A festive season in Florence

We had promised ourselves that we would again spend Christmas somewhere different, following our wonderful experience last year on the Queen Mary 2. We looked for a city where it would be possible to be outdoors on a nice day and to repair to museums if the weather was not so clement. Italy is always a good bet. We had spent a few days in Florence in 1996 and remembered it fondly.

To our delight, we found out that Florence does Christmas very well. In addition to festive decorations, the names of streets in the historic district are spelled out in strings of colourful lights at night. Its vibrant Christmas spirit is infectious.

Although Florence is geographically compact, compared to Rome let’s say, there is so much to see there that you would need at least a month to see it all. Not surprisingly, it hops with visitors.

Two things we did not know about Florence beforehand: it is nestled in a plain, tightly surrounded by mountains and its airport has a very short landing strip. The pilot of our plane described it as being in a bowl. The day we flew in, the city was covered in a thick fog.

After a delayed departure from Paris (with the hope that the fog would lift) and later circling around Florence for an hour, the pilot aborted the plane’s descent (the landing gear was out) and instead decided to divert to Rome. The experience was instructive and sobering. We were safe but had to embark on a four-hour bus ride to get to our destination. On the positive side, we were able to observe that Italy has very impressive highways.

We had reserved a classy hotel close to the Santa Maria Novella railway station, a five-minute walk to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in the city core. To our delight, as we sat for breakfast the next day, we were treated to panoramic views of the city from the hotel’s fifth floor restaurant.

There is so much to see in Florence. Its palazzo-lined streets, elegant bridges, lively markets and piazzas, cafes, concert venues, and restaurants, in addition to good public transportation, make it the perfect destination for a Christmas holiday. We hope you enjoy this short video of Florentine street life.

The historic centre of Florence was recognized by UNESCO as a unique social and cultural urban environment because of its long history of artistic creativity, as is evident in its museums, churches, art and architecture. This city is considered to be the cradle of the Renaissance and, because of that, its influence spread widely.

Florence was built on the ruins of an old Etruscan settlement. In 59 BC, the Romans moved in and, recognizing the town’s strategic position, started building the necessary infrastructure associated with a Roman settlement. Some of the ruins dating from that time are still visible in the nearby village of Fiesole. Its small archeological museum is also worth a visit.

Florence has a complicated history involving recurrent wars and temporary alliances with neighbouring cities and states. Sheep, the manufacture and trade of wool, and banking, were the cornerstones of the city’s economic success through the ages.

From the twelfth century on, the city was rife with conflicts between the noble families and the merchant class, and between the supporters of the Pope and the supporters of the Holy Roman Emperor. In 1293, a revolt led by the professional guilds and merchant classes resulted in the creation of a republic which lasted several centuries, intermittently, until the permanent return to power of the Medici family in 1537. The most striking reminder of the glory of the republican era is the Palazzo Vecchio and its Piazza della Signoria, where elected officials conducted the city’s public affairs.

Among other prominent families, the Medici were a powerful and ruthless banking dynasty. Their wealth, strategic connections (four Medici became popes) and taste for showy riches dominated public life for centuries. When they took over the Palazzo Vecchio, they decorated it with lavish frescoes of Greek and Roman deities. They saw themselves as being equal to those gods.

The family hired the best architects, painters, cabinet makers and sculptors of the day. They also accumulated a vast art collection.

The Medici crest (six balls on a stylized battle shield) adorns the numerous buildings, churches and monuments with which they were associated, throughout the city and beyond.

Given the absence of a lineal descendant, Anna Maria Luisa de Medici bequeathed the family’s art collection to the Tuscan State in 1743, ensuring that it would remain in Florence. This explains the abundance of works by great masters in the city.

The highlights of our ten-day visit were, without doubt, the churches and museums where we spent many hours. The cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore, is a tricolor marble gem which is built on the foundations of Santa Reparata Church, which dates from pre-Christian times. Its adjacent baptistry has three magnificent multipaneled sculpted doors that read like a book, and a grandiose mosaic interior. It possible to climb (414 steps) the bell tower, known as the Giotto Tower. The views of the city from the top are well worth the effort.

The original baptistry doors and sculptures from the cathedral and the bell tower are preserved in the captivating Opera del Duomo Museum, just behind the cathedral. The cathedral, bell tower, baptistry and museum can all be visited with a single multi-day ticket.

Of the churches we visited in Florence, Santa Maria Novella was our favourite. In addition to its many features, it was a treat to witness its resident population of starlings performing a spellbinding murmuration at dusk. Santa Trinita Church and the Basilica of Santissima Annunziata were also gems.

We visited some of Florence’s numerous art museums: the Uffizi Gallery, the Palazzo Vecchio, sections of the Pitti Palace with its adjacent Boboli Gardens. Each took the best part of a day to visit. For your pleasure, we share some of these Florentine treasures with you in this short video.

To learn more:

• UNESCO World Heritage Site: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/174/
• The guide to Essential Italy, Great Courses Plus : https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/the-guide-to-essential-italy-the-great-courses-plus