There’s more to Italy than Rome. Aside from the beautiful places you can visit in Rome, there is still a wide range of cities that will capture your heart and eyes! Temples, architectures, facades, rivers, and beautiful art buildings are some of the must-see destinations that await you! To help you plan your Italian travel, here is the guide to the places you can visit from the cities of Florence, Pisa, and Venice! Viva Italia!
Take a guided tour of these cities! Make every moment count, save every memory, and capture every smile! For a complete guide on travelling photo gear, please see our article here.
Let us begin with the birthplace of the Renaissance period, Florence. Renaissance in French means rebirth. It is during that time where people start to show engagement towards learning arts, writing, and sciences. The famous Renaissance man is Leonardo da Vinci. The historic Renaissance period left the city of Florence with breath-taking squares and palazzos artistic treasures. Here are the scenic sites that you can visit in Florence.
The Florence Cathedral is the city’s most iconic church structure located in Piazza del Duomo. It is an example of Italian Gothic building with its mosaic pavement interior designed by Arnolfo di Cambio from the year 1245 to 1302. The cathedral has strengthened the belief of religious Christianity during that period and up until today.
One example of the breath-taking L-shaped Square in Florence is the massive Piazza Della Signoria. The Florentine Republic and its political life originated in this place. It was built in 1302 by the same designer of the Cathedral, Arnolfo di Cambio. He was still the designer of the town hall located near the Piazza Della Signoria. Palazzo Vecchio is the town hall that symbolizes military power. Art and history are visible to this place, may it ruins, paintings, and blockhouse. The gateway neighbouring next to Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio is the Uffizi Gallery. This museum is one of the earliest modern time museums. It’s burst with artworks made by some of the great Italian artists just like Michaelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci. However, the Opera del Duomo is the museum that was built in 1296 to look after the construction of the cathedral and the Bell Tower. Oh! Do not forget to bring your tripod or monopod too as you can take pictures from the top of Giotto's Bell Tower which has over 400 steps! It was built in 1334 and designed with Gothic architecture named after the designer himself, Giotto. It is at the top of the tower where you can enjoy the whole view of the city!
The next city is Pisa! It is one of the maritime republics in Italy! It is very well known for its Leaning Tower and the Arno River! The Piazza dei Miracoli or Piazza del Duomo is the cathedral square of Pisa. It has the sacred places meant for religious artworks and buildings such as the Pisa Cathedral, Pisa Baptistery, Campo Santo, and the Leaning Tower! The Pisa Cathedral is a dome or the main church of Pisa. It is the home of the Archbishop. Its interior design embodies nine display of the New Testament designed by Giovanni Pisano. After the completion, the Duomo became the place of conservation of the monuments just like the oldest holy place in Florence, Baptistery of St. John. The baptistery is famous for its Italian architecture built in marble, Gothic, and Romanesque style. The Tower of Pisa is the bell tower in Italy famous for its accidental tilt. The height of the tower is from 183 feet up to 185 feet depending on which side you measure. The total steps up to the top are 269 steps. The tilt is because of the unsteady or weak soil incompetent for the weight of the tower. At the northern outskirt of the square is the Camposanto Monumentale. It is the Roman Catholic cemetery of Pisa built in the 12th century. After you’ve visited the monuments, you can take a stroll on the bridges over the Arno River. It is one of the most significant water resources in Italy that divides the places of Florence and Pisa.
Our last stop is the romantic city of Venice! The home of William Shakespeare’s literary affair: Romeo and Juliet. Aside from that, the exceptional beauty of the top attractions and breath-taking canals of the city will keep you coming back for more! The St. Mark’s Square is the main public square of Venice. The square has the St. Mark's Basilica church known for its Italo-Byzantine architecture. Next to that is the beautiful Canal Grande! You can rent a boat and enjoy the different bridges and inlined buildings designed with different styles. One of the buildings you can visit along the Canal Grande is the unfinished palace built by architect Lorenzo Boschetti. This palace is the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni or better known as Peggy Guggenheim Collection. This palace has the artworks of some of the famous Italian artists. These artworks are collected and kept like a gem of the city. Located opposite to Palazzo Venier dei Leoni is the Gallerie dell’Accademia. The Gallerie dell’Accademia is the art academy of Venice and probably one of the greatest museums in the world. The superb European and Venetian artworks and paintings of the gallery coming from Michaelangelo himself and other Italian artists are beyond exceptional! You can also access the centre of government in Venice before, the Doge's Palace. They have built the palace in Byzantine-style during the 14th century. It was the home of the Doge or President during the Venetian Republic. Next to it is the Bridge of Sighs. The place was intended for the imprisonment of the new prisoners. It was named Bridge of Sighs because they often hear the sighs of the prisoners before as they come out from the courtroom back to their cells. To add up to your church visit, you can take a look at the Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari. It is better known as the minor or mini Basilica of Italy built in Italian Gothic style, completed by the year 1396. Finally, take a little time to visit and see what’s inside the Arsenal and the Museum of Naval History. It has all the captivating collection of classical ships and naval weapons of Italian Royal Navy in 1919.
In case you’re hungry, there are many Tuscan cuisines and stores you can visit in every city at its most affordable price too! You can also spend a fabulous day strolling and shopping at the shops of Piazza Santo Spirito!
According to Agustine of Hippo, “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” Italy is the place where every historian wants to be. Stop, admire, and make some time to see Italy! Fill your book with pages and pictures that everyone would want to see! These cities will put a perfect end to your inspiring Italy tour. Book your travel to the Three Shining Cities of Italy now!
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