We think you deserve a quick break! So we’re sharing 20 of our most colorful pictures of Florence, Italy. Plus for a little more fun, you’ll also find facts about the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance including the Florence Cathedral, and Arno River.
Pictures of Florence Italy
Although the pictures of Florence seen here were taken on a cold February afternoon, you’d never know it! I remember it clearly because I was tilting my face up to the warmth of the sun in front of the Cathedral of Florence when Paolo said “Il sole bacia i belli” or in English “the sun kisses the beautiful.” Although I’d never heard the phrase before, I understand just enough Italian to make a joke. So I opened my eyes and pointed to the Florence Cathedral bathed in sunlight and said “sure does!”
Click on any picture to take a closer look! All photos by ALOR Italy Head Photographer Paolo Ferraris from our trip to Florence, Italy.
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Florence Cathedral Pictures
Florence is the Birthplace of the Italian Renaissance but the Florence Cathedral dome predates this illustrious period. In fact in 1418 Filippo Brunelleschi came up with his own unique and many say brilliant methods to construct the dome of the Florence Cathedral. A grand feat because he had no formal architectural training and this was to be the largest dome ever built!
Curious to know more about what makes this one of a kind dome so mysterious and special? Check out the video below for the full story!
Video of the construction of the dome of the Florence Cathedral
Remarkably this eight sided, off centered dome stands 375.7 feet tall yet has no central support system! It also just so happens to be sitting atop one of Italy’s most ravishing Gothic style cathedrals.
Santa Maria del Fiore, designed by Arnolfo di Cambio, is the third largest church in the world (after St. Peter’s in Rome and St. Paul’s in London) and was the largest church in Europe when it was completed in the 15th century. It is 153 meters long, 90 meters wide at the crossing, and 90 metres high from the floor to the bottom of the lantern. The third and last cathedral of Florence, it was dedicated to Santa Maria del Fiore, the Virgin of the Flower, in 1412, a clear allusion to the lily, the symbol of the city of Florence.
OPERA DI SANTA MARIA DEL FIORE
Pictures of Statues in Florence
In our picture of Florence, Italy photo gallery you’ll find a beautiful photo of the Summer statue. Florentine sculptor Giovanni Caccini created both the Summer and the Autumn statues that were part of the four statues of the seasons added to Ponte Santa Trìnita (Holy Trinity Bridge) in 1608.
Fun fact! The illusion of forward movement in statues is typical of sculptures of the Medici era. Something Caccini knew well because he did restorations for the Medici family between 1583 and 1590. This statue might feel familiar to my friends back at home in New York City because it’s also evident in Temperance, one of Caccini’s other works on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
“Caccini’s career as sculptor and architect included many commissions for churches in Florence: among his greatest works were statues for the high altar of Santo Spirito (1599 – 1613), and he was one of the distinguished sculptors working under Giambologna on the great bronze doors of Pisa Cathedral (1588 – 96).”
MetMuseum.org
Picture of Florence Street Lights
Another fun fact about Florence. It is one of the last cities left in Italy to turn street lights on manually. While that sounds a bit antiquated when it comes to all 47,000 street lights in Florence, it’s actually just the opposite because local officials balance starlight and LEDs manually!
Hence Florence always feels magical at night because there is a careful planning balance between light pollution and safety.
“There are teams stationed around the city who check the natural illumination and decide when it’s best to turn on the lights. If a storm is brewing and darkness is descending in Fiesole and Campo di Marte but it’s still light in Isolotto, we can make the call to illuminate the city, or not. That sort of decision enables us to make energy savings if you consider that it costs 100 euro per minute to power the lighting. There are also times when we turn on the lights as a mark of reassurance, like when the tornado struck lungarno Colombo and surroundings in August 2015.”
Matteo Casanovi, President of SILFI in an interview with The Florentine
To achieve balance, they use 42 different types of LED lights in Florence!
See More Pictures of Italy
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We’re Brandy Shearer (Author) & Paolo Ferraris (Photographer), two budget-savvy Italian introverts, artists, and dual citizens living in the Italian Alps.
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All Pictures of Italy are © Paolo Ferraris & Brandy Shearer and ALOR.blog, 2023 and beyond! We strictly prohibit unauthorized use and or duplication of this material without express and written permission. We welcome excerpts, provided that you give full and clear credit to Paolo Ferraris & Brandy Shearer and link to ALOR.blog. Please use appropriate and specific directions to the original content. For use or prints, contact Paolo@ALORConsulting.com.
