7 days in Italy-5-19 to 5/25/2022

Day 1- Florence

Arrival/Dinner

Day 2- Florence

Abbey Fiorentina

Piazza della Signoria

Palazzo Vecchio Museum

Lunch at All'antico Vinaio

Santa Maria del Fior Basilica

Boboli Garden

Dinner at Golden View

Day 3- Florence

Basilica San Croce

Ponte Vecchio/Lunch

Discovering Florence

Discovering Florence, cont'd

Dinner at il Santo Bevitore

Florence at night

Day 4-Cinque Terre

Riomaggiore/arrival

Lunch/Quick tour

Church of San Giovanni Battista

Dinner at Dau Cila

 

 

Day 5-Manarola/Corniglia

Manarola

Corniglia

Lunch at Terrarossa

Discovering Corniglia

Vernazza

Dinner at Belforte

Day 6-Monterosso/Vernazza

Monterosso/Beach

Monterosso/Old Town

Blue trail hiking

Blue trail continuation

Dinner at Macelleria Trattoria

 

Day 7- Riomaggiore

Walking tour

Walking tour continuation

Sunset boat tour

Dinner at Dau Cila

 

Day -8-Train to Milan

Day 2- Florence-5/20/2022

Garden of Boboli

Palazzo Pitti (Pitti Palace) is located on the south side of the River Arno, a short distance from Ponte Vecchio.

The palace was bought by the Medici family in 1549 and became the chief residence of the ruling families of the Granch Duchy of Tuscany.

The palace is now transformed from royal palace to a museum and is the largest museum complex in Florence.

 

We are not visiting the museum today but instead we are going to see the Boboli garden right behind the Palace.

 

View from the palace to the Ponte Vecchio (yellow building in the center) and in the distance is the bell tower of the Abbey Fiorentina.

 

Courtyard in front of the palace.  The garden is through the arched entrance and the end with the fountain on top.

 

The garden is right behind this wall.

  

The entrance to the garden.

 

Map of the garden.

The garden is about 110 acres of lavishly landscaped garden. 

 

Rooftop view of Florence from the garden: the bell tower and the dome of the Florence Cathedral and on the right is the bell tower of the Abbey Fiorentina.

The Medici family established the layout of the gardens, creating the Italian garden style that would become a model for many European court.

The vast garden is an outdoor museum populated by ancient Renaissance Statues and fountains.

 

This area is the Amphitheatre and  is one of the major architecture structures belonging to the gardens of Pitti Palace, which adorns the main axis, centered on the rear facade of the building. The amphitheater's current layout has replaced the original from the second half of the 16th century and is made ​​up of terraces planted with plane trees, beech, oak, ash, elm, fir, and cypress trees. For this reason, it is referred to in historical documents as “anfiteatro di verzura.”

 

The masonry structure, designed to create a real amphitheater that would accommodate choreography and performances for the court’s pleasure, was built later, between 1630 and 1637, and designed by the architect Giulio Parigi.

 

 

In 1789, an Egyptian obelisk hailing from the Villa Medici in Rome was placed in the center, in front of which was laid a large granite basin in 1840, designed by the architect Pasquale Poccianti.

 

Closse view of the Obelisk.

 

 

 

Going up the hill

 

Florentine statue in Marble

 

View of the amphitheatre from the hill above.

 

Neptune fountain right on the hillside above the amphitheatre.

 

The main feature is a large bassin with central bronze statue of Neptune (1565-1568) by Stoldo Lorenzi.

 

The story of the competition of Athena and Neptune to be patrons of Athens. In that legend, Neptune struck the ground with his trident to spring forth water from the land.

 

Close view of the fountain and on the right a bird found a nice place to rest.

 

Stairs leading to higher ground.

 

View from the hill.

 

On top of the hill is a statue of Abundance started by Giambologna, to represent Giovanna of Austria, the wife of Francis I. The statue was actually ended in 1637 as allegorical figure.

 

Well manicured garden with walkway.

 

 

 

Double staircase designed by Giuseppe del Rosso in 1793 which curves around a cylindrical structure topped with circular terrace.

 

View from the terrace.

 

 

 

NEXT.... Day 2-Garden continuation

 

 

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