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Vacation in Florence  -  City trips Florence  -  Florence Vacations.

City of Florence is the capital city of Tuscany.

Municipalities of Florence : Bagno a Ripoli, Barberino di Mugello, Barberino Val d'Elsa, Borgo San Lorenzo, Calenzano, Campi Bisenzio, Capraia e Limite, Castelfiorentino, Cerreto Guidi, Certaldo, Dicomano, Empoli, Fiesole, Figline Valdarno, Firenzuola, Fucecchio, Gambassi Terme, Greve in Chianti, Impruneta, Incisa Val d'Arno, Lastra a Signa, Londa, Marradi, Montaione, Montalbano, Montelupo Fiorentino, Montespertoli, Palazzuolo Sul Senio, Pelago, Pontassieve, Reggello, Rignano Sull'Arno, Rufina, San Casciano Val di Pesa, San Godenzo, San Piero a Sieve, Scandicci, Signa, Tavarnella Val di Pesa, Vaglia, Vicchio, Vinci.


campings, car hire, hostels, hotels, tour operators, travel guides, transport / traveling to florence 

links


Camping and Caravanning

 Campings Toscana

 Eurocampings  -  ACSI International Camping Guide

 Camping.it  -  Camp site Toscana / Firenze

Car Rental Florence

 Avis
 Budget Rent A Car
 Hertz

Hostels / Country Inns

 Hostelbookers.com  -  Great Hostels, Free booking
Hostelbookers.com is one of the worlds largest online booking services for hostels. All hostels you see here are offering realtime prices and availability.

 Ostelli online  -  Italian Youth Hostels Association

Hotels Florence

 Booking  -  Hotels in Florence  -  Hotel Guide Florence
Hotels near landmarks like Strozzi Palace, Santa Maria Novella, S.Maria del Fiore - Duomo, S. Croce, Hospital of Innocents, The Baptistry, Basilica of San Lorenzo, Medici Riccardi Palace, Basilica of Santa Croce, Rucellai Palace and Belltower by Giotto.

 Hotel Leonardo Da Vinci ***
Via Guido Monaco 10/12, 50144 Florence.
Located in a modern building on the borders of the historical centre, this bright property offers proximity to the excellent transport network and a host of impressive facilities.
Explore the wealth of attractions; venture to the Exhibition Hall (Fortezza da Basso), the Congress Centre (Palazzo dei Congressi) and the array of historical landmarks.
All of the tourist, cultural and commercial attractions are only a 10 minute walk away.

 Hotel Londra ****
Via Jacopo da Diacceto, 16/20, 50123 Florence
A few steps from Santa Maria Novella train station, business areas, and the major attractions of the city, this elegant, modern hotel is well located in the centre of Florence.
Use the hotel as a base for exploring all parts of the colourful city, from Piazza Santa Maria Novella to Palazzo dei Congressi e Degli Affari, the Duomo, and various other historic and artistic buildings.

More Hotels? See Hotels

Tour Operators / Travel Agents

 VAX VacationAccess  -  A Better Way To Book



 Florence by bike
Are you planning a trip to Florence or Tuscany? Hire a bike, that's the best way to do it!
Offers you experienced and friendly staff and a very good selection of bikes and scooters for rent, to make the most of your holiday in Tuscany. If you are thinking of touring around Tuscany on a bike, well, Florence by bike is the best place to go. Self guided tours allow you to discover the wonderful Chianti region on your own, and ride along the hills of Tuscany while enjoying your holiday in freedom!
 Lingua Viva Firenze
Lingua Viva Offers a wide range of courses responding to the most varied needs of students coming from all over the world. Their Summer courses for Juniors in Lignano, provide a excellent environment for fun activities and Italian language courses for their younger students. Courses also in Milan.

Travel Guides Florence / Related books

 Amazon.com 

 Florence - Lonely Planet City Guide  -  Damien Simonis
This guidebook features day trips into the Tuscan countryside including Siena, Pisa and the wine centres of Il Chianti. It also includes a section on Florentine painting and sculpture and information on cookery, football, opera and nightclubs.
Paperback 240 pages (March 2004); Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications; Language: English; ISBN: 1741040620
 Florence and Tuscany - Eyewitness Travel Guide - Christopher Catling
Your holiday starts here! From hill-top towns to renaissance masterpieces, this essential guide reveals all you need to know about Florence and Tuscany. Unique cutaway maps and 3D models will take you round some of Italy's finest architecture and hidden natural treasures. Recommendations for authentic trattorias where you can sample the local fare will ensure you return to this wonderful region.
Hardcover 312 pages (February 24, 2005); Publisher: Dorling Kindersley; Language: English; ISBN: 1405307889.

Fodor's Italy 
Paperback: 944 pages; Publisher: Fodor's (September 12, 2006); Language: English; ISBN-13: 978-1400016891
The Rough Guide to Italy
Paperback: 1200 pages; Publisher: Rough Guides; 8 edition (July 2, 2007); Language: English; ISBN-10: 1843538555; ISBN-13: 978-1843538554
Frommer's Italy - by Darwin Porter (Author), Danforth Prince (Author)
Paperback: 832 pages; Publisher: Frommer's (August 28, 2006); Language: English; ISBN-13: 978-0471962236 

Transport / How do I travel to Florence

 Florence Airport  -  Amerigo Vespucci

www.austrianair.com  -  Flight tickets Italy

 Alitalia USA  -  flights to Florence

  Airline Tickets / Bargain Flights

 Trenitalia  -  Italian railways

 Autostrade
 Online maps Italy [ Uni Texas - Perry-Castañeda Library - Map Collection ].

 ATAF  -  Public transport in Florence - Gateway to mobility in Florence
Timetables, routes, maps, passes, tickets etc.

 Weather in Florence 


Links 

 Travel Insurance 

 Firenze.net  -  Florence, Italy on Firenze.net - where to go and what to do in Florence

For works of art visit the Accademia, home to Michelangelo's statue of David, or the Uffizi Gallery for paintings by Raphael, Botticelli and da Vinci. The magnificent Duomo is just one of many splendid churches. Medieval Ponte Vecchio is a photographer's delight while Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset offers a romantic view over the city.

 Accademia dell' Arte del Disegno [ Academy of Design ].
The Academy of Design of Florence was the first academy of drawing in Europe. It was founded in 1561. The Accademia Gallery houses the original David of Michelangelo.
 Baptisterium San Giovanni [ Baptistery of St John ]
Is believed to be the oldest building in Florence. It is particularly famed for its three sets of magnificent and artistically important bronze doors. It stands in the Piazza del Duomo, just to the west of the Duomo. See Wikipedia
 Belvedere [ fortification ]
Built by Grand Duke Ferdinando I de' Medici during the period 1590-1595, with Bernardo Buontalenti as the designer, to protect Florence and the Medici rule thereover.
 Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana
The importance of the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, with its collection of nearly 11,000 manuscripts, is based mainly on two converging factors, both extraordinary: the specific nature of the Library's holdings and the character of its building, which was planned and partly realized by Michelangelo Buonarroti.The story of this Library, from its core collection the Medici's private library to the various acquisitions which followed, has in fact been influenced by a constant aim, viz. the possession of books of a highly textual or esthetical quality.
 Boboli Gardens
Rising behind the Pitti Palace are the beautiful Boboli Gardens. They were originally designed for the Medici and are one of the earliest examples of the Italian Garden which later inspired those of many European courts . The gardens extend over a vast area forming an open-air museum with antique and Renaissance statues, grottoes and large fountains. Exploring its numerous and varied walks one is able to evoke the spirit of life at court and to enjoy the experience of a garden which continues to renew its natural cycle in keeping with the tradition of its past.
 Florentine Dome
The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is the cathedral church, or Duomo, of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Florence, noted for its distinctive dome. See Wipipedia
 Giotto's Campanile
A campanile is, especially in Italy, a free-standing bell-tower (Italian campana, 'bell'), often adjacent to a church or cathedral.
In 1334 Giotto was appointed chief architect to Florence Cathedral of which the Campanile bears his name but was not completed to his design. See Giotto di Bondone.
 Palazzo Pitti  -  Renaissance
The Pitti Palace, which was formerly the residence of the grand-dukes of Tuscany and later of the King of Italy, now houses several important collections of paintings and sculpture, works of art, porcelain and a costume gallery, besides providing a magnificently decorated historical setting which extends to the Boboli Gardens, one of the earliest Italian gardens famous also for its fountains and grottoes.
It comprises the following galleries and museums: Palatine Gallery and Royal Apartments, The Gallery of Modern Art, The Costume Gallery, The "Museo degli Argenti" [ The Medici Treasury ], The Porcelain Museum and the Boboli Gardens.
 Ponte Vecchio
The Ponte Vecchio [ 'Old Bridge' ] is a famous medieval bridge over the Arno, in Florence, Italy, noted for having shops [ mainly jewelers ] built along it. It is Europe's oldest segmental arch bridge. See Satellite image Ponte Vecchio from Google Maps.
 Santa Maria Maddalena dei Pazzi  -  church and monastery
The Pazzi Chapel built under the direction of Filippo Brunelleschi in a discreet cloister of the Franciscan preaching church, Santa Croce in Florence. After some early agreements, the chapel was begun in 1442. It is one of the incunabula of Renaissance architecture, severely restrained, made of the gray stone called pietra serena and white plaster, unrelieved by color. A hemispherical dome (completed after Brunelleschi's death following his plans) caps a cubical sacristy for the Franciscan church: within it the Pazzi family were permitted to bury their dead.
 San Marco Square  -  Piazza San Marco
 San Miniato al Monte
The Basilica di San Miniato al Monte (Basilica of St Minias on the Mountain) stands atop one of the highest points in Florence, and has been described as the finest Romanesque structure in Tuscany and one of the most beautiful churches in Italy.
 University of Florence (1321)  -  Universitá degli Studi di Firenze

 Florence in Virtual Reality

 Family de Medici  -  see The Medici Family
The Medici family was a powerful and influential Florentine family from the 13th to 17th century. The family produced three popes, numerous rulers of Florence, and later members of the French royalty.
The most significant accomplishments of the Medici were in art and architecture, within which the portfolio of talent employed by Medici is a virtual "Who's Who?" of Renaissance art and architecture.

 Machiavelli - Niccolò Machiavelli [ 1469-1527 ]
Politician, Historian and Poet  -  see Wikipedia

 Passamaneria Toscana  -  Florence by Net
History, Art, Renaissance, Architecture, Itineraries, Museums, City map, Transportation, Night life, Pubs & Bars, Schools, People, Gourmet Food, Wedding, Leather, Wines, Fashion, Shops, Chianti, Restaurants, Hotels, Farm stays, Home rental, Tours, Golfing, Fitness.
 StudentsVille  -  Everything about studying, living and lodging in Florence
Studying, accommodation, cultural life, eating out, pubs & bars, working in Florence etc.

 Passamaneria Toscana  -  Florence by Net
History, Art, Renaissance, Architecture, Itineraries, Museums, City map, Transportation, Night life, Pubs & Bars, Schools, People, Gourmet Food, Wedding, Leather, Wines, Fashion, Shops, Chianti,  Restaurants, Hotels, Farm stays, Home rental, Tours, Golfing, Fitness.
 StudentsVille  -  Everything about studying, living and lodging in Florence
Studying, accommodation, cultural life, eating out, pubs & bars, working in Florence etc.

Cuisine  -  Italian Cooking

 The Essentials of Classical Italian Cooking  -  Marcella Hazan
This book includes recipes from the author's two previous books on Italian cooking, as well as more than 50 new ones, and incorporates advice on the use of kitchen equipment and ingredients.
Paperback 736 pages (July 7, 1995); Publisher: Macmillan; Language: English; ISBN: 0333570529.
 Mangiare Bene
The English version of the most popular Italian internet recipe archive and guide to Italian cooking; traditional, regional, innovative Mediterranean cuisine.
Culinary Academy [ Easy, affordable, tasty dishes / Recipes galore / Snacks, breads, appetizers / Express pasta recipes and regional specialities ], Great Chefs [ dishes from Italy's best chefs ], Aphrodisiac recipes, Basic tools for Italian cuisine [ making pasta at home, The Italian Pantry, The Glossary, Weights and Temperatures, Wine & co and All about italian wine ].

History of Florence

 Florence: The Biography of a City  -  Christopher Hibbert
Takes a look at Florence, weaving political, social and art history into a book that is both a history and a guide book. Photographs and illustrations describe all the buildings and treasures of the city.
Paperback 416 pages (October 27, 1994); Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd.; Language: English; ISBN: 0140166440
 Brunelleschi's Dome: The Story of the Great Cathedral in Florence - Ross King
Filippo Brunelleschi's design for the dome of the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence remains one of the most towering achievements of Renaissance architecture. Completed in 1436, the dome remains a remarkable feat of design and engineering. Its span of over 140 feet exceeds St Paul's in London and St Peter's in Rome, and even outdoes the Capitol in Washington DC, making it the largest dome ever constructed using bricks and mortar. The story of its creation and its brilliant but "hot-tempered" creator is told in Ross King's delightful Brunelleschi's Dome.
Paperback 192 pages (April 7, 2005); Publisher: Pimlico; Language: English; ISBN: 1844138275
 The Rise and Fall of the House of Medici - Christopher Hibbert
Paperback 368 pages (September 27, 1979); Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd.; Language: English; ISBN: 0140050906

Music, Culture & Entertainment

 Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and the Renaissance in Florence  -  David Franklin
The decades from 1500 to 1550 in Florence encompassed one of the most original and outstanding periods in the entire history of art. This gloriously illustrated book gathers and describes many of the beloved paintings, drawings, and sculptures created by the greatest masters of the period along with less familiar but equally beautiful and intriguing works. The contributors to the volume explore the masterpieces of Florence and challenge conventional interpretations of the evolution of this art. The book outlines the historical context of the Florentine High Renaissance and then discusses drawings, paintings, and sculpture in turn. Focusing on major artists and their contemporaries and allies, the authors demonstrate the great importance of drawing during this period and show that there was a consistency in the brand of creativity found in such artists as Michelangelo, Fiorentino, Cellini, and Bronzino. The authors question the relevance of terms like High Renaissance and Mannerism, and they contend that, contrary to commonly held assumptions, there was no strong stylistic division between art produced in Florence before and after the death of Raphael in 1520.
Hardcover 380 pages (September 11, 2005); Publisher: National Gallery of Canada; Language: English; ISBN: 0888848048. 

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