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The city of Florence is actually the capital of Italy’s Tuscany area and stands
alongside the scenic banks of the Arno River, close to the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic
Seas. Bustling with local industry, which includes arts and crafts, commerce and
tourism; Florence is a particularly historic location, steeped in heritage.

One of the most desirable places to visit in Italy, Florence was originally founded by
Romans during the first century and grew dramatically between the 1200s and
1600s. Of particular importance, the Medici family, who ruled over Florence during
the 15th century, were responsible for many of the city’s most spectacular
landmarks, buildings and monuments, most of which remain in excellent
condition.

Florence Travel:

The Florence area features a well-structured public transport network, comprising
of main railway lines, orange ATAF buses and local taxis that congregate at various
taxi ranks and around the piazzas. Renting a car is one of the most popular ways to
travel around the Tuscany area and the A1 Motorway connects Florence to many
major Italian cities, such as Bologna, Milan, Naples and Rome. Also the A11
Motorway links Florence to Lucca, Pisa and a number of coastal resorts.

Florence is easy to reach from around the world and the city’s Amerigo Vespucci
Airport is nearby. Just 5 km / 3 miles from the city center, the Florence Vespucci
Airport offers modern facilities and is home to a number of important international
and Italian airlines.

Florence Commerce:

With a thriving commercial city centre and many businesses supporting the services
and financial sector, Florence is a wealthy city. Nowadays, with tourism being an
equally important industry in the city, many local crafts boost the economy, such as
jewellery, leatherwork and ceramics, together with hotels. Florence contains a
number of notable, medium-sized companies, including engineering firms,
publishing and textile businesses.

Florence Hotels:

Hotels in Florence are often fairly expensive throughout the year and many are
centrally located, although a number of popular cheaper alternatives are available.
Accommodation during the peak season quickly becomes fully booked in the most
popular hotels and it can be advisable to book at least two weeks ahead. If you
decide to rent a car, ensure that the hotel has car parking space available before
booking. Hotels can be found all around the city centre, in the green Viale dei Colli
area, close to the Santa Maria Novella train station, alongside the Arno River and on
the city outskirts.

Florence Tourism:

Tourism in the Florence area is important and thousands of people choose to visit
this part of Tuscany each year, to enjoy the scenic views, historical buildings,
stunning architecture and famous works of art. Must-see attractions in Florence
include a number of magnificent palaces, such as the Palazzo Vecchio, Palazzo
Medici-Riccardi and Palazzo Strozzi. Other attractions include the Piazza del
Signoria, the Teatro Comunale (theatre), the arched Ponte Vecchio bridge, the
historic Campanile di Giotto and the world-famous Duomo / Santa Maria del Fiore -
also known as the ‘Cathedral of Florence’.

Top museums in Florence contain many important art exhibitions and outstanding
exhibits. Worth a visit are the National Archeological Museum, the Uffizi Gallery and
the Academy Gallery, amongst many others. Also, the Chianti area, which is
situated between the city of Florence and nearby Siena, features one of Italy’s most
stunning countryside landscapes and is also home to a number of famous
vineyards.

Florence Restaurants:

Restaurants in Italy are known as ‘Ristoranti’ or ‘Trattories’ and are widespread in
Florence, with many different kinds of cuisine readily available. Menu prices do not
usually include service charges and these are added to the bill, together with any
further cover charges (’coperto’). Therefore, tipping in Florence restaurants is not
strictly necessary, although always very much appreciated. Lunch in the city is
generally taken around 13:00 and is the main meal of the day, with dinner being
eaten between 20:00 and 21:00.

Florence Weather:

The city of Florence features fairly temperature weather, with notable hot, sunny
summer months and cooler, breezy winters. Temperatures between the months of
July and August are at their hottest and reach highs of up to 32

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History, Beauty and Culture

Venice is possibly the most romantic city you’ll ever visit. It is almost redundant to describe the charms of this fabulous floating city, surrounded by hundreds of tiny canals. While wandering through the maze of footpaths or sitting back in a gondola and exploring the city by water, be sure to stop and visit San Marco Square, the famous Rialto Bridge, the elegant Doge’s Palace, the Bridge of Sighs and the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore. Venice is truly a place like no other, with its quaint alleyways, waterways and way of life.

The first settlements in Venice date back to the 5th century, when the mainland people came to venice to escape the invasions that followed the fall of the Roman Empire, fighting just to survive, overtime these small pieces of land surrounded by water took on the semblance of a real town. A very unique and special place that became the only one like it in the world.

Gondolas, are one of venice’s most famous symbols worldwide. This venetian boat is extremely ancient and was the result of complex techniques. The typical gondola is 11 meters long and weighs 600 kilograms. Considering its weight and size it is very easy to maneuver by one person.

Places to see in Venice

St. Mark’s Square-is really the heart of Venice, mostly because of its location on the banks of the grand canal, and because of the great number of beautiful, historical monuments located there. Politically and culturally, St. Mark’s Square has always been a very important and strategical area in Venice.

The Rialto Bridge’s-24-foot arch was designed to allow passage of galleys, and the massive structure was built on some 12,000 wooden pilings that still support the bridge more than 400 years later. The architect, Antonio da Ponte, competed against such eminent designers as Michelangelo and Palladio for the contract.

The bridge has three walkways: two along the outer balustrades, and a wider central walkway leading between two rows of small shops that sell jewelry, linens, Murano glass, and other items for the tourist trade.
The Bridge of Sighs-received its name in the 17th century, because the prisoners who passed through it on their way to the prison cells on the other side would most likely see the beautiful sight of the lagoon and the island of S.Giorgio and freedom for the last time. However, it was only in the 19th century that it came to be called the ‘Bridge of Sighs’ after Lord Byron’s famous reference in his poem Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage “I stood in Venice on the Bridge of Sighs, a palace and prison on each hand”.

Jewish Ghetto-When on March 29th, 1516 the Government of the Serenissima Repubblica issued special laws, the first Ghetto of Europe was instituted. It was an area where Jews were forced to live and which they could not leave from sunset to dawn. The area was closed by gates watched by guards and up till now the marks of the hinges are visible there.
St. Mark’s Basilica-majestically symbolizes the lagoon and enshrines the city’s history. Possession of the saint’s relics enabled the Republic to establish its authority, from 828 onward, over Grado and Aquileia. In 1063, under Doge Domenico Contarini, it was decided to rebuild the church on the same Greek cross plan as the previous one. In 1096 it was finished, but the decorative work continued until the beginning of the 19th century. The model had been furnished by the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople (536-46); five domes covering the crossing and each of the arms, supported by large piers linked by arches. The light was thus directed towards the centre of the basilica, leaving the side aisles in comparative shadow

Entertainment

Venice has a strong classical music scene - top venues to hear Baroque classics from the likes of Vivaldi include Chiesa di Santa Maria delta Pieta, Chiesa di San Bartolomeo and Chiesa delle Zitelle on Giudecca. San Marco’s Scuola Grande di San Teodoro, and San Polo’s Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista also host concerts, where musicians don 18th century costume and masks, giving an idiosyncratic take on famous works.
Performance art afficionados welcomed the recent return of Venice’s opera treasure, the Teatro La Fenice, decimated by fire in 1996. La Fenice also hosts high-calibre ballet, music and theater.

Principal theater venues in Venice include Teatro Goldoni - between the Rialto Bridge and St. Mark’s Square - Teatro Fenice, Teatro Malibran and Teatro Italia; all boasting beautiful interiors.

The outstanding Biennale festival showcases some of the world’s leading contemporary artists in music, theater, art, dance, cinema and architecture at choice venues every two years. The next festival runs from June to October 2005.

Restaurants

Cipriani Restaurant
Hotel Cipriani, Giudecca 10, 30133 Venice
Tel: +39 041 520 7744 | Fax: +39 041 520 3930

La Caravella
Hotel Saturnia e International, Calle Larga XXII Marzo, San Marco 2398, 30124 Venice
Tel: +39 041 520 8377 | Fax: +39 041 520 7131

Ristorante Do Leoni
Hotel Londra Palace, Riva degli Schiavoni 4171, 30122 Venice
Tel: +39 041 520 0533 | Fax: +39 041 522 5032
Gran Caffe’ Ristorante Quadri
Piazza San Marco 120, 30124 Venice
Tel: +39 041 522 2105 | Fax: +39 041 520 8041
Grand Canal
Albergo Monaco e Grand Canal, Calle Vallaresso, San Marco 1325, 30124 Venice

Tel: +39 041 520 0211

Harry’s Bar

Calle Vallaresso, San Marco 1323, 30124 Venice

Tel: +39 041 528 5777 | Fax: +39 041 520 8822

La Colomba
Piscina di Frezzeria, San Marco 1665, 30124 Venice

Tel: +39 041 522 1175 | Fax: +39 041 522 1468
Osteria da Fiore

Calle del Scaleter, San Polo 2202, 30125 Venice
Tel: +39 041 721 308 | Fax: +39 041 721 343

Fiaschetteria Toscana

Campo San Giovanni Grisostomo, Cannaregio 5719, 30131 Venice

Tel: +39 041 528 5281 | Fax: +39 041 528 5521
Al Covo

Campiello della Pescaria, Castello 3968, 30122 Venice
Tel: +39 041 522 3812
Vini Da Arturo

Calle degli Assassini, San Marco 3656, 30124 Venice

Tel: +39 041 528 6974
Harry’s Dolci

Fondamenta San Biagio, Giudecca 773, 30133 Venice
Tel: +39 041 522 4844 | Fax: +39 041 522 2322

Antico Pignolo
Calle Specchieri, San Marco 451, 30124 Venice
Tel: +39 041 522 8123 | Fax: +39 041 520 9007

Ai Gondolieri
Fondamenta dell’Ospedaletto, Dorsoduro 366, 30123 Venice
Tel: +39 041 528 6396 | Fax: +39 041 521 0075
Da Mario alla Fava
Calle Stagneri, San Marco 5242, 30124 Venice
Tel: +39 041 528 5147 | Fax: +39 041 244 3520

Did You Know……
Venice is built on 117 islands and features 150 canals.
Major Industry: Tourism
Electricity: 220 volts, 50 Hz; standard two-pin plugs
Time Zone: GMT + 1
Country Dialing Code: 39
Area Code: 041
Population: 70,000; 180,000 metro area
Land Area: 178 square miles
Average Annual Rainfall: 34 inches
Average January Temperature: 36 degrees F
Average July Temperature: 75 degrees F

Author-Sylvia Grgas, travel writer and tour guide, visit her site http://www.sylvias-island-dreams.com

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