Best memories of Florence

Pam, you really should post this after you make your own memories! And you will make lots of them!

Pam,
What a lovely question. Arriving via Rome on the train, a beautiful city opened up. I arrived on December 6th and the holiday celebrations and different streets had their own brilliant and amazing lights and traditions. Of course the art and the food but most important the people. I loved strolling in the early evening and watching the locals getting off work and connecting with friends and families. Taking day trips were so fun as the train was so accessible. Arriving in Lucca and spending the day with a picnic on our train back to Florence.

Enjoy,

Kathy

Ahhhhh......

Stepping around the corner and seeing David for the first time....
Waking early and walking the Oltrarno area, watching an older woman sweep the stoop to her store, and having a cappuccino before the rest of the town woke up....
Watching the sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo and then walking down in the dusk to stroll along the Arno...
Sitting on the Santa Trinita Bridge and watching as the sun bathed the Ponte Vecchio in golden hues...
Gazing over the city from a stone outcropping in the Boboli Gardens...
Lounging on our rooftop terrace with a glass of wine and enjoying the sunset over the city...
Gazing with wonder at Botticelli's artwork in the Uffizzi....

I have several, I have been to Florence several times and finally on my last visit I made it to Piazzale Michelangelo. What a spectacular view. Another was dinner at a restaurant in Fiesole, and I don't think it is there anymore as I tried to find it on my last visit. Enjoy your trip.

Dinner in Fiesole with view of Florence
Museo San Marco(I love Fra Angelico)
Galileo's finger in Science Museum

Maybe trite but one of my favorite memories was my first view of the Ponte Vechio. Another was climbing the bell tower (Duomo was too long a line) and having that up close view of the dome. We were up there around sunset and the view of the city was magical.

First view of David. It's a WOW moment. Dinner at Vini e Vecchi Sappori...most fun, delicious and memorable dinner (out of many) of our whole Italy trip. Sandwiches on the street at All' Antica Vinaio. Drinks at the bar on top of the Westin. Florence is just amazing with so much to offer!

Michelangelo 's David and Prisoners.... ok, must go get the coffee table book and look at them again.....

Lunches and dinners at funky Self Service Leonardo on several trips. Walking through Renaissance streets and expecting to see a Borgia around every corner. Baptistry doors -- and the originals in the Duomo museum.

Walking into the Duomo an atheist, and walking out a Christian.

Lutheran Mr. Steves would be relieved to know I at least didn't end up a Catholic...

While I can't say that "leaving" was anywhere near the best part of my first visit to Florence, I didn't much like the city, even though some of the sights are wonderful and I had some great experiences. On my second visit, I really warmed up to it.

• Longs walks at night along the Arno, watching regular folks walk their dogs, chatting, taking dance lessons, etc.
• Watching the World Cup Finals at the Le Murate Caffe Letterario and discovering that no one much liked the Brazilian team.
• Wandering amidst the fabulous collection at the Bargello and finding we had the place virtually to ourselves.
• Walking around the corner and finding Fabio Pichhi waving us in to a great lunch at Caffè Cibrèo
• Stopping into the bar at the Mercato Sant'Ambrogio for a cafè and cornetto before the days market run.
• Finding countless corner tabernacles, ancient family crests, wine widows, old doorways, interesting ironwork and graffiti, etc.

Saddest memory: having to leave.

I did not love Florence on the first visit but warmed up to it after that first time. Would go back just to have dinner at Trattoria Il Sostanza.

I did not love Florence on the first visit but warmed up to it after that first time. Would go back just to have dinner at Trattoria Il Sostanza.

Challenging question! So many good memories. Perhaps the one I return to the most was escaping heat and crowds in the Orsanmichele church. It was truly a sanctuary that I stumbled on at just the right moment in my day. The sudden quiet and coolness, with the magnificent golden altar standing right there before you.... it was those moments of quietude and reflection that allowed me to absorb the richness of the rest of my experience in Florence.

Been there twice, Florence has its own charm but is so concentrated it seems that if there are a lot of people, it can get a mite claustrophobic, even off-season in March, both times. That being said, a couple of memories:

Wandering in the evening after dinner from our 2010 trip, on the narrow street in front of the Uffizi, there was a solitary flautist playing numbers from Beauty And the Beast, and the echo up and around the walls was ethereal.

Next trip in 2015, after a great meal of ribollita and sliced bistec alla Florentine over arugula at Ristorante Toto, under a chilly full moon we walked through the empty streets to the well-lit Duomo and Baptistery. Since all the daytrippers had gone home for the day, I was able to walk right up to the facade, and ran my hands over the exquisite detail. Just fantastic, up close & personal.

Sketching in The Uffizi. When I studied abroad in Florence, I got a note from my school to allow entrance to the Uffizi for free (as often as I could make it). I even got access to the room where they keep all the sketches by the "greats" (now they are copies of the sketches). I loved going and spending an afternoon on just one painting or filing though all of Leonardo da Vinci's sketches of inventions and animals. I also did a lot of people watching too! When you visit the Uffizi repeatedly you can take your time and really enjoy the history and art!

Grabbing fresh made sandwiches from All'antico Vinaio, along with a couple of cokes and finding a spot on the sidewalk to sit and eat, along with the many other happy sandwich eaters. The oil spilling down our hands, the explosion of flavor and just people watching.

My first, and to date last, trip to Florence was in March 1989. Four things come to mind immediately:

1) Gelato from Perché no! Vivoli was a more famous gelateria, but i preferred the stuff from Perché no! Of course, many visits to various gelaterie were required to confirm these impressions.

2) My day trip to Lucca and Pisa, in that order. Lucca had a magical vibe, and I rented a bike and biked on top of the wall for about an hour (two full circuits). I then went to Pisa for the afternoon. By the time I got there, the last of the bus tours was leaving and souvenir vendors were literally packing up. And the marble buildings in the Field of Miracles (where the Leaning Tower is) looked lovely in the afternoon light.

By the way, a definite NON-highlight was climbing the Tower. Between the extreme slant and the very worn marble, everyone up there, including me, was sure we would all slip and fall to our deaths! Shortly after my visit, it was closed for many years, but has now reopened for climbing. I have no idea if it feels any safer.

3) My trip to Fiesole, high above Florence. The weather was lovely and the view beautiful.

4) Eating dinner in the kitchen of a small restaurant (there were no more tables in the restaurant itself), when I was then joined by a young Italian couple. They spoke minimal English and I spoke minimal Italian, but somehow we communicated.

Time for me to book a return trip!

Thank you so much to all of you, this has been wonderful for me!

Love Florence! Been once (so far!). Favorite memories:

The David
Eating bistecca fiorentina
Discovering a cheap place to eat lunch - Istanbul Doner Kebab. Ate there 3 times in four days.
Having a drink at the rooftop Caffe La Terrazza - La Rinascente department store with an up-close view of the Duomo (thanks, Rick Steves guidebook!)
Gelato
Santa Croce - my favorite church in Florence
Spending my last day there just walking around on my own

Enjoy your trip!

Have to agree with those who mentioned their first glimpse of David in the Accademia...you make a right turn and POW!, there he is at the other end of the hall, floating above the people, looking magnificent. Still gives me chills.

Many years ago my girlfriend completed her MFA in Florence after we had met while we both attended Yale School of Art. My best memory is visiting her there during her studies and again for the 2-woman show she mounted in Florence. We now both have masters in art history and fine arts degrees and will always be interested in the sites associated with those pursuits.

I've been there 7 times, and each time I stay a bit longer there.
I always rent an apartment and pretend I live there!
One great memory is of the year I took an Italian class there for a week; and getting up every morning and walking along in pedestrian "rush" hour , carrying my book bag, after my coffee standing at the bar.
I really felt I blended in then!
Last time I was there I arranged a private tour of the Torrigiani Gardens; you can do it through their website.
The Torrigiani family still owns it and the tower and houses; but the owner/guide told me they were divided as a family as to what to do to make money to preserve it all.
Sort of impoverished gentry, if you will.
A great peek behind the walls into another life.
You will love it, especially if you walk away beyond the busy Duomo area.

While I didn't warm to Florence in 2015 (too crowded, and the beggars were too pushy), I did adore the Uffizi, especially the Birth of Venus. Am returning in 57 days and will be with family this time. I hope to make happier memories this year. Hope you have a grand adventure!

I'll share two, separated by nearly 50 years.

The first was from August 10, 1966. It was around 8:30 in the evening and had just returned from watching the sun set over the Arno. I was on a high school trip to Europe and there were 8 of us from the same high school. One of the 8 was a cute little 14 year old girl and we had started to hang out together.

That night we kissed for the first time. Yesterday we celebrated our 47th wedding anniversary.

In December 2015 we returned to celebrate and re-enact that first kiss. We didn't visit the Uffizi on the first trip. I guess my best memory on this trip was standing in front of "The Birth of Venus", seeing in person a painting I remember seeing in art books since childhood. Of course, the rest of the Uffizi is simply amazing and it was not crowded the day we went.

What a story, Doug! A romantic even before you knew what it was!

For me, a major factor in my enjoyment of any museum is how crowded it is. The Uffizi in 2010 was tolerable but more folks than I liked, the Accademia in 2015--even though it's much smaller--seemed to handle crowds better. And even though it's not Italy, we caught the Louvre in Paris on a deserted Friday in February and seemingly had the place to ourselves. It was magical.

Awww DougMac! Lovely!

My first gelato.

After visiting the Piazzalle Michaelangelo, wandering down through the gardens below, donated by various countries. We hadn't know ahead of time that it was there, and it was magical, had it all to ourselves.

Watching a September hail storm sweep through the plaza surrounding the Duomo from the safety of "our apartment" across from the Duomo. The temperature went from 85 to 55 in a matter of minutes, and the next day some of the hail still remained on the streets!

David.

Thanks so much, these are beautiful! I'm taking notes.....

As others have said, it's hard to pick a best, but the one that comes to mind is an encounter with gReY, the mime.

We were passing through the narrow area between the Loggia dei Lanzi and the Palazzo Vecchio on the way to the Uffizi. gReY was performing in that area. Part of his thing was to follow quite closely behind tourists walking through. Most just kept going and ignored him.

But when I sensed that he was behind me, I leaned back into him. He hugged me from behind and said in English, "finally, someone who is nice." We proceeded to be goofy. I followed his lead and ended up on the ground in a clearly "intimate" pose.

Whatever I did and whatever he did, people were laughing hysterically. My husband said it was hilarious. It continued to be funny when gReY tried to help me up. I probably outweighed him by 50 pounds.

It was all over in just a few minutes. I think it took longer to get the grease paint off my face from the fake kiss. But what a great memory. And no, I hadn't had too much wine at lunch. I don't drink alcohol at all!

Cutting a rug with my husband to a great jazz quintet (à la Stéphane Grappelli) in Piazza della Repubblica one balmy night

Unexpectedly landing into town during Gelato Fest and trying out ALL the craft flavors made by masters of the art. YUM!

Fra Angelico's gentle frescoes in the monks' cells at San Marco: beautifully in situ after nearly 600 years.

Being almost all by ourselves in Piazza Santissima Annunziata to admire Andrea Della Robbia’s sweet, famous tondos on Brunelleschi's Ospedale Degli Innocenti, and catching a rare perspective of his greatest triumph - the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore- down the street. Works by some of Florence's most noted Renaissance painters in Basilica Della Santissima Annunziata were icing on the cake.

The owner of our accommodation insiting upon driving us to S.M. Novella on our last morning (where we ran into a train strike but that's another story)

And lastly, the photo I took of Ponte Vecchio from a window of the Uffizi appearing - to my surprise - on the front page of the local Minneapolis newspaper. No, it wasn't ME there with a family of five but permission for use was granted from the website I'd posted it to.

http://www.startribune.com/family-of-five-takes-on-florence/260315691/

Such a fantastic post. I wish I could add something!!! But you all have me made so excited to create a memory!! Thank you OP!!

So many...here is my brief list.... First trip to Florence in 2007 wandered into the Pazzi chapel behind Santa Croce with no real idea about where I was, stood in the middle, and suddenly the memory of all the things I'd read about Brunelleschi flooded back to me like an epiphany moment.
Being given star treatment at Osteria da Ganino in piazza Cimatori on my birthday in 2013, our very favorite restaurant in the whole world!
During November 2016 during the 50th anniversary of the flood, we watched groups of real life (now elderly) Mud Angels reuinite and have meals and reminisce in the streets.
The first glimpse inside the Synagogue took my breath away.
Discovering the first "spork" in the Bargello :)

Lampredotto.
When my mother-in-law passed a few years ago, she had this mini-plate with an infant emblem on it, and it was destined for the charity pile as no one in the family knew anything about it. I had an affinity for this little thing and requested to save it. It became lovingly named "shrimp girl" (I put pictures on Instagram #shrimpgirl) Then one day I ran across an article about a new museum in Florence being re-opened, Museo degli Innocenti, with a picture of Robbia's tondi, and it was ShrimpGirl! We then solidified our trip and visited last fall, I wept my way through the museo, but seeing the gigantic medallions in person was Awesome!
Last one...
In 2007 our B&B overlooked piazza Cimatori and I snapped a picture of the building directly across the piazza, which is Da Ganino's on the ground level. I posed the picture at my desk and daydreamed of what it would be like to live in Florence, wondered what the apartments inside were like, and basically drooled over another trip to Florence. In 2013, during a group walking tour with 15 or so friends, the guide was teaching us about the architecture of the homes. He pointed to a building, pulled my husband out of the crowd and said "Now if Mike here was the master of this house, he'd..." lo and behold, it was my exact building in Cimatori! I said it was a sign.
Sorry for being so wordy, but it is fun to share memories with those who understand and appreciate. Happy travels all!!!

Better add one more---

First trip to Florence in October 2010 for our 30th anniversary, we stayed on via Tornabuoni at a beautiful hotel. A buddy who had just gotten back from teaching there for 4 months said, 'OH! You're right by Chiesa Santa Trinita, which has the Sassetti Chapel!"

So we wandered down the street one day, opened the door to the church. It was dark & empty, but there was a little machine that I inserted a 1 Euro coin into and suddenly all the peripheral alcoves lit up, with these beautiful frescoes by the Renaissance painter Dominic Ghirlandaio. For free, except the coin. We stood in front of the 'Adoration of the Shepherds' for at least 15 minutes, with nobody bothering us.

That's the way to observe art!

These are fantastic!! Thanks so much!

In Florence, not for my first visit, but for the first visit for my 15 year old daughter and 30 year old step daughter...both very attractive young women. They received quite a few of admiring looks. I was starting to feel my age at 46...from this lack of attention to me, LOL, when in a restaurant an extremely well dressed, handsome man of my years gave me a smile and a wink as he turned to leave. ;)

'OH! You're right by Chiesa Santa Trinita, which has the Sassetti
Chapel!"

Lordy Jay. I'd completely spaced off that one so I'm delighted that you brought it up. We also had the luck of seeing the chapel almost all alone, and it's wonderful! Ghirlandaio's frescoes are virtually undamaged, and he portrayed the real people in them as they really looked - warts and all - so it's like a 15th-century photograph only in paint.

5:00 service at San Miniatio followed by sunset at Piazzale Michaelango - sublime
David
Bapistery Doors!

Standing in the shadow of the Duomo. Simply stunning architecture.

Can't resist. The David. We had a fantastic local guide who told us all about the Prisoners so they were amazing and then we saw the David. Breathtaking. I could have stood there for hours, and I'm no Art major. Be sure to walk behind him, notice the vein going from his shoulder to his hand. Walk around him slowly and drink him in. Corny as it sounds, I read The Agony & the Ecstacy before I went and it helped me to better appreciate Michelangelo's art when I saw it.

As long as Mikey Angelo is the topic, do not miss the Tondo Doni at the Uffizi. I 'think' it's his only painting at the Uffizi, but besides his tremendous use of shadings & shadow that weren't even thought of at the time, he also did the 3-dimensional frame that will blow your mind.

Good evening I am in Italy with my family now and we left Florence at the beginning of the week. I feel I can now answer, the moment the Duomo came into view was incredible, even for my teens. The David also, when you turn the corner and see it you are in awe. We had and are still having an amazing time

Thankyou OP for this fabulous thread...I have loved reading everyones' beautiful memories. Can't wait until we can make our own in October. Julie

Brazen pickpockets on the bus from Florence to Fiesole. Twice observed, twice thwarted. I am not a brave man, just daft as a brush.

What absolutely fabulous memories!! More than one of these lovely posts has brought tears to my eyes!! Can't wait for our first visit next month!! Thanks for the post and the comments!

Thanks to all of you for sharing your wonderful memories. It was not only fun, but helped me tremendously in planning our trip.

I just got back and wanted to share my favorite experience. Although absolutely everyone -- and all of you -- prepared me for how beautiful the Duomo is, it still took my breath away. The first time I saw it, I stopped dead in my tracks. No photo can capture the color, detail or magic it has (although I kept trying!) Over the course of the five days we were there, we must've passed it twenty times -- still, it's beauty is mesmerizing. Everything else pales in comparison.

Thanks again for all your help.
Safe and happy journeys!
Pam

Glad our recollections helped, Pam. I'm going to have to flag this thread for when I visit Florence next. After being there in 2010 and then again in 2015, at which time I rented a great apartment overlooking Piazza Santa Maria Novella, I thought I had had enough for awhile and went to Rome this last March.

And I'll tell you the difference. I really, really loved Rome, but it was more the feel, the vibe, the existence, trying to assimilate being a local in the Eternal City. However, Florence had more 'blow me away' pieces of art, I think, where you could just look and stare and space off and before you know it, 15 minutes has gone by.

But re-reading this stuff...yep, time to return to Firenze!

We just made it - drinking our way across the rooftops of Florence! We'd been before and have seen the big attractions - this trip was not so much about seeing things as just experiencing where ever we were. We had an amazing day, met some lovely people along the way, and enjoyed some wonderful views of Florence! Oh - and had some great drinks too!

We got back from our first trip to Italy a couple weeks ago. Probably my best memory from Florence was completely unplanned. We were walking off dinner and stopped at Piazza della Repubblica as there were 2 musicians playing. They were awesome - played U2, Over the Rainbow and Elton John's Rocket Man. The energy from the crowd was fantastic and just felt surreal standing there enjoying this music, unexpected. We went back the next night but no music. The final night a single musician was playing and he was also very good and we enjoyed one final night of music.

Oh, and seeing the Duomo, Bell Tower and Baptistery at night was also a fantastic memory as even more beautiful!

I loved reading this post thank you..going soon for the first time and so lovely to read about it this way.

Biking up to Fiesole (and back- much more fun!) and definitely Michelangelo's Prisoners. They literally took my breath away. Oh, and then there's his David, too :)

I recently returned from a month long trip to Europe that included 45 hours in Florence. I arrived on a train from Siena around 4:30 and saw Santa Maria Novella, then spent the evening on the Duomo plaza. My singular most memorable moment might be coming around a turn of the Duomo, hearing a violinist playing Pachelbel in Canon D, and savoring the beautifully lit plaza. A magical two minutes. The next day, my full day, I saw the Uffizi, San Marco, the Medici Chapels, La Accademia, the Bargello, and Santa Croce and walked to the Michelangelo Piazzale and attended Mass at San Miniato. I spent another evening on the Duomo Plaza and didn’t want to leave it. The next morning, I went up the dome and saw the baptistery, the duomo museum, and the Orsanmichele Church before catching an early afternoon train to Venice. Like the others above, the first sight of the Duomo was striking.

Yes--how about those street musicians that really add to the color of the place! Pachelbel in Canon D, U2, Over The Rainbow, Rocket Man, Beauty & The Beast.

I will also add that while in Rome this last March, our apartment overlooked the Campo de' Fiori market, and late afternoon, when the vendors had packed up for the day and a chilly dusk with streetlights becoming more prominent, I heard strains of music coming through our open French windows from the piazza. It was the duet of a guitarist and cellist playing the haunting melody of Pink Floyd's 'Wish You Were Here'.

It was chilling and one of those moments...the ones we hope to experience at least a couple times per trip.