Chianti wine and Tuscan countryside

Chianti, synonymous with wine, is one of the famous wine regions in Italy. Chianti, red Italian wine is usually packed in a  bottle enclosed in a straw basket called the fiasco. This name for the straw bottle costed Chianti wine very much.It was taken to be a cheap wine. Now there is a little of Chianti which is sold in fiascoes. The grapes from which this wine is made are called Sangiovese grapes. A tour of Chianti takes you through the Tuscan countryside, the vineyards and the olive grooves.

The countryside is picturesque and know for its beauty, why not, given it is situated in the midst of the Alps.

Surrounded by snow capped mountains on one side and vineyards and olive grooves on the other, this is a tour worth taking.

There are many private tour operators who operate from Florence and make daily tours to the Chianti region. A normal tour would involve wine tasting, wine making and virgin olive oil tasting. This would cost around 55-60 euro per person. There are also private tours and whole day tours to the Tuscan country side.

Advice: Make sure you book your tour in advance.

Getting there: Many tour operators have tours starting from Florence.

Pisa

Pisa is located in Tuscany,Central Italy. It is on the banks of River Arno, which cuts Florence into two. The most important and well known attraction of this city is the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Even though it was built to stand vertically, it started bending soon after its opening. This was due to a poorly laid foundation.At a height of 55.86 meters, the tower has 296 steps. Also called the bell tower, it has a total of seven bells on its roof top.

The compound in which the tower is located also houses a Duomo, a cathedral and a museum. Visitors are allowed at regular intervals of 20 minutes on to the top of the tower.The view from the top is breathtaking and makes you realize that the tower is actually leaning.

Advice: If you are planning to take a tour of the Bell tower, be prepared to climb 294 steps. The main problem with the steps is that some of them are very steep.

Getting there: There are a lot of trains to Pisa from Florence. You have to go to the SMN to get a train.

Timings:From November to February: 10:00-17:00 (09:00-18:00 from Dec 25-Jan 1)
            March: 09:00-18:00 (until the 3rd), 09:00-19:00 (until the 20th), 08:30-20:30 (starting the 21st)
            From April to September: 08:30-20:30 (until Jun 13 and from Sep 5-30),08:30-23:00 (from Jun 17)
            October: 09:00-19:00

Other places of interest

In my previous posts,I mentioned some of the important and famous places in Florence. Florence, as you know is an art enthusiast's paradise, filled with museums and places of historical importance. Other places in Florence worth going are Ponte Vecchio, Museum of San Marco,Bargello National Museum.

Ponte Vecchio is an old bridge on River Arno, built in the fourteenth century, filled with jewellery shops on both the sides. A visit at night would be wonderful. The Italian designs are truly masterpieces.

The collection of the Bargello national museum features statues, including Bacchus by Michelangelo and Donatello’s David. The collection includes tapestries, furniture and other unique works of art.

The museum of San Marco contains many of the artistic works by Fra Angelico, a famous Renaissance artist known for his incredible frescoes.

Palazzo Pitti

Palazzo Pitti or the Pitti Palace,as it is called in English, is a Renaissance palace in Florence. It is situated on the south of River Arno, a little far form Ponte Vecchio.It was originally the residence of Luca Pitti,a Florentine banker.The Palazzo is furnished with treasures from the ages and features several museums/galleries, including Gallery of Modern Art,Costume Gallery, Museo degle Argenti (the Medici Treasury), Porcelain Museum, The Palatine Gallery, which includes works by Raphael, Reubens Titian and sculptures by Canova and the Boboli gardens.The Boboli Gardens, originally designed by the Medici's, are one of the earliest examples of formal Italian Gardens.The view from the Boboli Gardens is breathtaking. You can see all of Florence from there.

Advice: Wear comfortable footwear and clothing because there will be a lot of walking to do.

Location: To the south of River Arno and at a short distance from Ponte Vecchio.

Getting there: It is about 1.3km from SMN and walkable.

Timings: Palazzo Pitti- 08:15-18:50 Tuesday through Sunday, closed Monday and some holidays

             Boboli Gardens- During summer from 08:15 to sunset but closes earlier in winter (1800). Closed first and last Mondays of the month and some holidays.

Galleria dell' Accademia

This small museum is one of the most crowded in Florence due to the world’s fascination with Michelangelo’s sculpture of David(of David and Goliath). David is one of the finest works of Michelangelo.This represents David just before his battle with Goliath.Even the minute deatils such as his veins on the hand were taken care of with superior craftsmanship.The remainder of the Galleria is focused on Florentine arts and artists.

Advice: Book your tickets in advance to avoid long queues.

Location: Take a left from SMN and keep walking through the lanes.
Getting there: It is about 10 minutes from SMN and on via Ricasoli.
Timings: Open Tuesday to Sunday-8:15 to 18:50.Closed Mondays and some holidays.
Tickets: Full price-€ 6,50 plus obligatory booking charge € 4,00
 There is a reduced price and a free admission.For more details visit museum's official website. Audio guides are available as soon as you enter the gallery at price of 5,00 euro.

Uffizi Gallery

Housed in the Palazzo degli Uffizi, the Uffizi Gallery is one of the oldest and most famous museums in the world.This place was meant for the offices of the Florentine magistrates- hence the name "uffizi"(office). The internal courtyard or the cortile is very long and narrow and opens into River Arno.

The gallery is the house of many outstanding masterpieces collected or commisioned by the Medici family.The collections include The Annuciation and The Adoration of the Magi by Leonardo da Vinci, The Doni Tondo by Michelangelo,Bacchus, The Sacrifice of Isaac, Medusa by Caravaggio,Flora, Venus of Urbino by Titian and The Birth of Venus by Botticelli to mention a few.Outside the gallery, there are few scultures of Perseus slauing Medusa, a copy of David(orginally by Michelangelo) by Donatello and more.


Advice: If you want to see the Uffizi, you need to buy your tickets ahead or wait in long lines.There are a number of online services that can be used to order tickets but the best is the museum's official website.

Location: Just adjacent to River Arno.Take left from where Ponte Vecchio starts.
Getting there: It is 5.6 km from SMN(Santa Maria Novella) and 10 minute walk.
Timings: Open Tuesday to Sunday-8:15 to 18:50.Closed Mondays, New Year’s Day, May 1st and Christmas Day.
Tickets: Full price-€ 6,50 plus obligatory booking charge € 4,00
             There is a reduced price and a free admission.For more details visit the museum's official website

Florence,Italy

Beautiful churches, picturesque country side and great history. You get to see all those and more in Florence.The first name that would come to my mind when mentioning Florence is that of the Medici's. It was during the reign of the Medici's that Florence acquired it art and architecture. Lorenzo succeeded his father Piero di Cosimo de' Medici in 1469. He was a great patron of the arts and commissioned works by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli.

River Arno passes from the middle of this ancient city, which was one of the trade centers of ancient Italy.Florence is known for its history and its importance in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance, especially for its art and architecture. A centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the richest and wealthiest cities of the time, Florence is often considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance; in fact, it has been called the Athens of the Middle Ages.It was long under the de facto rule of the Medici family. From 1865 to 1870 the city was also the capital of the Kingdom of Italy.

Advice: Though everybody does this, a small reminder. Do carry a map of Florence. All the places of interest are nearby the rail station and a bit of walikng will take you to almost all those places.

The Duomo

The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore also called Duomo, is the cathedral church of Florence. The construction started in 1296 and was ready structurally in 1436.The cathedral complex includes the Bapistery and Giotto's Campanile.These three buildings are part of the UNESCO world heritage site covering the historic centre of Florence.

The basilica is one of the larget in Italy and until the modern era, the dome was the largest in the world.It still remains the largest brick dome ever constructed.The Gothic interior is vast and gives an empty impression.Many decorations in the church have been lost in the course of time, or have been transferred to the Museum Opera dell Duomo, such as the magnificent cantorial pulpits (the singing galleries for the choristers) of Luca della Robbia and Donatello.The Duomo Museum is a knockout and includes an unfinished pieta by Michelangelo (the Pieta in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican is acknowledged to be Michelanglo’s finest). Ghiberti’s original bronze panels for the Baptistery Doors and works by Donatello, including several magnificent statues, are on display in the Museo.
Location: Piazza del Duomo
Getting there: It will be a 5-7 minute walk from SMN(Santa Maria Novella), the Florence rail station.
Timings:
The Duomo: Monday through Wednesday 10:00 – 1700. Closes early on Thursdays (15:30) and Saturdays (16:45). Open Sunday from13:30 to 16:45. Closed Easter, Christmas and some other holy days.
The Museo: Monday through Saturday 0900 to 1800 and later in peak tourist season. Closed Sunday afternoon. Last admission 40 minutes before closing. Closed Easter and some other holy days.
The Bapistery:12:00 - 19:00 but 08:30 to 14:00 on Sundays.
Giotto’s Bell Tower: 8:30 to 19:30 daily with last tickets sold 40 minutes before closing. The Bell Tower closes earlier in off-season so be sure to check locally when you visit.