by the Medici Grand Dukes of Florence in the 16th Century as an attachment to their residence, the Pitti Palace. The Palace itself is now an art gallery, housing the Medicis’ art collection as well as some modern works.

The Boboli gardens are perhaps the world’s finest example of the Italianate garden style that developed in the mid 16th Century and became popular throughout the world in the following three centuries. They feature a wide range of statues and landscape features, including a lake with its own artificial island in the center.

A Tourism Guide to Florence, Italy: The Ponte Vecchio

The Ponte Vecchio, or Old Bridge, is a medieval bridge that spans the River Arno at its narrowest point. Like many bridges of the period, it is an enclosed stone bridge that contains a variety of shops. It is one of the few attractions in Florence that is free to visitors (Florence is not recommended as a travel destination for those on a tight budget!)

One local tradition is that attaching a padlock to a railing or other such structure on the Ponte Vecchio and throwing the key into the river would cause lovers to be bonded forever. However, the authorities now fine people for doing this, as the tradition became so popular that the keys were polluting the river, while the padlocks were starting to cause structural damage to the bridge.