Florence or Firenze as it’s called in Italy is my second favorite old city in Italy. My favorite is Naples, but today’s blog is about Florence. In July my husband and I went to Florence (Firenze) for our anniversary/vacation. This was our second trip there. I love the old city feel when we walk around this city. The first time we went was a couple of years ago and we didn’t get to spend much time there. We basically did a walking tour, walked around some, and visited one Church.
This time my husband and I stayed at a beautiful Airbnb next to the Duomo (The big main cathedral). This Airbnb looked and felt like it belonged in the 16th century around the time of the Medici family. It was great to see the Duomo every morning when we left that building and every evening when we got back. It was seriously hot the week we were there, but we loved walking around the old buildings, taking in the scenery, eating delicious food, and of course, having gelato. There was also one market after another that we walked through. It’s amazing how many pocketbooks, sweaters, and t-shirts those market stalls can hold, but be careful because when you stop to look for one second they will try to sell you their items. I did buy a pocketbook while in Florence, but not at one of those stalls, I bought it at a store named VALE in Florence.
My biggest reason for wanting to go back to Florence though wasn’t for the food or the markets. My biggest reason was because of the Medici Family. I am totally fascinated by the Medici. This is the Italian Florentine family that started the banking system that we know today. They were a very powerful family that some people liked and others hated. They had multiple castles which I finally got to walk through on our last trip to Florence (Firenze). I loved looking for their family crest when we walked around Florence. Whenever I saw the above-ground walkways they made to get from one building to another, I would point it out to my husband. We also got to see Cosimo the first’s tomb.
The Duomo that is in Florence, which people love to visit and take pictures of including me, that is the same Church that the Medici went to all those centuries ago. That is the same Church they would pray in as many like to do today. That is also where the plan to kill the Medici took place and one of the brothers was stabbed to death. Very sad, but true. There is a lot of history in Florence and a lot of it has to do with the Medici family, their rise to fame, and their downfalls, betrayals, and eventual deaths. If you have never seen it I would recommend watching The Medici on Netflix or where ever you can watch it. It would explain a lot about their family. Sadly their family no longer exists. They wanted so badly to have a legacy, but they unfortunately forgot about the biggest legacy you can leave, your family.
Kathleen Smith is the author of Miscarriages: My Journey From Heartache to Healing, and other books. Blogs about a variety of things. Her podcast is Kathleen’s Korner and she is the CEO of BearsWithApps. OH, let’s not forget her YouTube channel