FABULOUS FLORENCE
Museums, wine and more
The skies were clouding over as I strode briskly across that famous bridge, the Ponte Vecchio, ready for a productive day checking off Florentine must-sees.
Slight problem: the first museum on my list was open, but the ticket office was closed.
OK, then, on to the Uffizi Gallery. Except this time both ticket office and museum were closed; I had forgotten it was Monday.
A fine rain began to fall as I wandered past the open arches of the building next door, the statue-studded Loggia dei Lanzi. This wasn’t going at all as planned.
And then it hit me. Wait. This was the Piazza della Signoria, where novelist E.M. Forster’s Lucy Honeychurch witnessed a stabbing moments after complaining about the dullness of life in A Room With a View. And those had to be the steps where the brooding George Emerson carried Lucy’s fainting form.
If you’re planning a trip here, you could do worse than wander until you find what you didn’t know you were looking for. Here are a few starting points.
WHAT’S NEW
The Opera Duomo Museum, devoted to art created for the famous Florence duomo (cathedral), has been given a major makeover and expansion. A highlight is the exhibition hall featuring a replica of the former facade of the cathedral. A 15-euro pass (about $21) will allow access to the museum and the cathedral dome and bell tower. Open daily except the first Tuesday of the month, but check website for unexpected closures. Piazza del Duomo 9, museumflorence.com/museum.
The Central Market (Piazza del Mercato Centrale on Via dell’Ariento) has a bustling second floor, home to food stands, a restaurant, pizzeria, wine academy, cooking school and more. Open daily, 10 a.m. to midnight.
CLASSIC ATTRACTIONS
If there is one must-see in Florence it’s Michelangelo’s David, five metres of cool, concentrated, confident youth. Galleria dell’Accademia, Via Ricasoli 58/60. Open Tuesday- Sunday, 8:15 a.m. to 6:50 p.m., about $18.
The Uffizi Gallery, set in an imposing 16th-century building, is home to outstanding art, including Giotto’s altarpiece, the Ognissanti Madonna, which revolutionized painting by portraying the human figure in perspective. Piazzale degli Uffizi 6. Tuesday- Sunday, 8:15 a.m.6:50 p.m., around $13.
You can’t miss the Duomo, the Gothic cathedral encrusted in pink, green and white marble that is a striking feature of the city. It is open most days 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. and free.
The Ponte Vecchio isn’t the most beautiful bridge in the world, but it is interesting, with its stores, mostly jewellers and souvenir sellers. In May, a sinkhole opened up, swallowing a score of cars on a stretch of road between Ponte Vecchio and the bridge immediately east, Ponte Grazie.
Around sunset, head to the Piazzale Michelangelo, on a hill on the south side of the Arno, for terrific views of the city.
GETTING AROUND
Florence is a walking city; bring comfy shoes. If you have a car or hire a driver, head for the hills. You’re in the middle of Chianti wine country with several estates to visit, including Poggio Casciano, a 14th-century villa that is part of the Ruffino wine company. The estate produces Modus, a “super Tuscan” red blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. By appointment only; reserve tastings and tours, ruffino.com.
At Romitorio di Serelle, 38 kilometres from Florence, you can rent apartments by the week or have lunch on the property’s wide terrace perched above rolling vineyards. romitoriodiserelle.it/.
TIPS
If you’re planning to visit museums, consider buying tickets online; book entrance times to skip long lines.
More into shopping than sculptures? Check out the Santa Maria Novella, an apothecary that traces its history back 600 years.