Renaissance Tour and Medici Tour
~ Gordon
After tiring climbing to the dome and the bell tower, time to learn some history about Florence. The tour of Renaissance and the tour of Medici are perfect fits. Florence is not big, all the attractions are within walking distance. The tour took us all around the city. Let’s explore together!
Santa Maria Novella Church - All Tours Start Here
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| Santa Maria Novella Church |
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| Santa Maria Novella Church |
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| Santa Maria Novella Church |
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| Santa Maria Novella Church |
The Renaissance Tour
Places - The Renaissance Tour Passing by
Leonardo Da Vinci's House
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| Original site of Leonardo Da Vinci's house The house was brought down |
Michelangelo's House
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| The house where Michelangelo grew up now, a restaurant |
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| The Renaissance tour |
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| The Renaissance tour |
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| The Renaissance tour |
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| The Renaissance tour |
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| The Renaissance tour |
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| The Renaissance tour |
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| The Renaissance tour |
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| The Renaissance tour |
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| The Renaissance tour |
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| The Renaissance tour |
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| The Renaissance tour |
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| The Renaissance tour |
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| The Renaissance tour |
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| The Renaissance tour |
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| The Renaissance tour |
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| The Renaissance tour |
The Florence Duomo
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| The Florence Duomo |
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| The Florence Duomo |
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| The Florence Duomo |
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| The Florence Duomo |
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| The Florence Duomo |
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| The Florence Duomo |
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| The Florence Duomo |
Basilica of Santa Croce
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| Basilica of Santa Croce |
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| Basilica of Santa Croce |
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| Basilica of Santa Croce |
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| Basilica of Santa Croce |
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| Basilica of Santa Croce |
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| Basilica of Santa Croce |
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| Basilica of Santa Croce |
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| Basilica of Santa Croce |
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| Basilica of Santa Croce |
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| Basilica of Santa Croce |
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| Interior of Basilica of Santa Croce |
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| Interior of Basilica of Santa Croce |
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| Interior of Basilica of Santa Croce |
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| Interior of Basilica of Santa Croce |
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| Interior of Basilica of Santa Croce |
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| Tomb of Galileo |
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| Tomb of Galileo |
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| Tomb of Michelangelo |
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| Tomb of Michelangelo |
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| Tomb of Dante |
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| Tomb of Dante |
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| Basilica of Santa Croce |
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| Basilica of Santa Croce |
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| Basilica of Santa Croce |
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| Basilica of Santa Croce |
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| Basilica of Santa Croce |
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| Basilica of Santa Croce |
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| Basilica of Santa Croce |
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| Basilica of Santa Croce |
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| Basilica of Santa Croce |
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| Basilica of Santa Croce |
We had the same tour guide for these 2 wonderful tours. The tour of Renaissance started in front of a large basilica, Basilica di Santa Maria Novella. We went all around Florence, from Basilica di Santa Maria Novella, to Florence Duomo, to Piazza Signoria, to Florence Old Bridge, and ending at Basilica of Santa Croce. In Basilica of Santa Croce, many important and famous people in the history of Italy were buried here, like Michelangelo and Galileo. The basilica also hold a monument of Dante. This tour of Renaissance were definitely talked about Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci. They are the 2 famous person during high Renaissance. We passed by their houses. Unfortunately, Leonardo’s house was turned down and changed to a modern building. Luckily, the house to Michelangelo’s family while he grew up is still there. It is a first floor of a plain old building, not very fancy. There are flood marks in florence that show the water level. They rise and decrease from time to time.
The Medici Tour
The Church of Medici Family
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| Church of Medici Family |
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| Church of Medici Family |
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| Church of Medici Family |
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| Church of Medici Family |
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| Church of Medici Family |
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| Church of Medici Family |
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| Church of Medici Family |
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| Church of Medici Family |
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| Church of Medici Family |
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| Church of Medici Family |
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| Church of Medici Family |
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| Church of Medici Family |
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| Church of Medici Family |
The Medici House
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| Entrance of Medici House |
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| Entrance of Medici House |
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| At the garden |
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| At the garden |
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| The Medici House |
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| The Medici House |
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| The Medici House |
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| The Medici House |
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| The Medici House |
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| The Medici House |
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| The Medici House |
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| The Medici House |
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| The Medici House |
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| The Medici House |
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| The Medici House |
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| The Medici House |
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| The Medici House |
Ponte Vecchio 老桥
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| At Ponte Vecchio |
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| At Ponte Vecchio |
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| At Ponte Vecchio |
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| At Ponte Vecchio |
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| At Ponte Vecchio |
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| Ponte Vecchio |
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| Ponte Vecchio |
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| Ponte Vecchio |
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| Ponte Vecchio |
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| At Ponte Vecchio |
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| At Ponte Vecchio |
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| At Ponte Vecchio |
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| At Ponte Vecchio |
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| At Ponte Vecchio |
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| Pearl store at Ponte Vecchio |
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| Paintings of Florence at store |
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| At Ponte Vecchio |
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| At Ponte Vecchio |
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| At Ponte Vecchio |
Palazzo Pitti
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| At Palazzo Pitti |
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| At Palazzo Pitti |
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| At Palazzo Pitti |
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| At Palazzo Pitti |
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| Tour guide telling stories of Medici |
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| At Palazzo Pitti |
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| At Palazzo Pitti |
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| At Palazzo Pitti |
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| At Palazzo Pitti |
Get back to the same starting point, Basilica di Santa Maria Novella. Here comes our next tour, the tour of Medici. It started from to House of Medici, to Medici Chapels, to Piazza Signoria, Uffizi Gallery Museum, again Florence Old Bridge, and Palazzo Pitti. Medici is very famous because of their wealth and political power. It started from Bank of Medici. The family started gaining power as it owned the biggest bank starting the 15th century. There are 4 popes from the Medici family, Pope Leo X, Pope Clement VII, Pope Pius IV, and Pope Leo VI. There was a secret path for the medici to walk on for they feared assassination on the place everyone else walked. The Medici family disappeared because of syphilis. It is so sad that the last Medici didn’t pass her 20th birthday.
Piazza Signoria
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| Piazza Signoria |
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| Piazza Signoria |
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| Piazza Signoria |
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| Piazza Signoria |
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| Piazza Signoria |
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| Piazza Signoria |
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| Piazza Signoria |
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| Piazza Signoria |
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| Piazza Signoria |
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| Piazza Signoria |
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| Piazza Signoria |
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| Piazza Signoria |
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| Piazza Signoria |
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| Piazza Signoria |
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| Piazza Signoria |
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| Piazza Signoria |
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| Piazza Signoria |
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| Piazza Signoria |
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| Piazza Signoria |
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| Piazza Signoria |
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| Piazza Signoria |
Uffizi Gallery
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| At the Uffizi Gallery |
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| At the Uffizi Gallery |
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| At the Uffizi Gallery |
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| At the Uffizi Gallery |
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| At the Uffizi Gallery |
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| At the Uffizi Gallery |
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| At the Uffizi Gallery |
Piazza Signoria attracts the crowds. Why? Michelangelo’s sculpture of David is here! Even though it is a copy. Michelangelo voluntarily made the David statue from a fragile marble. David has a huge right hand symbolizing god. Back at the time, the Florentines believed that young David killed Goliath. People who wanted to be free from the Medici rule treated this David statue as symbolizing their freedom. It is really cool to see the statues at the piazza, copy and original. The statues were made of different material, marble or bronze, the David, Hercules fighting Cacus, or even Perseus holding Medusa’s cut off head! It is very cool, with a lot of statues.
We continued exploring Florence after the tour, walking on Florence Old Bridge, seeing the Piazza Signoria. This was great day.
Renaissance Tour at Duomo Florence, Signoria and Ponte Vecchio
Lunch
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| Spaghetti for lunch |
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| Spaghetti |
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| Dessert |
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