A Day in Pisa and Florence

A Day in Pisa and Florence

Pisa and Florence, Italy

4 February 2020

I decided to leave Rome for a day to visit two other cities of the country, the Pisa and Florence. My itinerary goes this way - leave early in the morning by train going to Pisa, tour around, leaving Pisa after lunch and took train going to Florence, explored the place and returned to Rome at night and leave the country.

Pisa is situated north of Rome and is a city in Italy's Tuscany. The reason why I have decided to pay a visit in this place is that it is best known for its iconic landmark, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I took the early train from Rome Central Terminal via Trenitalia for a direct two hour train ride. A general tip is that you must book your tickets early for you to get a discounted ticket and choose a time where you can plan ahead your itinerary. Be careful to check schedules as some of the trains take 3 to 4 hours of travel to Pisa due to its stopovers. 

I arrived at the Pisa Centrale station and from here you can choose between taking bus for 5 - 10 minutes or you can simply walk for 20-30 minutes to reach the leaning tower of Pisa. Of course, I chose the bus since my time is very limited and I need to get there as early as I can to avoid crowds. After few minutes of sightseeing inside the bus, I arrived at the side entrance and surprised by the view of the tower. Simply amazing!.

Around the piazza you can see and visit the Piazza del Duomo, Cattedrale di Pisa, Fontana dei Putti, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo and the Leaning Tower of Pisa itself.  Although going inside isn't free and you must pay depends on how many buildings you're going to visit, nonetheless, the view is still magnificent outside. The cathedral is free but you must go to the ticketing office early to take a timed entry as they limit crowds going inside. 

Cattedrale di Pisa is a medieval Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in the Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa. It is a church made of marble, a magnificent example of a Romanesque architecture filled with art. Like the bell tower, it actually leans slightly too.

On its side is the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, a campanille or a freestanding bell tower of the cathedral. It is the third oldest structure in the city square and is widely known for its nearly four-degree lean, the result of an unstable foundation.

I still have few more hours left and did a bit of walk towards the Pisa centrale station before heading to my next train ride. The city is very interesting like Rome and the view is very nostalgic.

The visit will not be complete without tasting the gelato of Pisa. To my surprise, it is more cheaper here than in Rome and the taste didn't disappoint me too.

Gelato at La Bottega del Gelato

Lunch time had passed and I took my scheduled one hour train ride to my next destination, Florence.

Amazing Tuscan City of Italy: Florence

As soon as I arrived the tuscan city of Florence, I was surprised by its beauty. It's a bit cloudy with a bit of rain on that day but it didn't stop me from exploring the city. Florence is a city in central Italy and is widely known as the birth of Renaissance and has been called as the "Athens of the Middle Ages".  Although I only have half day in the city, I carefully chose places that I really wanted to see. First on my list is the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, a 5 minute walk from the train station were I arrived.





I can see the difference of structures here compared to the city of Rome and I would say that it is astonishing! I didn't manage to get inside some of the churches here as there is a quite pricey entrance fees.



Another 5 - 10 minutes walk, I reached the gigantic and the most beautiful church I have ever seen in Italy, the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. Luckily, the entrance here is free but if you want to get up to the top of its dome, you need to pay for it, which I didn't. The cathedral is a gothic style designed by Arnolfo di Cambio. The exterior is decorated with mix of pink, white and green marble and the interior is simple compared to the ones in Rome.









Another one of a kind church is the Basilica di Santa Croce di Firenze which is a 5 minute walk from the cathedral. It is a neo-gothic Franciscan church known for its Giotto frescoes and tombs of Michaelangelo and Galileo.





Florence visit would not be complete if I'm not going to try their version of gelato, and it was so nice too!


Gelato at Gelateria dei Neri

Last on my list is the famous Ponte Vecchio. It is a medieval stone closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge over the Arno river with shops built along.







Walked a few more minutes I happen to see the facades of the Palazzo Pitti, a gallery complex in renaissance housing vast Italian and European master arts collection.



I didn't leave the city of Florence without trying their famous Florentine steak! Before I head back to Rome, I did try it and I'm speechless!



Florence is indeed one of the amazing cities of the world and now my favourite city alongside with Rome. The place is simply amazing and rich in history. I will definitely comeback to this place!







And the day has come to end my amazing visit in Italy. The next morning, I flew to my next destination. Stay tuned!


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markanthonylim|photography2020

Canon 5D Mark IV
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM