Excursion to Florence and Pisa

This day trip is for you to have an overview of one of the most important art cities in world, Florence and Pisa. Your English speaking driver will meet you at your hotel for a lovely drive through the region of Lazio into Tuscany passing some of the the beautiful countryside of Italy.

It is a bit of a drive to Pisa but well worth it once you approach the main square and have a view of the leaning tower. The main square called Campo dei Miracoli (“Field of Miracles”) is a wide, walled area at the heart of the city, recognised as one of the main centers for medieval art in the world. Partly paved and partly grassed, it is dominated by three great religious edifices: the Duomo, the Leaning Tower, and the Baptistry. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the main cathedral in Pisa. Although intended to stand vertically, the tower began leaning to the southeast soon after the onset of construction in 1173 due to a poorly laid foundation and shifting soil that has allowed the foundation to slant. It is so amazing to see and climb the world’s greatest cock-up. After spending part of the morning here it is time to drive away and reach Florence.

Florence is one of the most exciting cities being the birth place of the Italian Renaissance. Most of the great artist were born, lived and worked in this city. This city has a great number of churches as well as museums and squares. Some recommended places to visit while here are the cathedral, better known as The Duomo. This has quite a typical Tuscan façade with its order of pink, white and green marble bands of color. Make sure to have a close look at the dome executed by Brunelleschi, the first of its kind since antiquities. From the outside, it dominates Florence’s landscape, but you can also have a closer look by climbing it and to have a view that is unparalleled.

Next to the Duomo is the unique but very graceful Campanile or bell tower, designed by Giotto. The decorations around the outside were all carved again by more of the greats, like Pisano and Donatello. In the same area is the Baptistry which is one of Florence’s oldest buildings, it was made famous when Ghiberti won a competition in 1401 to design the north door in bronze, done in bas-relief depicting The Gates of Paradise.

Also worth visiting is Florence’s most famous museum, The Accademia, home to the David of Michelangelo  and finally the church of Santa Croce where not just Michelangelo but many other illustrious Italians are buried. Don’t forget to walk across Ponte Vecchio, which is the most ancient bridge in Florence, the only one saved during the Second World War. The current construction belongs to the XIV century, but the first bridge was built by the Romans, it has some spectacular panoramic views of the Arno River. Florence is an unforgettable city that will give you the sense of its great Renaissance past and all of the master artists that is gave birth to and nurtured. In the late afternoon your driver will take back to Rome again.