Heart of tuscany
This city is called the heart of Tuscany, a museum city, a flourishing city. Actually, its name is Florence, which arose in 59 BC and is translated as “blooming”.
Whatever you are told, familiarity with the city must begin with Signoria Square. Here, next to the Palazzo Vecchio Palace, in the open air you will be greeted by several sculptural works of Michelangelo, including the legendary David. However, this giant, which has long served as a symbol of the Florentine Republic, is only a copy, and the original was once transferred to the Opera del Duomo Museum (Piazza Duomo, 9).
Nearby (Piazzale degli Uffizi, 6) is the famous Uffizi Gallery. Do not be afraid to go inside, even if you are limited in time – this is not the Louvre or the Hermitage; the gallery is quite compact and it’s quite possible to get around it in two and a half hours, but the sensations will be remembered for a long time. It is here that the famous “hits” of Botticelli – “Spring” and “The Birth of Venus” are stored; huge panoramic canvases from which you can’t take your eyes off and for which it’s already worth coming to Florence! In addition, the gallery offers stunning views of another pride of the city – the Ponte Vecchio bridge over the Arno River. This is an unusually “live” bridge, which is replete with small built-in houses with arches and windows.
Other Florentine must see that can be covered in a couple of days are Galleria dell ‘Academia (Via Ricasoli, 60), which also houses a large collection of fine art; Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral (Piazza del Duomo) with an incredible marble mosaic on the floor, which practically translates the perspective, in modern terms, into 3D format; Casa di Dante – a museum dedicated to the famous poet (Via Santa Margherita, 1); Palazzo Pitti (Piazza Pitti, 1), which houses unique collections of historical costume, porcelain and modern art. In addition to cultural attractions, shopping in Florence should not be ignored. The most interesting shops are located in the many streets of Piazza del Duomo and Piazza Signoria. Here is a great selection of stylish clothes, shoes, accessories, jewelry; You can also buy products from Venetian and Murano glass at a very reasonable price. A special “feature” of local shopping is accessories and clothes with prints of paintings of the Renaissance: Michelangelo, Botticelli, Raphael.
In the same quarter you can have a delicious lunch, and it is not necessary to look for an expensive restaurant: in almost any pizzeria you will be offered excellent coffee or a glass of Chianti, the thinnest pizza that melts in your mouth, or delicious pasta.
An hour by train and half an hour – by car from Florence is the thermal resort of Montecatini Terme. This is a very pretty bourgeois town with picturesque hills and mineral springs that were discovered hundreds of years ago. There are several healing waters: Rinfresco, which removes toxins from the body; Leopoldina, improving intestinal motility; Tetuccio, a cleansing liver, and Regina, are indicated for biliary tract diseases. They drink mineral water here, take baths with it, and do various procedures. Of course, you won’t be able to do serious treatment for the weekend, but even if you travel for a day or two in Monecatini, do not deny yourself the pleasure of walking through the gallery of old drinking pump-rooms with frescoed ceilings in the Italian art deco style (here it is called Liberty) , sip live water, swim in the thermal pool in Terme Grocco (Via delle Palme, 1; entrance ticket costs 8 euros), and then go to the Grand Hotel & La Pace SPA center, which once hosted the Princess of Monaco and Christian Dior ( Corso Roma, 12; the cost of the procedures is 50-150 euros). Here you can make various anti-aging, moisturizing and modeling procedures for the face and body, developed by local cosmetologists and doctors using Italian cell cosmetics Villa Paradiso, produced on Lake Garda. Signature procedures of the Grand Hotel & La Pace SPA – SPA Candle massage with hot aromatic candles with shea butter and clay of rasul, a combined bath ritual combining a hammam, a hot steam bath and a warm aromatic shower.
