A lovely city, Florence in Italy

 

I have just read “Death of an English man”, written by Magdalen Nabb who was born in England in1947, and lived in Florence as well as Italy since 1975. The story is a murder mystery, set in Florence.

 

Florence is my favorite city! I have been there half a dozen times, and every time I visit, I feel excited again and recognize that I love the city passionately.

 

I think you must visit the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore which is the symbol of the city it is amazingly beautiful. The exterior of white, green, and pink marble is stunning, hence the name “Cathedral of Flower”. You will be overwhelmed by the magnificent construction.

"Primavera" Uffizi Art Museum

 

Next you shouldn’t miss going to the Uffizi Art Museum (Galleria degli Uffizi). “Uffizi” means “offices” in Italian. This huge Renaissance style building used to be the municipal office of the House of Medici, who were the political dynasty in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century and collected numerous Renaissance art. Well known paintings such as “The Birth of Venus” and “Primavera” (Spring) by Botticelli , as well as amazing works by Leonard da Vinci are also parts of the collection. When I stood in front of the “Primavera” I was so impressed and couldn’t move for a while. You can appreciate many of the important art works there. There are many important artworks you should appreciate there.

 

Rivoire

If you feel tired, it’s a good idea to have a break at the cafe on the rooftop of the department store “Rinascente”. You can enjoy an espresso with a lovely city view. If you prefer a more elegant one, try “Rivoire”. It is an historical fancy cafe, facing the Signoria square. You can savour traditional chocolate and cakes with a fascinating atmosphere inside. They also have terrace seats. Their chocolate will be a special souvenir.

 

Santa Maria Novella Firenze

I would like to tell you one more place that I go every time I visit the city. It is an ancient pharmacy “Santa Maria Novella Firenze”. The history of it goes back in 1221. Dominican friars of the convent of Santa Maria Novella, started to grow herbs in the garden and created natural preparations. Now we can buy their original skin care cosmetics, with fragrances based on essential principles of aromatic plants. Their products are fantastic! You can find the shops in some Italian cities but Florence is the original, and inside the store is marvelous.

 

Teruki