Firenze
Florence is the capital city of Tuscany and is famous for its history. A centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of the time,Florence is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, and has been called the Athens of the Middle Ages. A turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerful Medici family, and numerous religious and republican revolutions. From 1865 to 1870 the city was also the capital of the recently established Kingdom of Italy. We decided that Florence was the 'must see' city on our trip to Tuscany and elected to take the train from Poggibonsi rather than drive. First stop was the Ponte Vecchio, the medeval bridge that spans the Arno river and still has shops on it. After a short icecream break we walked to the Palazzo Pitti before heading back over the Ponte Vecchio to grab an al fressco lunch just off the Piazza Signoria. After lunch it was a short walk up t...