Florence Walking Tour

This Morning, I got up early and went to the breakfast room for coffee and croissants. When Deb was about to rise, I took her a coffee in bed (so what else is new). Then we both went up for our real breakfast. It was quite good, but we had to rush because our guide was waiting downstairs. When we met Laticia in our lobby, we quickly realized that this would be a tour specifically designed for the visually impaired. Our first stop was in one of the central squares with a carousel on one side. Here, we found a bronze three-dimensional model of the historic center of Florence. Deb used her fingers to explore the major structures.

A short walk took us to the Baptistry, where, until recently, all citizens of Florence were baptized. This is a large Octagonal building made entirely of gray and white marble.

Behind the Baptistry, we found The Duomo, the third-largest Cathedral in the world, behind St. Peter’s in Rome and St. Paul’s in London. The structure was built from terra cotta, but the outside is sheathed in gray, white, and pink marble. The details are incredibly detailed and beautiful.

Next, our guide cheated a little. She took us around to the exit door. Therefore, we avoided an hour-long line, and we were immediately inside. Here, we found a three-dimensional model of the cathedral and the baptistry. Deb was able to touch and really get a sense of the design.

The royal palace (Florence was once a monarchy) has essentially become the City Hall. Italy has become a republic. Here, in its original home, we found a copy of Michaelangelo’s David. The original has been tucked safely away in a museum to protect it from flooding, which is becoming more frequent. There were also a number of original Renaissance statues which were still outside.

The Old Bridge is the only pre-war bridge that was left standing. The Nazis destroyed the others when they departed. This bridge is wide and filled with shops on both sides. Today, the only thing you can buy here is jewelry.

The upper level on one side of the bridge is part of a secret passage that once went from the royal palace to a new palace on the other side of the river. The royals never had to step outside with the commoners. They never had to smell what was cast from the bridge. At that point in time, the businesses on the bridge were butcheries and fisheries. The waste went downstream to Pisa, which was then the enemy.