New Opera Duomo Museum - a spectacular museum!

It was already one of my favourite museums - then they decided to close for another restauration, they just reopened on Oct 29th 2015 and I have to admit that I have almost cried... it is so intense, moving, beautiful and worth-seeing museum! The best.

Opera of Duomo opens in 1891 to host the Pieta of Michelangelo, without a home... then it became the deposit of many many sculptures, paintings, sacred objects - that were before kept inside the Cathedral or inside the Baptistry, and then got replaced by more modern pieces.

Ancient Façade Room

Arnolfo di Cambio, the main architect of the Cathedral, started the works on September 8th 1296 - and he worked also to the main façade. Unfortunately he died before the Cathedral and the façade were finished (poor destiny for medieval architects... they never survived to their projects!)
In 1587 the façade was totally demolished, and finally accomplished only in 1881!
Did you know that our façade was so young?

So, they have reconstruct a 1:1 scale façade with the original statues... it represents the ancient space between Cathedral doors and Baptistry - so if you turn around you will admire also the beautiful gilded bronze doors by Ghiberti!
It is a magnificent setting, a moving room, you will find yourself in tears. Outstanding

Virgin Mary with brilliant eyes

The Paradise Gate - Lorenzo Ghiberti

Ancient Façade Room



Beheading of St. John the Baptist - Rustici

Detail of Paradise Gate - Mosé

Donatello's Magdalene and Michelangelo's Pietà

On the ground floor you will admire 2 incredibly intense statues: the wood Magdalene by Donatello, founded lost in the desert after years of wandering, she was devasted, skinny, her clothes were destroyed... she is surprised to see you, and she opens a bit her mouth. A superb and moving representation of Magdalene

And what about the Pietà by Michelangelo?

Santa Maria Novella Church

Today we are talking about a beautiful florentine Church, called by Michelangelo "my bride", quarterheads of Dominican Friars, who settled in this area just outside the city wall in 1220, when they came into Florence as all of the other friars orders, to help poor people who were living just outside the city and also to survey the ortodoxyof catholicism.

The huge medieval church is impressive - they used to have vibrant speaches that got together plenty of people, that had to stand also outside the church, therefore friars were choosing such big Piazzas.
This square was famous also because here a lot of public games were held, for example the Calcio in Costume (soccer similar to american rugby), or Palio dè Cocchi, a race of 4 two-horses chariots roman style, much beloved by Granduc Cosimo I.

The façade is a very important example of Renaissance - the main artist, Leon Battista Alberti, could mix the already existant medieval façade of the first level with armony and semplicity, working superbly on marble inlaids, using the roman language of columns, geometric shapes such as circles, squares, triangle etc.

Inside, you will be absorbed by a solemn calme and peace - you would admire masterpieces such as Giotto wood crucifix, or Masaccio Trinity, and of course the spectacular chapels frescoed by Ghirlandaio and Filippino Lippi, just to mention some...

Right behind, there is a place that I love in Florence, the Spanish Chapel and the Green Cloister - a pearl, hard to find in Florence, no crowds of people, colourfull and interesting frescoes, dedicated to the Dominican friars history.

Don't forget to visit in Via della Scala 16 the Officina Profumeria Farmacia Santa Maria Novella, famous all over the world for its products, creams, parfums and so on...

The beautiful façade

Spanish Chapel fresco




Green Cloister fresco by Paolo Uccello

Santa Maria del Fiore

Santa Maria del Fiore is our main Cathedral in town, religious and economic centre since the Middle Age. It has been consacrated to the St. Mary of the Flower, for many reasons, for example cause the white lily is symbol of Florence, or because of the shape, but mainly cause she was the mum of Jesus.

An ancient church, Santa Reparata, was already there since the IV century a.c. but it was replaced by a new gigantic Cathedral, which was started on September 8th 1296 by the knowledgeable architect Arnolfo di Cambio, who actually at the same time was working on Palazzo Vecchio, Santa Croce and the city wall, so refreshing the style all over Florence!

It took more than 150 years to accomplish this beautiful church - in 1436 Brunelleschi just finished the famous Dome, the largest and biggest dome ever built after the roman Pantheon one.

It took actually even more to finish the Cathedral, if you consider that the façade was made only at the end of 19th century!!!


The Duomo is the 3rd larger church in the world, after St. Peter in Rome and St. Paul in London. Inside, it possible to stand up to 40,000 people!


While the decoration of the outside is super rich, the inside is very plain and great inspiration for prayers - you feel so "small" inside, compared to the bigness of this church.

Entrance is free of charge.

the Beautiful Cupola

Amazing façade, finished at the end of 19th century!

Huge and plain interior

Frescoed Cupola by Giorgio Vasari


Representation of Divine Commedy of Dante


Arnolfo di Cambio - the architect who restyled Florence

Vasari Corridor

An incredible and unique place in Florence: the Vasari Corridor.

Built in only 5 months by Giorgio Vasari, the favourite architect of Grand Duke Cosimo I dé Medici, who commissionated it in honour of his first son Francesco's wedding with Johanna from Austria.

I'ts an aeral walkway that connects the Old Palace (the power head office) with the Pitti Palace (the new residence of the Medici family), almost 1 km long, passing above the Old Bridge, getting through houses, tower houses, a church (Santa Felicita church, where the Medici had a private balcony just stepping outside the Corridor, giving them the chance to assist to the Mass without having to mix with the crowds).

At the south end of the Old Bridge, the Corridor has a deep deviation, having to skip the Mannelli Tower House, a very powerfull family who didn't want to have the corridor passing through their house, and Cosimo had to agree with them...

Symbol of power, cause connecting house and "office", and also because they were walking above the people, Medici used the Corridor not only to show off, but also to walk around the town safely and well protected.

Plus, opening the little oval windows they could hear city rumors, knowing in advance bad or good news.

Second-born of Cosimo, Ferdinand, decided to move away the smelly butchers and fishvendors by the Old Bridge, replacing them with precious gold and silver shops.

Now, Vasari Corridor hosts the most important selfportraits in the world - more than 2,000 paintings, from Titian to Chagall, from Giorgio Vasari himself to Antonio Canova, from Bernini to Jacques-Louise David, passing through centuries of art.

Mostly closed to the public, I am able to organize for you an unforgettable and private visit to this splendid sight of Florence.

The corridor

Spectacular views from the little "oculo" windows

Santa Felicita inside and Medici private stage

Cute balcony on the Ponte Vecchio

Bel San Giovanni

Bel San Giovanni - the Beautiful St. John . This is how Dante used to describe in the Divine Commedy our Baptistry consacrated to St. John the Baptist. One of the oldest building in town and the best example of romanesque art in the old downtown.

Here millions of florentines have been baptized, even Dante!

Since Sunday October 25th 2009 Baptistry and Duomo can get back to breath, cause our new mayor, Matteo Renzi, decided to close the entire square to the traffic - no more buses, cars, taxis, scooters... nothing! Just bikes and people walking around.

Could you believe that before that date 2100 buses passed by every day... 2100.

In terms of art, Baptistry is a real gem - outside incredible marble inlaid, inside spectacular gild mosaiques. A visit is a must. Not mentionning the outstanding doors casted by Ghiberti, well known all around the world.

Amazing mosaiques

Representation of Hell

Paradise Doors, casted by Ghiberti

Who belongs these heads?....

San Miniato al Monte

San Miniato al Monte is definitely one of my favourite spot in town: a beautiful church rich of history and a breathtaking view of Florence. And also a super romantic place!

The history is quite interesting: it is dedicated to San Miniato, an armen merchant who got killed during roman persecutions against christians in the 3 century a.d. Exactly he was beheaded in the Roman Amphitheatre, which was in the Santa Croce area, but the legend says that he didn’t die right away, but took his head and walked up on the hill where he used to pray, and where he decided to rest forever. And that’s exactly where the church was build starting from 1018.

Is a magnific example of romanic art, one of the best preserved in Florence: the characteristic façade with geometrical and fantastic designs obtained with white and green inlaid marbles, the calm and solemn interior where the inlaid marbles continue, and there are beautiful examples of various art styles: the gilded mosaic in the apse, very similar to the one on the façade, showing us the medieval way to represent religious figures as static icons; the Crucifix Chapel, by Michelozzo, that used to protect a miraculous crucifix; the Chapel of Portuguese Cardinal Jacopo of Lusitania, a Renaissance pearl that mix painting, sculpture and architecture; the Sacristy, hosting one of the first cycle of life stories of San Benedetto, all frescoed by Spinello Aretino, a later Giottesco.

Everywhere you will see eagles with spread wings holding a torsello, which is a bale of wool cloth: it’s the symbol of Calimala Guild, the cloth merchants guild, one of the most powerful, who had the control and financed the construction and the art decoration of the church.

In the past financing civil and religious architecture, as well as protecting artists, by the Guilds or by private merchants or rich people, was similar to our current marketing:it was a way to advertise and to show everybody powerfulness and richness.

Once finished the inside visit, and after have taken million of picture of the panorama (if you sit on approx the third bench of the right nave and the main door is open it will be a GREAT pic)have a look on the monumental cemetery, where a lot of famous Italian and Florentine people are buried: Mario Cecchi Gori, Spadolini, Collodi which is the writer name of Pinocchio, and many more.

Walking down the stairs and turning right you will reach in 5 minutes Piazzale Michelangelo, another amazing panoramic point of the city. Build at the end of 19 century, together with the beautiful Viale dei Colli, the promenade for rich people carriages, today is attacked by tourists masses. Fortunately is big enough to hold everybody, and Firenze is beautiful any time of the day, so you might find a little spot on the muretto to take a picture and breath the town.
The quite questionable monument in the centre is a pastiche, mixed materials (bronze and marble)that represents copies of wellknown Michelangelo’s sculptures: the worldwide famous David, and the 4 statues of Medici tumbs that you can admire in the New Sacristy of San Lorenzo (Dawn, Dusk, Day, Night).

It would be nice if you have time and energies to walk down through the steps in the wood of Rampe, and you end up in San Niccolò district, a very local and authentic one.

The beautiful inlaid façade

Fantastic marble inlad

Even a zodiac is represented

Where San Miniato rest

Statues that hold the Gospel support

Lots of eagles, symbol of Calimala

San Benedetto frescoed cycle

Four evangelists' symbols

Breathtaking panorama!