In 2017, while living in Italy, I decided to roam the Christmas markets of various Italian cities. In November, I went to Verona and Bologna’s Christmas markets, in December, I decided to go to Florence. I had already been to Florence several times, but I had never seen it during Winter.
A Partner In Crime
One of my Italian friends, Marianna, was part of this trip. Even though she was Italian, Marianna had never been to Florence, and it was a dream of hers to go. I booked our train tickets, and at the time, Trenitalia had some really good offers, like 2 tickets for the price of 1. It really didn’t cost us much to travel from Bologna to Florence, and it did not take much time either.
The only thing was that we went on a long holiday weekend and, clearly, we weren’t the only ones who thought of visiting Florence on the 9th of December. The city was packed! I had never seen the Piazza della Signoria so crowded, you literally had to queue to go across the square. And as the day went by, there were more and more people. They probably came for the Christmas lights.
A Complete Visit Of The Main Places In Florence
Piazza Della Signoria
Since my friend didn’t know the city, but I did, I had the privilege to become her guide. Imagine that: a Frenchy guiding an Italian in an Italian city! I was really proud, but also a bit under pressure, because I really wanted her to like the city as much as I do.
So, I followed my usual tour: arrival from the train station, then walk to the beautiful Santa Maria Novella church (only from outside) and then to the Piazza della Signoria. We didn’t stay long in Piazza della Signoria and that’s a pity, because it really is a magnificent square. The buildings are all in perfect conditions, with a lot of colours, but not too much. Just enough to be really classy and satisfying (OMG, geometry, I love you!).
The Gates Of Paradise
My favourite elements on this square are the golden doors of the baptistery. On the Battistero di San Giovanni, there are three sets of bronze doors with relief sculptures on them. Each door was made by a different artist and tells a different story.
The Southern doors were decorated by Andrea Pisano and represent scenes from St. John’s life. They are now being restored in the Museum Opera del Duomo.
The Eastern and Northern Doors were imagined by Lorenzo Ghiberti. The Northern doors are the most famous ones and are also called the “Gates of Paradise” because Michelangelo qualified them as such and people kept the name. These doors are golden and are considered as the most magnificent of the three.
Crossing The Bridge To Climb Po Piazzale Michelangelo
After the crowded Piazza della Signoria, we continued to the Basilica di Santa Croce, then crossed the Ponte alle Grazie (nice view on the Ponte Vecchio) to reach the other side of Florence. We climbed the numerous steps and enjoyed the view from the Piazzale Michelangelo. This is another of my favourite spots in Florence. Contrary to Piazza della Signoria, there were less people. There’s a lot of space and we didn’t feel like we were suffocating anymore. We could actually breathe and appreciate the city from above.
Il Ponte Vecchio
From the Piazzale, we went down again and crossed another bridge, one that is quite famous: the Ponte Vecchio. It’s peculiar because it’s full of colours and is actually a commercial bridge with lots of (mostly expensive) shops. On the bridge, you can find many jewelers, but also a certain number of souvenir sellers. It’s also packed with couples kissing and taking selfies but that’s a more recent trend.
Back To The Start Of The Tour
To finish the day, we went back to Piazza della Signoria to see the decorations at night, then to Santa Maria Novella, where the city did a great job with the lights. Finally, we took the train back to Bologna. Marianna was very happy with her day and said she would take her mum to Florence.
Christmas Decorations In Florence
Even though we were tourists on that day, we also enjoyed the Christmas decorations, lights and markets in all the squares we passed by. I don’t remember buying any gift, but we did buy waffles and some mulled wine. Here are a few photos to give you an idea:
Happy Winter and Merry Christmas!
To see more photos of Italy, you can visit the gallery Italy.
