Piazza della Signoria, Florence

Next stop was Piazza della Signoria, the L-shaped square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio and the political focus of the city. The buildings surrounding this square are amazing and some of the most important in the city, including the 14th century Palazzo Vecchio, the Uffizi Gallery and the Loggia della Signoria. We didn’t go into any of the buildings this time as it was quite busy but we did have a wander around. Because the Loggia is an open-air sculpture gallery of antique and Renaissance art including the Medici lions, we did get to admire and photograph the statues, along with the other imposing statues surrounding the piazza, including a copy of Michelangelo’s David, the Equestrian Monument of Cosimo I, Hercules and Cacus and the Fountain of Neptune to name a few.

Neptune’s Fountain, even though it was under restoration, what we could see through the gaps was extremely impressive. The great thing about the restoration work is the city have covered the scaffolding with the history of the fountain and it was a very interesting read. It would be great to see it fully restored and working when we return.

It is amazing to see how intricately some of the buildings have been adorned and the craftmanship and artistry of the many sculptures and statues. It is a very impressive square.Read more