Postcards From Florence

I’m not sure what we were thinking when we skipped straight past Milan and Florence during our family trip to Italy a few summers ago. Somehow the universe was telling me that I needed to visit both of these magical places and somehow I landed here just five months later. The reason for visiting to attend the Pitti Bimbo 90th Kids Fashion Fair. Fashion has always been a passion of mine ever since I was a little girl.  This was a dream come true to cover kids fashion week and of all the places in Florence. I must have pinched myself during the entire week, because every corner we turned was just more magical than the next.

Our Arrival:

Before I take you through all of the fashion we discovered at the Pitti Bimbo Fair (that will be my next post), I wanted to take you through some of our most favorite places we visited while there. We tried to sleep as much as possible before hitting the ground running literally once we arrived. We checked into our hotel, showered, and wondered over into town where our storybook began.

First Stop:

Our first stop, Gucci Gardens. Omg you guys, this experience was just beyond! The museum is dedicated to the iconic Italian fashion house, with classic clothing & handbag exhibits. The restaurant sits in the Gucci Museo, located at the Palazzo della Mercanzia between the Piazza della Signoria and the Piazza di San Firenze. Elegantly housed in 14th-century Palazzo della Mercanzia, Gucci Garden is an all-out whimsical ode to the Florentine fashion giant. The practically psychedelic, boudoir-styled boutique on the ground floor is designed as much for experiential browsing as high-end shopping, while gallery rooms on the 1st and 2nd floors illustrate the Gucci story.

Florence:

Florence is one of the main cities in Tuscany, a region famous in its own right. It’s a perfect city to take in a short stay, which is exactly what we did. Three days there were just perfect. And means of transportation were pretty much walking everywhere, which I loved!

Places To See:

Duomo – Florence Cathedral, formally the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, is the cathedral of Florence, Italy. It was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style to a design of Arnolfo di Cambio and was structurally completed by 1436, with the dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi. It’s especially pretty during the evening hours.

Palazzo Pucci:

Palazzo Pucci is one of the most important historic mansions in Florence. Built in the 16th century, it is located in the heart of the city, just a few steps from the Duomo. All rooms are decorated with important frescoes, paintings and sculptures. We had the incredible opportunity of having breakfast here to preview the new childrens’ collection. We were in total awe of this palace and probably could’ve stayed all day.

Uffizi Gallery – art museum located adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence.

Additional Sights:

Ponte Vecchio – The Ponte Vecchio is a medieval stone closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge over the Arno River, in Florence, Italy. It is noted for its shops built along it, as was once common. Butchers initially occupied the shops but the present tenants are jewelers, art dealers, and souvenir sellers.

The Palazzo Vecchio is the town hall of Florence, Italy. It overlooks the Piazza della Signoria, which holds a copy of Michelangelo’s David statue, and the gallery of statues in the adjacent Loggia dei Lanzi.

Piazza della Signoria:

Piazza della Signoria – is an L-shaped square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. It was named after the Palazzo della Signoria, also called Palazzo Vecchio. This is the main point of the origin and history of the Florentine Republic and still maintains its reputation as the political focus of the city. Furthermore, it is the meeting place of Florentines as well as the numerous tourists, located near Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza del Duomo and gateway to Uffizi Gallery.

Pitti Palace:

Pitti Palace – The palace which houses several important museums, was built in the second half of the 15th century. This is where Pitti Bimbo shows hundreds of designers year and year, and where we had the opportunity of spending three full days.

Piazza Michelangelo:

Piazza Michelangelo – This square has panoramic views of Florence and is located in the Oltrarno district of the city.

The World Famous Renaissance statue of David is at Galleria dell’ Academia. You can admire from a short distance the perfection of the most famous statue in Florence and, perhaps, in all the world: Michelangelo’s David. This astonishing Renaissance sculpture was created between 1501 and 1504.

Church:

The Orsanmichele Church is famously known for the sculptures of saints placed in the niches or tabernacles on all four sides of the church by the various guilds of Florence.

The Basilica di Santa Croce (Basilica of the Holy Cross) is the principal Franciscan church in Florence, Italy, and a minor basilica of the Roman Catholic Church. It is situated on the Piazza di Santa Croce, about 800 meters south-east of the Duomo.

Visit the carousel in the Piazza della Repubblica. This square marks the ancient heart of Florence and is the site of the Giubbe Rosse café where intellectuals and artists met in the early years of the 20th century.

Favorite Restaurants:

Lo Scudo

La Bussola

Acqua Al 2

La Giostra

La Ménagère

Culinaria

Il Palagio

Wrapping Up:

Our trip was just a dream, in fact I’m still pinching myself. Florence was filled with so much history and beauty. The city was probably my most favorite place to eat in all of Italy. The architecture, the stories, the images, all made my first trip to Florence a magical one! More to come!

This post was originally published February 11th, 2020.

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