We had left booking accommodation in Florence until very late and experienced some difficulty finding what we wanted; in fact we didn't get a booking until the morning of our arrival - bit of a close call really!
We found a little house on an agro-touristico on the eastern side of the city - about 27 km out and offering a surprisingly easy run into the city centre if one used the sat. nav. and drove in during siesta time (between noon and 3pm).
On both of our visits we managed to get free parking in Piazza Michelangelo, a square at the very top of a hill on the south side of the river Arno, just east of the city centre. The square offers a stunning view of the city. From here, a very large replica of Michelangelo's David looks out over the city.
This is the view from Piazza Michelangelo with the Ponte Vecchio (the old bridge) over the river on the left of the photo. Next is the tall clock tower of the Palazzo Vecchio, the old palace, and finally the cathedral with its terracotta duomo.
The city is in a valley surrounded by hills which may explain why it always seems so hot.
The Ponte Vecchio is a medieval stone bridge that spans the narrowest part of the Arno. It was built in 1350 on the foundations of a Roman bridge which had stood since 996AD.
The Ponte Vecchio is noted for still having shops built along it, as was once common. Butchers initially occupied these shops but now it is jewellers and souvenir sellers.
Having crossed the Ponte Vecchio, you turn into the main square, the Piazza della Signoria, a huge square that has been the centre of political life in Florence since the 14th century. In front of you is the Palazzo Vecchio, the old palace with its tall clock tower.
A little past the Piazza della Signoria is the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower) the main church of Florence.
Il Duomo di Firenze, as it is most usually called, was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style and completed in 1436 The exterior of the basilica is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white and has an elaborate 19th-century Gothic Revival façade.
The cathedral complex, located in Piazza del Duomo, includes the Baptistery and Giotto's Campanile. The three buildings are part of the UNESCO World Heritage site covering the historic centre of Florence. The basilica is one of Italy's largest churches, and the dome remains the largest brick dome ever constructed.
The buildings are so big and the streets so narrow, that it is very difficult to get the whole complex in a single photograph.
The beautifully elaborate facade. It is no easy matter to gain entry - queues, tickets, long waits. And there are three sections that are ticketed separately.
A glimpse of the duomo from a side street.
After walking around for an hour or so, fighting the crowds and experiencing some very humid weather after a wild summer thunderstorm the previous night, we decided to retreat to our little farmhouse and book tickets on line to avoid the queues.
So we walked back up the old city walls to the Piazza Michelangelo - some climb!
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