Tag Archives: view

New trip

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Time to get excited, if I wasn’t already! Tomorrow afternoon I’ll be back in Firenze, staying in the San Niccolò area, near river Arno and Ponte alle Grazie. Great location and it looks like a very nice flat! I’m all packed, there are practically no clothes in the bag but a ridiculous amount of cameras, lenses, tripods, chargers and cables…  Travelling just isn’t what it used to be 😉

A bad foot and various silly ailments will slow me down more than usual this time, but I hope my body will cooperate enough to let me see the most urgent items on my (need I say far too long) wishlist!

So, see you soon!

A Fiesole walk

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Fiesole, the Etruscan town on a hill just north of Florence, is well worth a visit, and not only because of the fantastic views over its more famous sister down in the valley.

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When you get off bus 7 (starts at Piazza San Marco in Florence) after a beautiful and meandering trip uphill, you will see the Romanesque Cattedrale di San Romolo which was consecrated in 1028. If it’s open, do go in. It is lovely and resembles my favourite San Miniato al Monte in layout with an elevated presbytery and a crypt underneath.

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Then start the climb up Via San Francesco. It is steep and you will huff and puff, but it will be worth the effort. Two thirds up there is a lovely park, perfect for a breather. Or why not a picnic. You will see half of Tuscany from up there. And all of Florence:

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When you get tired of the 180 degree breathtaking view, brace yourself for the last path up to the San Francesco monastery. It is even more steep, but at least short.

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You will be greatly rewarded. Not only the views but the whole place is lovely. The Franciscan convent dates from 1399, has a little Gothic church with a museum, and it’s all free to visit.

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A peak in to the cloister.

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Don’t miss taking the path downhill through the woods behind the convent. I found it quite magical and enchanting, maybe because of the fact that I was all alone and the weather was damp and grey.

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Back in the main piazza you might want to visit the archaeological museum and see the well preserved Roman amphitheatre, baths and the remains of the Etruscan wall.

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There are several cafés and restaurants, so you won’t have to go hungry if you decide to explore more of Fiesole. There is for instance the earlier cathedral, the Badia. The 14th century town hall. Or why not take the Compiobbi bus (47) to Montebeni and have a gorgeous walk downhill through olive groves and farm houses to Settignano?

Fiesole won’t disappoint. It is worth a day or at least a half-day of your Florence stay.

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Giardino Bardini

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Gardens are usually not at their best in November. At least not where I come from. But then Italy has quite a different climate. And quite different gardens.

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This is  Giardino Bardini. I went there a Sunday morning just after the rain had stopped, and the first half hour I had the garden all to myself.  I did find the odd iris and a few roses, but luckily there was so much more to this place than flowers.

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Stairs, sculptures, mosaic walls…

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Shapes, greens, meandering paths…

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And views…

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I assume this is the Belvedere Coffeehouse. There was no coffee as the place was closed, but there were happy curly lions…

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… and a spectacular view. What a place! A hidden gem! How come I hadn’t heard of this before? I read the garden has recently been reopened to the public after several years of renovation. And that it dates back to the 13th century…

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There are two entrances to the garden. One at the top and one at the bottom of the steep hill on which it climbs. I started at Via dei Bardi and worked my way uphill, which meant it just got better and better.

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Most of the impressive Baroque stairs were closed for repair. Thank God there were paths as well, easier on the knees!

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I will finish this little garden tour (there is lots more to see!) with two lions for my lion hunting friend.  First this fellow who looked very familiar to me. His ancestors are Egyptian, 2300 years old and live in the Vatican museum. They have two cousins in Stockholm at Norrbro, see photo here.

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And finally this adorable and equally ancient looking cat protecting a baby. I wonder what’s the story behind this. Does anybody know, please tell!

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Should you want to read more about the Bardini Garden and its museums or maybe visit them, here is the official website with interesting history and visitor’s information.

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The Wall – getting acquainted

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The remains of the medieval city wall of Florence. This is how I have mostly seen it before, at a distance, climbing up to Forte Belvedere. Or maybe from the bus, rushing through ancient city gates at a lethal speed.
This time, as I was staying in San Niccolò, I wanted to get close to it and explore.

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I could actually see the wall from the back window of my flat. Not the closest one with a tile roof, mind you, but the high thing in the background covered in bushes. That is the wall.

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Walking a few metres from my flat I could see the houses from behind. It is really very close, sometimes even tight between the houses and the wall.

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Trotting through the Porta San Miniato one immediately starts climbing uphill on via del Monte alle Croci. And steep it is!

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Here and there the wall looks tiny and blends right in with everyday life.

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In other places you feel its impressive height and its purpose through decades, to protect and preclude.

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The city gates are often painted with frescoes, like Porta San Giorgio, here from the inside.

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The same gate from the outside, a few steps from Forte di Belvedere and the end of Costa San Giorgio.

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Sometimes you will have to settle for a distance view, because private villa gardens prevent you from getting close to the wall.

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Sometimes you get so close you can feel every brick and inspect every plant and every root growing on it.

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And now and then you come closer than you’d want to, when the crazy traffic forces you to seek protection between parked cars and the wall, because there is no other place to go. To walk like these two, in the middle of a winding road, is not advisable 😉

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This last photo is from my April trip, when I stood at Piazzale Michelangelo and gazed longingly at the wall, which was out of reach and like cut out from a fairytale… Now I know it a little bit better. Not enough though! I still want to go back and stay in the same area to explore it further. It hasn’t lost its attraction, quite the opposite!

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Step out into Tuscany

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From Viale Giuseppe Poggi, just below Piazzale Michelangelo, there is a really inviting view down old stone steps and into the Tuscan hills. The city wall to the right indicates that you are in the countryside and the olive groves and terraced vineyards just lie waiting a few minutes away…

Actually, the stairs just lead down to the next turn of the meandering viale, and you are still very much in the city.

But who needs to know the truth at all times? 😉

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Heights

The afternoon and evening was all about heights. First Fiesole, which originally was an Etruscan city climbing up a steep mountain north of Florence.

At the very highest spot is the San Franceso monastery.  The monks have a view to die for. And daily excercise for free. 😉

Piazzale Michelangelo at the south side of the Arno river, is a lot easier to reach and crowded with tourists all day.  The view is spectacular and perhaps it is from here that Florence is as most beautiful.

Michelangelo’s David is to be found here and there all over Florence. The original is indoors in the Accademia museum, but this copy seems to be guarding the city, gazing out over it from his elevated spot.

I’ll say goodnight with a photo of the Duomo, Brunelleschi’s dome and Giotto’s belltower. A view impossible to get tired of? I know I never will.