By Majrani | Tags: Firenze, arte, chiese, Rinascimento. Add more
Florence, known as the “cradle of Renaissance”, is the capital city of Tuscany. It lies on the Arno River and it is famous for its history in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance, especially for the art and the architecture.
A centre of medieval European trade and finance, the city is often considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. It was long under the de facto rule of the Medici family. From 1865 to 1870 the city was also the capital of the Kingdom of Italy.
The best-known architectural jewel of Florence is the domed cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore, known as The Duomo, built by Filippo Brunelleschi. The nearby Campanile tower (partly designed by Giotto) and the Baptistery buildings are also highlights. The dome, 600 years after its completion, is still the largest dome built in brick and mortar in the world.
At the heart of the city in Piazza della Signoria is Bartolomeo Ammanati's Fountain of Neptune (1563-1565), which is a masterpiece of marble sculpture at the end of a still functioning Roman aqueduct.
One of the bridges across the Arno river, the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge), is famous for the multitude of shops built upon its edges. First constructed by the Etruscans in ancient times, this bridge is the only one in the city to have survived World War II intact.
The church of San Lorenzo contains the Medici Chapel, the mausoleum of the Medici family - the most powerful family in Florence from the 15th to the 18th century. Nearby is the Uffizi Gallery, one of the finest art museums in the world - founded on a large bequest from the last member of the Medici family.
The Uffizi ("offices") is located at the corner of Piazza della Signoria, a site important for being the centre of Florence civil life and government for centuries (Signoria Palace is still home of the community government): the Loggia dei Lanzi was the set of all the public ceremonies of the republican government.
It is still the setting for a number of statues by other sculptors such as Donatello, Giambologna, Ammannati and Cellini.
Florence has other world-class museums. The Bargello concentrates on sculpture, containing work by Donatello, Giambologna, and Michelangelo. The Accademia dell'Arte del Disegno (often simply called the Accademia) collection's highlights are Michelangelo's David and his unfinished Slaves.
Across the Arno is the huge Pitti Palace containing part of the Medici family's former private collection. In addition to the Medici collection, the palace's galleries contain a large number of Renaissance works, including several by Raphael and Titian as well as a large collection of modern art, costumes, and porcelain. Adjoining the Palace are the Boboli Gardens, finely landscaped and with many interesting sculptures.
The Santa Croce basilica, originally a Franciscan foundation, contains the monumental tombs of Galileo, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Dante.
Other important basilicas and churches in Florence include Santa Maria Novella, San Lorenzo, Santo Spirito, Orsanmichele, and the Tempio Maggiore Great Synagogue of Florence.
The following photos are just a small example of the sights and monuments of this wonderful city.
en.wikipedia.org
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