If you are tired of the busy city center and want to get away from the beaten track this might be the right tour for you! All you need is comfortable shoes and good condition. We’ll see the town from a different perspective. Whenever I have some time off I adore taking a walk in this lovely area of Florence. It’s, in my opinion, a great way to recharge the batteries.
We start from the famous Ponte Vecchio where the goldsmiths have been working since the late 16th century and on our way up to the Medici fortress, Forte Belvedere, we will pass one of the homes in Florence of the great scientist Galileo Galilei.
We’ll exit Florence from one of the Medieval gates
The city walls with their gates were once surrounding the entire town, but a big portion was turned down in the late 19th century when the city was the capital of Italy (1865-1870). As soon as we are beyond the walls we have a completely different setting. The narrow road is now flanked by independent houses and beautiful olive groves. No wonder that several celebrities decided to live here such as the local painter Ottone Rosai and the Russian composer Tchaikovsky.
San Miniato is one of the legendary churches of Florence
Reaching the church San Miniato al Monte we will have a chance to admire one of the oldest and most beautiful religious buildings in Florence. The church dates back to the 11th century and is a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture.
Next to it we have the graveyard where the film director Franco Zeffirelli, among others, is resting. After this walk it’s time to just relax a bit with a drink and the best view in town at Piazzale Michelangelo. On our way back downtown we will stop at the pretty Rose Garden with the fabulous sculptures made by the Belgian artist Jean-Michel Folon and our tour ends in the picturesque neighborhood of San Niccolò.
