One of my favourite piazza's in Florence as it was quite big. The place was green full of trees and…read morehad an amazing water fountain with a pond nearby at Fortezza Da Basso... where you could see the birds swimming.

In the afternoon I decided to do some exploring, and attempt to find the gate that the bus took us…read morepast. Well, it ended up that I landed up at this gate, which is actually a completely different gate (though at the time I didn't realise it). Basically this is the gate that leads to Rome, which is why it is called the Porta Romana. Once again it creates an interesting perspective as to why cities were like back in the Renaissance era, and also how wandering into a city is nowhere near as easy as it is these days (though crossing country borders can be fun at times).

Porta Romana is a traffic hub, and entrance point to the historic centre of Florence. It's one of…read morethe few doorways that boasts an actual door and a long length of wall. (Most of the others doors and walls are no longer intact). Just outside the door is a huge roundabout for cars that leads traffic to piazzale Michelangelo, Poggio Imperiale, and viale Petrarca. By entering the doors you have access to the Oltrarno neighbourhood via via de' Serragli or via Romana. There is a great Lampredotto stand in the small piazza just outside the door, if you're looking for some traditional Florentine eats.

Named after the fameous churce at the end of the piazza, the Basilica of Santa Croce, this is a fun…read moreopen air area in Florence. The piazza is all paved, however, there is usually a famers market (mostly prepared goods vs produce), and the people watching can be pretty spectacular. It was a easy 15 second walk from my apartment, and the adjacent Taxi stand made getting to the airport a breeze. There are no services or greenery, but the steps of the church can be used as a nice place to sit. It is dotted by a large number of restaurants, leather shops, and gelato places. Its a cool place to simply stop and take a breather and the church is worth a visit as it houses the remains of many famous Italian's and the interior is quite nice as well

Piazza Santa Croce is spacious, beautiful, and full of character. The basilica is breathtaking, and…read morethe piazza feels lively without being overwhelming. Perfect for people-watching, a coffee stop, or soaking in Florence's atmosphere--especially lovely in the evening.

The Forte is temporarily closed but you wouldn't know that from anywhere else except when you have…read morehiked to the top of the (mountain? hill?) and find there is a gate across it. And you can't go back down through the Boboli Gardens because the gate between the two is also closed and locked, which you won't know until you're at it. The only way into the Gardens is all the way back down the hillside, past the Palazzo Pitti and then the ONE entrance to the Gardens (which is free to enter). The outside if visible and you can walk around the outer walls, but that's it. And the outer walls are impressive. Google told me it was closed, but Google has been wrong before. Yelp has nothing and I'm reporting it now. I don't know how long it's closed. [Review 16978 overall - 183 in Italy - 494 of 2022.]

So we happened upon Forte Belvedere by complete accident. Just so happened that the street our…read moreAirBnB was on dead ended into the Fort. You know me by now... I gotta snoop everything out... what is this magical place? NOW.... PAY ATTENTION BOYS AND GIRLS! THEY HAVE FUNNY HOURS! YOU SHOULD CALL AHEAD AND NOT ALWAYS AUTOMATICALLY BELIEVE THE HOURS LISTED ONLINE! Anyway, the third time we walked up the massively steep hill to visit, totally worth it! I've seen some pretty spectacular sights in this lifetime... from New Years Fireworks at One Whitehall Place to soaring miles above the canopy in the jungles of Costa Rica and taking the evening sunset in from the roof of the Capital in Rome... I'm a lucky dude and appreciate every amazing moment I've gotten to absorb... ...however, Fort Belvedere, it quickly hit my Top 10 best views list! I will say no more, go check it out... I'd love to hear feedback if you felt the same?

I had a great time here, spent half a day here just taking it all in and enjoying my vacation…read more This is a nice place to people watch, hang out, eat a nice dinner, listen to some live music, go to the cathedral or museum. Very safe area to walk around and shop Piazza Santa Maria Novella is a beautiful, historic square in Florence, Italy, dominated by the stunning Renaissance facade of the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, a major art site. It's a central hub near the train station, featuring two 16th-century obelisks with bronze turtles, the historic Hospital of San Paolo (now museums), gardens, cafes, and a significant literary past. Historically, it hosted festivals and chariot races (Palio dei Cocchi), making it a key gathering place for centuries.

We were through Piazza Santa Maria Novella a number of times as it lies between the touristy retail…read moreareas of Firenze and the Unità terminus of the T2 tram line https://www.yelp.com/biz/unità-station-firenze?hrid=ePo6o7Ay44xuAqSjVFYbyg. The plaza was born in 1287 by decree of the Florentine Republic during the years that the Dominican convent and church of Santa Maria Novella was being renewed and enlarged. Right away, the piazza became theater to festivals, tournaments and other contests. Unlike some of the other piazzas in Florence, this one has a more open feel as it is surrounded by much shorter two and three story buildings that include the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella and the Museo Nazionale Alinari della Fotografia. I liked this one the most compared to others. The piazza has a section with several benches in a pretty row and the two obelisks at opposite ends. The two marble obelisks, each one sitting atop four bronze turtles by Giambologna and topped with a Florentine lily, were the "goal areas" for the "Palio dei Cocchi", a race on chariots similar to the Roman two-horse chariots which started being raced here in 1563. The main attraction in the piazza is obviously the basilica. Enlarged between 1279 and the middle of the 1300s, the facade by Leon Battista Alberti dates to the 1470s and it is the oldest standing facade to still exist in Florence (all of the other main churches had their facades redone or actually finished in more recent times). [Review 17021 overall - 221 in Italy - 537 of 2022.]