Florence city of art

Upon arrival your cruise, you will be picked up by our guide at the port, identified with a sign.

We will start this wonderful day visiting the Plaza de Santa Maria Novella. The Basilica and its façade, a masterpiece by Leon Battista Alberti. We will then continue through the Renaissance area to Palazzo Strozzi or Via Dei Tornabuoni, heart of fashion and "Made in Italy".

From the Palazzo Strozzi, we will arrive directly at the Plaza de la Repubblica and the Plaza del Duomo, where we can contemplate the exterior of magnificent religious buildings; the medieval Baptistery; the Bell Tower, designed by Giotto; the Cathedral (one of the largest in the world) and the extraordinary Dome by Filippo Brunelleschi, Michelangelo's masterpiece of architecture and engineering, which was a model for the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. From here, we wil then cross Via dei Calzaioli, arriving at Orsanmichele, a unique building; church, barn and civil monument. Example of the Florence capital of commerce and the gold florin, the "dollar" of the Middle Ages. We will continue with a visit to the characteristic Straw Market where we can see the bronze sculpture of the famous “pig”, a pet of many travelers during past centuries.

We will then arrive to the Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge in the city and the only one intact since the 14th century, made up of little houses, goldsmiths' cellars and artisan jewelers, inheritors of a secular tradition. We skirt the Arno River until we reach the city center, we stop in the courtyard of the Galleria degli Uffizi, which contains one of the oldest and most popular art collections in the world.

We continue through the famous Piazza della Signoria, a true “open-air museum” in the city, dominated by the Palazzo Vecchio and rich in statues that will remind us of the history of Florence and Europe; sample of medieval fights between Guelphs and Ghibellines and Lorenzo the Magnificent; the principality of the Medicci family and the revival of Italy, of which Florence was the capital between 1865 and 1870.

We will cross the Piazza de San Firenze from where we can admire the Bargello Palace, formerly the headquarters of the medieval police chief and prison; today headquarters of the National Sculpture Museum. We will also pass through the old Borgo dei Greci and will arrive at Piazza Santa Croce which, in addition to being a precious source of treasures of art (Giotto, Donatello, Brunelleschi), it is also a true "Pantheon" of Italian glories from different eras; here are several popular tombs such as those of Michelangelo, Machiavello, Galileo, Rossini and other geniuses of literature and science.

After a well-deserved break (free time) we will return to our bus. Our guide will say goodbye and we will return to port for the final farewell.

EXTRAS:

• MANDATORY HEADPHONES: TO BE PAID AT TIME OF BOOKING = 2,50€/EACH (approx. 3USD)

OBSERVATIONS:

• Level: Easy/Panoramic/cultural
• Comfortable footwear is recommended.
• Dress code: It is required to be formally dressed and respectful/traditional attire recommended.
• Exclusions: Neckline/Cleavage, Skirt above knee, bare shoulders.
• Guests with reduced mobility who use a wheelchair must be accompanied by other people who can help them. Please use folding wheelchairs, as the buses do not have elevators or ramps (the client holds the sole responsibility if it does not report their situation at the time of booking).

Meeting location varies depending on port.

Please follow the instructions shown on your voucher.

Please note that passenger shuttle/ferry transportation inside the port is outside of this travel agency competencies.

We advise early check in for disembarkation.