Museums and Sights
Here's a little taste of what you'll be seeing in Tuscany!
In Siena:
The Duomo
Also known as the Cathedral di Santa Maria, it was built between 1215 and 1263. The Cathedral was designed by Gothic master Nicola Pisano and his son Giovanni. In the 14th Century, the builders had ambitious plans to expand the Cathedral, making it bigger even than St. Peter's in Rome! Expansion construction began in 1339, but with the arrival of the Bubonic Plague, and the subsequent decrease in much of Siena's population, the cathedral was never finished.
The Piazza del Campo
The Piazza del Campo is the principal public space of Siena, Tuscany, Italy and is one of Europe's greatest medieval squares. The open site was a marketplace established before the thirteenth century on a sloping site near the meeting point of the three hillside communities that came together to form Siena.
For top sights to see in Siena, click here!
In San Gimignano:
The Towers and Museum
A few miles down the road from Siena, San Gimignano is a breathtaking medieval town that has retained all of its old streets, walls, gates, palaces, strongholds, and towers. It is known around the world for its 13 medieval towers. San Gimignano takes its name from St. Gimignano, Bishop of Modena, who is said to have saved the village from barbarian hordes. In 1300, Dante visited the town as the Ambassador of the Guelph League in Tuscany. The town museum has named a room after Dante, which is decorated with frescos of his age.
In Florence:
The Galleria dell'Accademia
Pietro Leopoldo, Grand Duke of Tuscany decreed in 1784 that all schools of drawing in Florence be contained under one roof to house a gallery of paintings by old masters to help the studies of young artists. The Gallery of the Accademia di Belle Arti has housed Michelangelo's David since 1873. Other Michelangelo works include his four unfinished Prisoners and a statue of the also unfinished Saint Matthew. Giambologna's original plaster for the Rape of the Sabine Women is also located here. Other Renaissance works on display include works by Paolo Uccello, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Sandro Botticelli, and Andrea del Sarto.
The Basilica di Santa Croce
(Basilica of the Holy Cross)
The Basilica is the largest Franciscan church in the world, located on the Piazza di Santa Croce. Buried here are some famous Italians, such as Michelangelo, Donatello, Galileo, and Machiavelli.Interesting facts:
- Legend says that Santa Croce was founded by St. Francis himself.
- A monument to Florence Nightingale stands in the cloister, in the city she was born in and named after.
- The former dormitory of the Franciscan Friars houses the Scuola del Cuoio (Leather School), where you can watch artisans craft purses, wallets, and other leather items, which are then sold in the adjacent shop.
In Pisa:
Battistero di San Giovanni
(The Baptistry of St. John)
Located near the Cathedral and the famous Leaning Tower, the Baptistry was completed in 1363 and is the largest baptistry in Italy. The architecture is an example of the transition from the Romanesque to the Gothic styles and is made of marble. The Baptistry was built on the same unstable sand as the the Tower, making it lean 0.6 degrees! This famous monument has been called a "giant musical instrument" as the interior is spacious and acoustically perfect!
In Prague:
Old Town Square
The Old Town Square is a historic square in the Old Town quarter of Prague Located between Wenceslas Square and the Charles Bridge. Among many churches, tourists may find the Astronomical Clock on this square.
Petrin Hill
Petrin is a hill in the center of Prague. It rises above the left bank of the Vltava River. The hill, almost entirely covered with parks, is a favorite recreational area for residents. The hill is featured in Franz Kafka's early short story "Description of a Struggle" and in Milan Kundera's "The Unbearable Lightness of Being."
Major sights of Petrin
Hunger Wall
Strahov Monastery
Petrin lookout tower
Stefanik´s Observatory
Rose Garden
St Lawrence Church
St Michael Church
Memorial to the victims of Communism
The Charles Bridge
The Charles Bridge is a famous historical bridge that crosses the Vltava river. As the only means of crossing the river Vltava, the Charles Bridge used to be the most important connection between the Old Town, Prague Castle, and surrounding areas until 1841. Also this connection made Prague important as a trade route between east and west Europe.
Prague Castle
Here, the Czech kings, Holy Roman Emperors and presidents of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic have had their offices. The Czech Crown Jewels are kept at this castle and it is one of the biggest castles in the world.
The Kafka Museum
Franz Kafka was one of the major fiction writers of the 20th century. His unique body of writing—much of which is incomplete and which was mainly published posthumously—is considered to be among the most influential in Western literature. His stories include The Metamorphosis (1912) and In the Penal Colony (1914), while his novels are The Trial (1925), The Castle (1926) and Amerika (1927). One of his most familiar works is The Metamporphosis (1915).
In Milan:
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is a covered double arcade. It is on the northern side of the Piazza del Duomo and connects to the Piazza della Scala. Named after Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of united Italy, it was originally designed in 1861.
Duomo di Milano
Milan Cathedral is the cathedral church of Milan in Lombardy, northern Italy. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan, currently Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi.
The Gothic cathedral took five centuries to complete and is the fourth-largest church in the world. The American writer and journalist Mark Twain visited Milan in the summer of 1867. He dedicated chapter 18 of Innocents Abroad to the Milan Cathedral, including many physical and historical details.
La Scala Opera House
For more great information on Italy click here!
This is just a sample! You are going to see even more sights and have memories from Tuscany that you'll never forget! Welcome to Italy!